Considerations for facilities that coordinate with outside agencies that also discuss infant feeding with mothers and their support systems:

All facilities are encouraged to coordinate services with other community programs that provide counseling, support, and education on breastfeeding. Some facilities have developed processes that begin coordinating services during the birth hospitalization. While these services offer many benefits to families, hospitals should coordinate efforts to minimize interruptions to mothers during the hospital stay. This will allow maximum opportunity for mothers to recover from birth, bond with their babies and learn their feeding cues. Outside agencies interacting with mothers in the hospital setting should have sufficient training to support exclusive breastfeeding. Procedures should be established between the facility and the outside agency as to how the outside agency should respond and support the breastfeeding mother who requests formula from them while in the hospital setting. Compliance with the International Code is essential in protecting mothers who are still making decisions about infant feeding.