Baby friendly

Northbay Health Northbay Medical Center is the only hospital in Solano County designated as Baby-Friendly. This means we have specially trained staff to educate, encourage and support you in your breastfeeding experiences.

Having your child at Northbay means you can stay with your healthy baby 24 hours a day, and have a full hour of skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth to help you initiate breastfeeding and bonding.

With five certified lactation consultants available for one-on-one sessions, outpatient support groups, and consultations available when you and baby leave the hospital, we encourage your success with breastfeeding from the beginning to the end of your stay with us.

• We have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all healthcare staff.
• We train our staff in skills necessary to implement this policy.
• We inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
• We help mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.
• We show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation, even if they are separated from their infants.
• We don’t give your newborn any food or drink that isn’t breastmilk, unless medically indicated.
• At Northbay Medical Center, our Mother Baby Unit practices “rooming-in” – allowing mothers and infants to remain together for 24 hours a day.
• We encourage breastfeeding on demand based on infant cues.
• We don’t offer pacifiers or artificial nipples to your breastfeeding infant.
• We offer breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them after discharge from our hospital.