6 for ME: Maine Takes 6 Steps to Improve Breastfeeding

The 6 for ME initiative provided support to Maine healthcare professionals and birth hospitals to adopt six of the evidence-based "The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding". Breastfeeding outcomes are dose dependent on the number of steps a hospital implements. Implementing at least six of the ten steps has the greatest impact on breastfeeding outcomes short of implementing all ten steps. The long- term goal of 6 for ME has been to increase breastfeeding duration and exclusivity in Maine.

The 6 Steps

  1. Have an evidence-based written breastfeeding policy that is communicated to all healthcare staff.
  2. Train all healthcare (maternity and labor and delivery) staff in skills necessary to assist mothers and babies to breastfeed and to implement the breastfeeding policy.
  3. Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
  4. Give infants only breastmilk, unless medically indicated.
  5. Practice 24-hour "rooming in" to allow mothers and infants unlimited access to each other.
  6. Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them at discharge.

*See below for resources for implementing the six steps.

6 for ME Webinar Series

Created for Maine healthcare professionals caring for mothers and babies.

General Resources

  • Texas Ten Step Star Achiever Program This website is rich with tools for implementing each of the six steps. Check out the Texas Ten Step Star Achiever Program and Toolkit.
  • Texas Ten Step Videos A series of five-minute videos providing an overview of each step.
  • NICHQ Safe Sleep & Breastfeeding Resources National Institute for Children's Health Quality (NICHQ) shares resources for making safe sleep and breastfeeding the norm, and for ensuring families receive consistent, evidence-based information.
  • Baby Friendly USA Guidelines and Evaluation Criteria The guidelines represent the standard of care that facilities should strive to achieve for all patients for each of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. The evaluation criteria represent the minimum standard that a facility must achieve in order to become Baby-Friendly designated.
  • LACTMED Drug and Lactation Database: Drugs and other chemicals to which breastfeeding mothers may be exposed.
  • Maine State Breastfeeding Coalition (MSBC): The MSBC is a welcoming and broad network of people supporting families who value human milk and breastfeeding. Together we work to enhance the culture of breastfeeding around the state through professional networking, advocacy, and education.

Step-Specific Resources for the 6 for ME Steps

1: Have an evidence-based written breastfeeding policy that is communicated to all healthcare staff.

2: Train all healthcare staff in skills necessary to assist mothers and babies to breastfeed and to implement the breastfeeding policy.

3: Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.

4: Give infants only breastmilk, unless medically indicated.

5: Practice 24-hour "rooming in" to allow mothers and infants unlimited access to each other.

6: Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them at discharge from the hospital.