1511cf66_all_To_Action_on_Breastfeeding__Topic
[ID] 608 [Interest Areas] Concerned Citizen [Comment] I believe it would be helpful for all who work with pregnant women to assume that the new mothers will breastfeed. This would mean not asking right off whether they plan to breastfeed or bottle-feed. I do not mean that women should not have the choice, but rather breastfeeding should be the default assumption until a mother makes it clear she does not want to. Working on the assumption that all women will breastfeed leads to some obvious positive changes- education and support should begin immediately, as a part of prenatal care. Education that is primarily the stories of other women (La Leche League style) rather than the common drill of how much better breast milk is than formula would be very helpful- remember, this is operating on the assumption that women will nurse, so there shouldn't be the same focus on the superiority of one over the other. Statistics, studies etc have their place and many women are interested in these things, but I think a greater impact is made by KNOWING another woman who nursed or is nursing. Seeing women nurse their babies, hearing stories or reading, these are the kinds of things pregnant women need exposure to, and less of the guilt-creating bombardment of stats. NO samples of formula. Mothers who have birthed their babies should be gently enabled to hold their babies immediately after and put them to the breast as they like. All non-emergency care of the newborn should be postponed for some hours after the birth. This is critical for helping foster a positive nursing relationship early on. I could go on and on, but those are my two major concerns: changing our assumptions and allowing the mother to nurse soon after birth without interruptions. Thank you for listening. [Topic] 
Maternal and Infant Care Practices: Prenatal, Hospital, and Post-Delivery Care
Call To Action on Breastfeeding
Topic