1511cf66_all_To_Action_on_Breastfeeding__Topic
[ID] 10 [Interest Areas] Concerned Citizen [Comment] Suggestions for encouraging breastfeeding in these settings include routine examination of nipples during prenatal care. Doctors/midwives can diagnose inverted nipples and alert women that they may need extra help with initiating breastfeeding. Prenatal care providers should also recommend a Breastfeeding 101 class, video, book, or group meeting (LLL, etc.) to every woman and encourage partners/dads-to-be to start getting educated about the committment it takes to breastfeed. In the hospital, formula samples are an enormous breastfeeding deterent. Discourage formula companies from giving samples to every patient. Encourage rooming in with babies and mothers. Discourage bottles, pacifiers, formula feeding or sugar water feeding while mothers are trying to intiate breastfeeding. Provide education and support for fathers too since understanding dads encourage breastfeeding mothers to perserve. Lactation consultants in the hospital should examine babies for frenulum abnormalities, tongue length, and other mouth anatomy issues that could affect successful breastfeeding. The sooner those problems are diagnosed, the easier they are to address. Post delivery care: care providers should make asking about breastfeeding part of the follow up visits and be prepared to refer women to lactation consultants or groups for guidance. Provide breastfeeding-friendly waiting rooms with lots of water, footstools, pillows, etc. [Topic] 
Maternal and Infant Care Practices: Prenatal, Hospital, and Post-Delivery Care
Call To Action on Breastfeeding
Topic