Having informed health professionals who advise mothers on breastfeeding and support them in making decisions, favors the success of breastfeeding and enhances the development of the attachment relationship between the mother and the newborn.
These have been the conclusions of the symposium on “breastfeeding in hospitals” organized by the Medela company, and attended by more than 200 professionals related to the field of health.
The mother needs support with breastfeeding from the delivery room
Breastfeeding is the best food for your baby, and its benefits in both the short and long term are incalculable. And although breastfeeding is a natural act and for which the baby is born prepared, it is essential that the mother has an important support network that offers security and information in the face of possible doubts and setbacks that may arise.
What can healthcare professionals do to get breastfeeding off to a good start?
Dr. Adolfo Gómez PapÃ, neonatologist at the Joan XIII University Hospital in Tarragona, defended this health care model during the symposium, arguing that professionals in maternity units should focus their efforts on training in breastfeeding, empathy, and active listening and positive reinforcement .
Encourage skin-to-skin contact
The first step to get off breastfeeding on the right foot is to promote early skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby. And it is that promoting the attachment of the mother with her newborn from the first hours of life, helps the establishment of lactation, since a greater amount of oxytocin is released into the bloodstream causing the rise in milk.
That is why it is so important that doctors and midwives become aware of the importance of not separating the mother from her baby, and help to promote early contact between the two.
Listen and understand mothers
To support mothers to embrace breastfeeding, health professionals must take into account the many changes that a woman’s body experiences after giving birth , as well as the emotional changes that they experience, and that can lead to greater insecurity.
In addition, it is frequent that during the first days mothers face false expectations regarding upbringing and breastfeeding, and the judgment of third parties. This pressure can affect her confidence, so it is important that the medical staff empathize with the new mom , praising her parenting model and applauding the small steps she takes.
“We try to create a climate of warmth and trust, we dedicate all the time they need, we empathize with their feelings, concerns and doubts, we praise everything they are doing well, we value breastfeeding and we make suggestions that contribute to solving their doubts “- argues doctor Gómez Papi.
Offer personalized breastfeeding counseling
It is also important that doctors and nurses not only worry about the health of the baby and the mother after delivery , but that they witness breastfeeding to detect possible problems, verify or correct the breastfeeding position, the nipple latch and sucking, and answering the mothers’ doubts.
Likewise, it is important to know the different protocols that exist depending on the needs of each newborn, and to facilitate mothers to understand the behavior of their babies.
Likewise, there are babies that require special attention in breastfeeding , such as late preterm infants with difficulties to breastfeed, babies with some type of disease or infection, or newborns with jaundice.
The symposium organized by Medela also spoke of hyper-demanding children, which are those babies who require almost continuous contact with the mother, are more restless and before whom breastfeeding counseling is essential.
There is also another category defined by the neonatologist as “barracuda children”, which encompasses those newborns who are voracious when drinking milk, and who suck without pause for between ten and 20 minutes, almost always waking up hungry.
In summary, the work of counseling mothers by experts , as well as training in breastfeeding for students of medicine, nursing, psychology and nutrition, is essential so that breastfeeding can start on the right foot from the hospital .
Photos | iStock
Via | Medela
