Hi all, 

The following thought has come out my constant frustration that some and possibly many women here in Australia experience - many hospitals now are working toward increasing the initiation rates of breastfeeding.  At the small local hospital near where I live they have some 300 births a year and a 95% initiation rate of babies born go home breastfeeding.  There still needs to be improvement eg conflicting advise.  The next difficulty is increasing the rate at which babies are breastfeed at 2 weeks, 6weeks, 3 month and 6 months.  The biggest problem is the advice and knowledge handed out by the HP's that the mum is in contact with when they go home and begin their "check ups".  In refer to the doctors, child health nurses and pharmacy staff (the chemist is the place to go after hours for help.

WHO through its development of Baby friendly Hospital Programs and 10 steps has able to dramatically increase world wide the rate of initiated breastfeeding.  I was wondering if anyone has ever thought of a similar type of 10 step program to encourage continued breastfeeding designed to educate and prompt the local Doctors, registered Nurses, pharmacies.  If someone like WHO ever did something like this it, with all their influence, surely this would help to 
 * increase the awareness of the benefits to mother and baby
* educate HPs as to the reality of mothers inituition. mother-baby communication, and bonding
* help HP's to discuss the role of crying as a method of communication not manipulation
* stress the importance of skin ot skin and touch
* appreciate the huge variation of acceptable, normal behaviours of babies in relation to sleep, feeding and play behaviours.

Is this idea worth somehow presenting to WHO?  Even if it is a pie in the sky idea thanks for listening.  Maybe someone has a better idea.

Ruth Fiedler
Australia
Breastfeeding Counsellor

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