Lis prides itself in the fact that it is one of the most breastfeeding-friendly hospitals in Israel. Breastfeeding friendly means that we respect the desires and wishes of mothers who choose to breastfeed their babies .The American Academy of Pediatrics in its policy statement on breastfeeding gives several recommendations for providing mothers with optimal conditions for breastfeeding.
Lis has fulfilled many of these conditions.

Hospital staff should be trained in the latest information and techniques of breastfeeding management.
All the nursing staff have had basic training in breastfeeding counseling, and are willing and able to help you with all of your breastfeeding questions and problems.
We are the only hospital that has an IBCLC Lactation Consultant with 20 years hospital experience in breastfeeding on staff. Many of our nurses are taking advanced courses to become IBCLC’s. In addition, students from courses all over the country come here to learn the latest breastfeeding techniques and information.

Learn about breastfeeding before the birth.
Esther Grunis, IBCLC, who is our Lactation Consultant, will give you a workshop on breastfeeding before you have the baby. She will give you the “5 keys to successful breastfeeding”.

Breastfeed your baby within the first 2 hours after the birth.
The American Academy of Pediatrics in its policy statement on breastfeeding recommends that you start breastfeeding in the first 2 hours after the birth when the baby’s sucking reflex is the strongest. Our midwives are prepared to help you.

Feed the baby when he shows signs of hunger, such as sucking motions with his mouth, searching with his mouth, and sucking on his fists. Crying is a late sign of hunger!!
Lis realizes that babies are not born with a watch on their wrist, and thus the whole concept of breastfeeding hours is irrelevant. Babies are meant to feed on demand, and you will be taught how to recognize when your baby is hungry.

Rooming-in provides you with a chance to learn to breastfeed, to see when your baby is hungry, and to bond with your baby in the first few days of his life.
Lis is one of the only hospitals in Israel that provides full rooming-in. Babies who stay with their mothers in the hospital are more calm and quiet, lose less weight, and have a better chance to learn to breastfeed successfully. The nurses will come in often to help you if you have any questions or problems.

Learn about correct breastfeeding positions, management, and how to know that your baby is getting enough milk.
Every morning at 7:30, there is a lecture on breastfeeding given either by our Lactation Consultant or one of the nurses. You will learn how to hold your baby during breastfeeding, how often to feed, how long, and how to know how your baby is getting enough milk. You will learn how to watch the baby and not the clock.

The breastfeeding room is open 24 hours a day. There is ongoing help most mornings from 8:30 –12:00.
Here you will get help and encouragement from the LC, and the staff in the company of other mothers. You will get the most up-dated information in a professional manner. A friendly atmosphere of comraderie has made this room a favorite of many mothers who prefer to spend their mornings there getting help, sharing with other mothers, and learning that you are not alone. You will even see movies on breastfeeding. Extra help of students learning to be LC’s is often available.

The hospital offers workshops on subjects that may be relevant in the first year after the birth. There is a workshop for mothers and grandmothers of breastfed babies. It is known that past generations did not succeed in breastfeeding their babies because they were given incorrect information, and there may be confusion and misunderstanding between the new mother and the grandmother. To help clear up this confusion, we offer a course called “ What your mother did not know about breastfeeding” This course is given for new families either before or after the birth.
There is a workshop for breastfeeding mothers returning to work supplying information on pumping and storing breast milk for your baby so that he can continue to benefit from your milk even when you are not there.
The AAP recommends that at about 6 months of age, you start to give your baby solid foods gradually. We have a workshop on “Starting Solids” which will give you an idea of what foods to give to continue to give your baby the best and healthiest foods. Babies receive a breastfeeding certificate.
All workshops are given by Esther Grunis, IBCLC. For more information or to register for a workshop, please phone: 03 6925738.

For those of you who have been released from the hospital, and still have questions, we have a breastfeeding forum which is managed by Esther Grunis, IBCLC. You will get answers to all of your questions almost real time. The forum contains a gallery of pictures of positions and latch, articles on breastfeeding, and links to other sites.

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