Hospitals in Action >> Case Examples

RIDGEVIEW MEDICAL CENTER– Waconia , Minnesota
Lactation Program

What is it?
Ridgeview Medical Center’s 12-year-old lactation program has measurably increased participants’ breastfeeding rates, thereby improving babies’ health. The hospital’s three part-time, certified lactation specialists counsel moms on everything from when to introduce a bottle to how to use a breast pump. Acting as a nurse, cheerleader, and friend, the specialists encounter issues ranging from post-partum depression to nutrition questions.

Who is it for?
Any mother who breastfeeds her baby and lives in the west-metro area has access to complimentary lactation advice and instruction by phone for up to three weeks after their baby’s birth. Mothers who deliver at Ridgeview are seen by a lactation consultant during their hospital stay and when needed, have access to outpatient lactation consultations for up to three weeks following discharge. Free telephone support is available for them as well. 

Why do they do it?
Promoting breastfeeding promotes good health for mothers and babies. A mother’s milk contains the right proportion of nutrients for growing babies. No synthetic product can match the benefits of natural breast milk, which provides antibodies to protect babies from many infections and diseases; promotes optimal brain development, improves IQ scores and child development; reduces the risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and childhood cancers; improves vaccine effectiveness; improves chances for good oral health; and provides protection from allergies. 

Impact: Of the 100-120 babies the hospital helps bring into the world per month, about 85 percent start out being breastfed, up from 64 percent before the program began. The national breastfeeding initiation rate averages around 77 percent. Per year, the complimentary program aids more than 600 mothers at an unreimbursed cost to the hospital of about $30,000.

Contact: Laurina Tofteland, R.N., CLE, IBCLC
Lactation Services Coordinator
Telephone: 952-442-2191, ext. 5262
E-mail: laurina.tofteland@ridgeviewmedical.org