During our survey 18 months ago, the surveyer for our unit OB/PEDS was a
physician in his early 60's who son was an OB/Gyn.  He was native to
somewhere in South America and asked questions about our knowledge of the
Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, and questioned us at to whether we had
plans to implement such a program.  It was helpful for me, in that we had
been implementing unofficially the ten steps for several years, one baby-step
at a time.  This really helped get the administration on board to actively
make changes.  Most of the other breastfeeding questions had to do with:
What are the criteria for consultation, special help or unusual
circumstances?  Is there 24 hour coverage?  What about after they leave the
hospital?
Who can request a lactation consultation?
What do you do for infants that are not feeding well, but have reached the
maximum length of stay for a healthy newborn and the physician has discharged?
How are you as the lactation consultant fit into multidisciplinary team?
And how are your services and expertise recieved by your colleages.?

The only patient that was interviewed on our pediatric unit was a mother/baby
couplet who had been transferred to the unit for rooming-in for poor feeding?
 The mother was actually breastfeeding her newborn during the surveyers
questions.


Good luck, by the way,
Laura Burnett
Fort Worth, Texas

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