Australian Breastfeeding

It is recommended by multiple organisations, including The World Health Organisation (WHO), American Academy of Pediatrics, The Australian Breastfeeding Association, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and many others, that an infant should be exclusively breastfed for at least the first 6 months after birth (Kitsantas & Kornides, 2013). Breastfeeding as defined in the study of Meedya, Fahy and Kable (2010) is referred to as ‘a child feeding method where the child receives some breast milk but can also receive any food or liquid including non-human milk’. Other types of breastfeeding can include exclusive breastfeeding, which refers to ‘a child feeding method where the child receives only breast milk, and no other liquids or solids with
It is supported by extensive evidence that both short-term and long-term health benefits for both mother and baby are evident (Dyson, McCormick & Renfrew, 2008). However, mothers will need skilled support if they are to breastfeed their babies successfully (Law, Dunn, Wallace & Inch, 2007) and this is where midwives and lactation consultants have a crucial part in a mother’s educational journey to successful breastfeeding.

The Australian Breastfeeding Association states: ‘During pregnancy, women should be well-informed about the benefits of breastfeeding for both the infant and mother. Knowledge about breastfeeding empowers women to succeed’ (Craig & Dietsch, 2010). Many benefits of breastfeeding for mothers include the prevention of the development of many harmful diseases and conditions such as epithelial ovarian cancer, breast cancer (Dyson et al., 2008), premenopausal breast cancer, hip fracture (Law et al., 2007) and mastitis. Other benefits for babies who are breastfed for more than 4 months will have a less likely chance of developing health problems such as gastroenteritis, respiratory and ear infections, urinary tract infections, allergies and
The mother should either be in a sitting with a straight back in an upright position with her lap in a right angle to her trunk, which can be created with the help of a stool to lift up her feet, or she can be lying on her side on the bed. Next is to position the baby, preferably with skin-to-skin contact, as the baby will feel more comfortable. The baby’s chin should be in close contact with the breast as well as the baby’s body turned towards to the mother’s body to get a good angle at the breast. The use of pillows can also be of help to make it much more comfortable for both mother and baby and easier to adjust the position, while making sure to support the baby’s head, neck and shoulders. Once in position, softly touch the baby’s nose to chin with the nipple to indicate to the baby that there is a breast to suckle on. Once the baby has opened their mouth very wide, whilst supporting the head, neck, shoulders and trunk, bring towards the breast with the nipple and majority of the areola towards the roof of the baby’s mouth to ensure that the nipple is on top of the baby’s tongue. Colson, Meek & Hawdon (2008) define successful breastfeeding as ‘pain free effective feeding’. This involves the presence of rhythmic vigorous age-appropriate sucking with characteristic bursts, visible and/or audible age-appropriate