Worcester, Mass (February 6, 2018) – Saint Vincent Hospital receives top honors from the Massachusetts Department of Health (DPH) for its commitment and dedication to the care it provides to mothers and newborns to improve breastfeeding outcomes across the commonwealth.  Saint Vincent Hospital is one of just 15 Massachusetts hospitals with maternity programs to be recognized for its efforts in this area, and for collaborating with the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program to increase access to breastfeeding education and support for those women who are most at risk socioeconomically. 

“Selecting where to give birth is a big decision for families, and at Saint Vincent Hospital, we are committed to providing families with a full-service, safe, compassionate birth experience,” said Jeffrey M. Welch, Chief Executive Officer at Saint Vincent Hospital.  “We offer expert pregnancy and childbirth care in Worcester that rivals any birthing experience in Boston, providing the safety, comfort, and convenience of delivering babies close to home.”

The Saint Vincent Hospital perinatal team works hard to help new moms establish successful breastfeeding. The support team consists of nurses, certified lactation consultants and lactation counselors to provide additional help.  New parents are also provided with a list of resources in the community that are available for lactation support after delivery by the hospital. 

“For the past 10 years, the Department of Public Health (DPH) has recognized birthing facilities for their efforts to promote and support breastfeeding,” said Ellen Tolan RD, LDN, IBCLC, State Breastfeeding Coordinator at DPH. “DPH commends Saint Vincent Hospital for their effective collaboration with the WIC program which helps mothers access ongoing breastfeeding services after leaving the hospital.”

In addition to providing breastfeeding resources, Saint Vincent Hospital is now offering nitrous oxide as an option for pain control during labor.  Nitrous oxide is a tasteless and odorless gas used as a labor analgesic. It has been found to decrease anxiety while increasing a feeling of well-being so that the pain experienced by mothers in labor and delivery is easier for them to deal with. Nitrous oxide is administered as a mixture with oxygen and inhaled through a mask. 

For more information on the Saint Vincent Center for Women and Infants, or to attend a childbirth class, please visit: https://www.stvincenthospital.com/services/obstetrics.  Saint Vincent Hospital also offers a Breastfeeding Support Group every Saturday to help moms with breastfeeding questions, receive help with latching and meet other moms.  To register, or for more information, please visit: https://www.stvincenthospital.com/services/obstetrics/breastfeeding-support.

About St. Vincent Hospital

Saint Vincent Hospital is an acute care hospital providing general and tertiary medical services to residents of Worcester and Central Massachusetts. From newborns to seniors, Saint Vincent Hospital has a wide-range of inpatient and outpatient services, including open-heart surgery, neurosurgery, cardiovascular medicine, orthopedics and the Saint Vincent Cancer and Wellness Center. Saint Vincent Hospital was founded by the Sisters of Providence and has over a century-long tradition of providing quality healthcare. It was the first hospital in Central Massachusetts to offer robotically assisted surgical procedures and minimally invasive, computer-assisted joint replacements. Saint Vincent Hospital is located at 123 Summer Street, Worcester, MA and has a variety of medical group locations throughout the region. To learn more, visit https://www.stvincenthospital.com.