Hunterdon Medical Center is becoming baby friendly!

[Barb Reale]

 Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington NJ is seeking status as a Baby Friendly Hospital. I am part of a group of midwives that has been bringing babies into the world there for over 20 years. We are so excited to become Baby Friendly as that means we will have full support in providing skin to skin contact immediately, delayed cord clamping, rooming in,breastfeeeding encouragement. Add that to our ability to support laboring women as they move freely, use the jacuzzi, shower, birth ball, squatting bar, rocker or more and you will find that having a baby with us can be a very normal, wonderful, joyous, powerful and safe experience. Its a great place to be a midwife,a great place to give birth naturally, and soon it will be deemed "Baby Friendly". If you support natural birth and breastfeeding, you might want to get your local hosptital to look into becoming Baby Friendly too!

[dlm194]

Don't forget that you offer HypnoBirthing classes as well!  The instructor I had there was wonderful.  :)

Just out of curiosity, can all the baby-friendly practices be used during cesarean deliveries as well (skin to skin, holding the baby, nursing in the OR)?  I don't advocate for elective cesareans but we know that things don't always happen as planned and this would make a big difference for moms having medically necessary cesareans (especially when they were planning on a natural birth).  Thanks!

[budwana birth]

Congratulations to Hunterdon Medical Center- what a wonderful commitment to babies and mothers!  I wanted to add that besides being part of the hospital's becoming baby-friendly, the midwives at All Women's Healthcare are supportive of mother-centered childbirth options.  The birth of my son Liam with the posting midwife was a life-changing experience for me.  Except for the physical hospital environment, I felt like I was birthing my baby in my living room with a trusted friend.