Strategies to support women in breastfeeding

Women and Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding can be enhanced and encouraged by the following schemes:

Following the breastfeeding procedures stipulated by hospitals to achieve successful breast feeding

The birth of an infant, often accompanied by joy and a deep sense of filial fulfillment can be the cause of considerable stress for the parents, this is often the case especially with the first child in a family. The hospitalization of the baby is therefore a situation that causes extreme concern for all members of the family. The normal breastfeeding pattern, and also the biological synthesis of breastmilk in the mother's mammary glands can be hampered by stress. Consequently, pediatric nurses are indispensable in these periods of intense stress to provide their support and expertise to the mother. Majority of women look up to medical practitioners for guidance and assistance in choosing their breastfeeding procedures, they also seek to have healthcare professionals influence their decisions (McLaughlin, 2010).

Ten ways by which Breastfeeding can be enhanced in hospital Pediatric units

Step1: There should be a written, clearly defined breastfeeding policy; designed alongside the staff of the maternity services (as appropriate)

Step2: Proficiency in the implementation of the breastfeeding policy should be ensured through rigorous training and tutoring for health care staff who are responsible for attending to the infants

Step 3: The advantages of breastfeeding should be outlined to parents in both verbal and written forms, and these should be supported with evidence.

All parents of newly born babies should be properly informed on the pertinence of breastfeeding for sick and convalescing infants, before or during admission

Step 4: Every form of medical procedures and health care should be designed such that interference with the breast-feeding pattern and parent-child interaction is reduced to the bare minimum.

Step 5: Mothers should be aided and assisted in their feeding patter so as to help them to begin and maintain breastfeeding and also to store their breast-milk properly

Step 6: In cases where the baby cannot be fed directly from the breast, other methods that are favorable to breast feeding should be considered.

Step7: The hospital facilities should be designed to ensure that parents can be with their children throughout the day so that breastfeeding can be provided as soon as the baby requires it.

Step 8: The mothers' requirement for privacy, proper feeding, and information should be put into consideration in the layout of the hospital environment and facilities.

Step 9: Dummies and bottles (soothers) should not be given to children being breastfed without the parents' consent/permission except if they are required medically.

Step 10: Information about groups that can provide support and assistance with breastfeeding should be made available to the parents during hospital admission and after they have been discharged from the hospital (Vermont Department of Health, n d)

2 Tutoring about the psychological and medical value of breast feeding, alongside discussion, and answering questions raised by the mother.

A very intimate and tender bond is often formed between a mother and her baby when breastfeeding takes place, this is accompanied by profound emotional satisfaction on the part of the mother. The deep interaction between mother and child instantly after birth leads to the blossoming of a profound closeness. The formation of this deep relationship is referred to as bonding. It has been observed that a faster rate of development occurs in babies who are kept close to their mothers, such babies are also found to cry less, especially when breastfeeding is commenced as soon as the baby is delivered. Breastfeeding has also been found to engender more affectionate responses from mothers to their babies as evidenced in their complaining less about the stress of caring for their babies. Breast feeding mothers have also been discovered to have a lower probability of dumping and maltreating their babies. (WHO, n d)

Counselling can be said to involve interacting with people with the aim of gaining an understanding of their feelings and thoughts, and assisting them to make the right choices and decisions. Listening and learning are the major focus of the first two counselling skill sessions. It might prove quite problematic to get a breastfeeding mother to discuss her feelings, this is likely to occur if she's bashful and is not in the company of familiar people. Listening becomes an important skill in this situation, it is necessary to create the impression of interest in her this will help to spur her in becoming more open about her problems and more likely to talk about them. (WHO, n d)

Important points about listening and learning skills

Skill 1: Effective communication methods that do not involve speaking (e.g. body language and gestures) should be used

Skill 2: Ask sincere, frank, and candid questions

Skill3: Exhibit interest through your gesticulations and replies

Skill 4: Rephrase the mothers' words and say them back to her

Skill 5: Show compassion and sympathize with her circumstances

Skill 6: As much as possible, do not sound judgmental (WHO, n d)

3 Mothers must be taught how to breastfeed and sustain lactation despite sometimes requiring separation from their infants. They should be commended and reassured. They should also be referred to lactation consultants for guidance when required.

A hale and hearty baby, carried to term, has an inherent capacity to seek and find the breast. Granting a baby, the freedom to search for his/her food source (the breast) will help to activate the basic abilities, and enhance the capability to grasp properly. Women and babies can be helped to achieve effective breast feeding by staff who will standardize teaching, get rid of contrary suggestions, and carry out procedures and routines that will lead to successful breast feeding (Texas Ten Step Star Achiever, n.d).

Just like every other activity, breast feeding can be improved upon by practice and encouragement. Irrespective of whether or not they've had children before, all mothers of newly born infants need to be exposed to pragmatic baby-feeding techniques, they should also be adequately informed on how to ensure proper placement and contact of the infant with the breast.

Tutoring should contain points such as: how to detect hunger in the baby and to recognize when he/she has had his/her fill, infant feeding capacity, creating and maintaining the supply of milk, and being able to figure out when and how to request help. Education and support become needed immediately after delivery and even after being discharged from the hospital. A comprehensive evaluation of the mother and her baby during breastfeeding and the making available of unique/exclusive assistance helps to achieve an improvement in breastfeeding outcomes, this also assists each family to enjoy the advantages of breastfeeding. Hospital staff should have sufficient knowledge, and be able to provide regular assistance for breastfeeding families, they should also know when to hand over to lactation professionals. Auxiliary medical staff should be able to provide help for each mother in breastfeeding the newborn baby within the first six hours after delivery. The baby should be helped to get a good grip of the breast by the mother with the assistance of the nursing staff (Texas Ten Step Star Achiever, n.d).

A basic and important skill that must be taught to all mothers before they are discharged is hand expression. This is a technique that is easily accessible and can be used without electricity. A breast pump is mostly unnecessary during admission in the hospital, it is only required in the case of infant illness or when the baby is born prematurely. In a scenario where a mother has to be separated from her baby, or when the baby is unable to breastfeed directly, hand-expressed breastmilk can be utilized (Texas Ten Step Star Achiever, n.d).

Significance of breastfeeding within the first 6 months.