Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative

“I loved Baby-Friendly. I would have worried too much if the baby was not in our room!”

Photo provided by Elizabeth Gleese Photography

“We loved Baby-Friendly! We got to see the bath and ask questions when testing was done!”

Photo provided by Elizabeth Gleese Photography

12th Annual Becoming Baby-Friendly in Oklahoma Summit638721284167705551

Advancing Infant and Maternal Health Initiative (AIM-HI)

AIM-HI is a new 3-year initiative from the Oklahoma Breastfeeding Resource Center (OBRC) funded by a TSET Discovery Grant. AIM-HI seeks to advance infant and maternal health through increased breastfeeding support and evidence-based hospital practices with the goal of reducing Oklahoma’s tragically high obesity rates.

OBRC will assist ten (10) rural Oklahoma hospitals by:

 
  • 100% coverage of all fees requiredduring the journey to Baby-Friendly designation. 
  • Free online didactic education for 30 staff and 10 providers per year
  • Early access for prenatal patients to the Oklahoma Breastfeeding Hotline
  • Free prenatal and postpartum telehealth lactation sessions for patients
  • 100% coverage of pasteurized donor human milk from the Oklahoma Mothers’ Milk Bank during year 1 with some continued coverage for 2 additional years
  • Free annual leadership seminar for teams from each hospital, including travel costs to Oklahoma City, for 3 years.

AIM-HI IN THE NEWS!

8/1/2024 - KOKH Fox 25 - Wellness Wednesday: World Breastfeeding Week

8/7/2024 - OU News - With New Grant, University of Oklahoma Expands Breastfeeding Initiative to Rural Hospitals

8/11/2024 - Norman Transcript - OU HSC Receives Grant to Aid Rural Hospitals

8/12/2024 - KGOU - OBRC Receives Grant to Expand Rural Training and Resources

8/26/2024 - The Oklahoma News Report - OU health professionals highlight the importance of breastfeeding for infant wellness

9/4/2024 - The Daily Yonder - Grant Funds Support for Breastfeeding at Rural Oklahoma Hospitals


As of Friday, September 20, 2024, only 5 spots remain. Email OBRC@ouhsc.edu to enroll your hospital today!

What is Baby-Friendly?

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) is a global program that assists hospitals in giving mothers the information, confidence, and skills necessary to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding or safely feed with formula, and gives special recognition to hospitals that prioritize this education. The BFHI was started by the World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund in 1991 as a way to encourage the broad-scale implementation of and the "Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding" (below) and the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes.  The accrediting body and national authority for the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) in the United States, is Baby-Friendly USA (BFUSA).

Baby-Friendly Education (Step 2) Options by OBRC

Baby-Friendly Education (Step 3) Options by OBRC

Becoming Baby-Friendly in Oklahoma (BBFOK)

At the Oklahoma Breastfeeding Resource Center (OBRC), we help facilitate a state-wide effort called "Becoming Baby-Friendly in Oklahoma" (BBFOK). Our goal is to help Oklahoma hospitals improve maternity care and increase the number of "Baby-Friendly" hospitals in Oklahoma. This initiative is funded by the Oklahoma State Department of Health through the Maternal and Child Health Service. Partners include the Oklahoma Hospital Association, Oklahoma Health Care Authority, Office of Perinatal Quality Improvement, and University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 

 

BENEFITS TO JOINING BBFOK

OBRC will support you, your staff and facility leaders throughout your journey to becoming Baby-Friendly in Oklahoma through various ways, including: Assistance and guidance throughout your journey to become Baby-Friendly, Free in-person staff breastfeeding trainings, Discount for OBRC"s 15-hour online training for hospital staff, National recognition for Baby-Friendly Designation, and reimbursements up to $9,500 of the fees paid to BFUSA, Additionally, as part of the continuing care to help Oklahoma hospitals on their baby-friendly journey, OBRC frequently provides webinars on various topics related to the Ten Steps of Successful Breastfeeding as well as other topics of interest to the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative.

See every webinar and their slides here!                    See every webinar on our YouTube channel here!

                                                               

Start Your BBFOK Journey

Email us at: OBRC@ouhsc.edu to discuss participating in the BBFOK project 

Begin implementing the 10 steps to successful breastfeeding

Register with Baby-Friendly USA                  

Baby-Friendly Hospitals in Oklahoma

The 4-D Pathway to Baby-Friendly Designation

To achieve the Baby-Friendly designation, facilities first register with Baby-Friendly USA. They then complete all of the requirements in each of the four phases of the process.

The 4-D Pathway is a tool for facilities to use to measure their progress along the journey that leads to Baby-Friendly designation. The four phases of the 4-D Pathway are as follows: 

DISCOVERY- The Learning Phase; 

DEVELOPMENT- The Planning Phase; 

DISSEMINATION - The Implementing Phase; 

DESIGNATION - The Assessing Phase.   

Click here for a 4-D Pathway PDF

4-D Pathway

Map of BFUSA's 4D Pathway to Become Baby-Friendly

Map of Baby-Friendly Hospitals in Oklahoma


2023_Map_BBFOK_Hospitals


Map of Oklahoma Lactation Deserts 2024

Map of Oklahoma Lactation Deserts 2024

OK Babies Born in Baby-Friendly

2021-22-Pic_USvs.OK_BFHI_Births

As the accrediting body and national authority for the BFHI in the United States, BFUSA is responsible for coordinating and conducting all activities necessary to confer the prestigious Baby-Friendly® designation and ensure the widespread adoption of the BFHI in the US.  Currently, the national average percentage of babies born in a Baby-Friendly® designated hospital is 28.8%.  In Oklahoma the percentage of babies born in a Baby-Friendly® designated hospital is 35.6%. Birth data for Oklahoma obtained at: https://www.health.state.ok.us/ok2share/

Model Hospital Infant Feeding Policy

Created by the Coalition of Oklahoma Breastfeeding Advocates (COBA), this comprehensive document outlines recommended policies intended to serve as a long-term guide that can be adapted over time to fit your facility’s needs. These policies should be viewed in the context of the facility and will require a strong commitment by leadership and management to communicate, follow and implement these important practices. 

Click here to see the 2022 COBA Model Hospital Infant Feeding Policy

Oklahoma Breastfeeding Rankings

2019-2023_OK_RankingsTable


CDC surveys breastfeeding practices in the United States to monitor progress over time and identify priority areas that need attention. The National Immunization Survey (NIS) uses random-digit dialing to survey US households with children and teens. It provides current national, state, selected local level, and some US territory estimates of vaccination coverage rates for US children aged 19 to 35 months, teens aged 13 to 17 years, and flu vaccinations for children aged 6 months to 17 years. Since July 2001, breastfeeding questions have been asked on the NIS and are used to monitor breastfeeding rates at both national and state levels by birth year. All respondents with children aged 19 to 35 months are asked the breastfeeding questions. Source: https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/data/nis_data/index.htm

Map of Oklahoma Birthing Hospitals

Hover your courser over the map to see the counties that have birthing hospitals. Counties with a Pink icon have a Baby-Friendly Designated hospital.

Baby-Friendly: A Mother’s Story (#1)

Baby-Friendly: A Mother’s Story (#2)

Baby-Friendly: A Mother’s Story (#2)

A Mom's Story      


Baby-Friendly: A Nurse’s Story

Baby-Friendly: A Doctor’s Story

Copyright © 2025 The Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer | Copyright | Equal Opportunity Employer | Mission Statement