St. Luke's The Woodlands Hospital earns Texas Ten Step Program facility designation

St. Luke's The Woodlands Hospital has earned the Texas Ten Step Program breastfeeding facility designation.

St. Luke's The Woodlands Hospital recently earned the Texas Ten Step Program facility designation from the Texas Department of State Health Services.

According to a press release, the program advocates for breastfeeding as the main method of feeding for newborns and infants and reflects the World Health Organization and UNICEF's Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. The program assists breastfeeding mothers before, during and after delivery; encourages birth facilities to identity breastfeeding resources for the mother after she is discharged; and helps facilities improve on national performance measures.

To earn the Texas Ten Step Program designation, facilities must address 85 percent of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, earn a designation as a Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite, evaluate their breastfeeding policies and maternity care practices, and routinely educate health care staff with evidence-based courses.

"We have worked very hard to earn the Texas Ten Step Program designation," Peg Reiter, vice president and chief nursing officer at SLWH, said in the release. "And we are proud to join the other select Texas hospitals in promoting breastfeeding to our new mothers."

For more information about the Texas Ten Step Program, contact Veronica Hendrix, program coordinator, at 512-341-4592 or visit www.texastenstep.org.

For more information about St. Luke's The Woodlands Hospital, 17200 St. Luke's Way, The Woodlands, call 936-266-2000 or visit www.StLukesWoodlands.com.