In honor of World Breastfeeding Week 2010 this week (August 1-7)…I want to help the The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action share their message by posting the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding as seen on their Webpage and materials.
The Mother and Child Health and Education Trust, in association with UNICEF Maharashtra, has produced a new 10 step video series to support this year’s World Breastfeeding Week 2010 campaign and takes and takes great pleasure in presenting their new Website:Â Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding
Every facility providing maternity services and care for newborn infants should:
1. Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.
2. Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy.
3. Inform all pregnant mothers about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
4. Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within a half-hour of birth.
5. Show mothers how to breastfeed, and how to maintain lactation even if they should be separated from their infants.
6. Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breastmilk unless medically indicated.
7. Practice rooming-in – allow mothers and infants to remain together – 24 hours a day.
8. Encourage breastfeeding on demand.
9. Give no artificial teats or pacifiers (also called dummies or soothers) to
breastfeeding infants.
10.Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic.
Breastfeeding mothers and advocates everywhere have a reason to celebrate next week: August 1-7 is 