MO-07-0148 BFP

The Birth and Beyond California (BBC) Project utilizes Quality Improvement (QI) methods and training to implement evidence-based policies and practices that support breastfeeding within the maternity care setting.  The BBC Curriculum was developed as a result of collaboration among the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH) Division and many local organizations and individuals (Word).

Utilizing the Regional Perinatal Programs of California (RPPC), this project provided participating hospitals with ongoing quality improvement (QI) technical assistance, resource development and on-site education and training.  The training curriculum was adapted from the successful SOFT Hospital, a project developed by the Perinatal Services Network at Loma Linda University under the leadership of Carol Melcher.

Background of BBC

BBC Project Report (PDF, 5 MB)

Lessons Learned from the Birth and Beyond California Project

• Hospital administration must form a multidisciplinary quality improvement team charged with implementing evidence-based policies and practices that support breastfeeding within the maternity setting prior to initiating staff training.
• Hospital Networks provide critical opportunities to share strategies and methods to overcome barriers to evidence-based maternity care and initiation of exclusive breastfeeding.
• Skin-to-skin and maternal-infant attachment are essential components to hospital staff breastfeeding training.
• Hospitals need to develop internal trainers to sustain staff competency and provide ongoing breastfeeding education to new and current staff.

 Listen to the Birth and Beyond Webinar Recording from 11-10-2011 (Select "Run" if asked)

Below are the project components in the suggested order of implementation.

Copyright Information:
© 2011 California Department of Public Health. The components included in the Birth and Beyond California Project may be reproduced and disseminated in any media in its original format, without modification, for informational, educational and non-commercial purposes only. A nominal sum to cover costs of reproduction and distribution can be assessed. Any modification or use of the materials in any derivative work is prohibited without prior written permission of the California Department of Public Health, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Division.

 If a hospital or geographic region is not yet ready to start implementing this project, go to the Perinatal Multidisciplinary Quality Improvement Tutorial for additional resources.

Note to trainers: All of the documents and evaluation tools below are necessary to present either the Staff Training or the Train-the-Trainer Workshop.

* A majority of the photos used in these curricula were from the Breastfeeding Atlas (Third Edition), are protected by copyright and cannot be reproduced for sale or free mass distribution. Photos may be imported into training presentations and may be used for in-services and presentation when rights are purchased. The Breastfeeding Atlas institutional license is available at http://www.breastfeedingmaterials.com. Use of your own photos or photos of patients, with the appropriate permissions, is encouraged.

** A BBC document developed by RPPC with Title V funding through CDPH/MCAH, 2010.