When it comes to breastfeeding, knowledge really is power. Sadly, new mothers face a dearth of knowledge related to breastfeeding, which has been shown to be one of the reasons why many mothers who start exclusive breastfeeding find it hard to continue breastfeeding beyond the first three months.
Access to information and education around breastfeeding is important to helping mothers feel confident and competent when breastfeeding, and helps promote safe and healthy infant feeding practices. Some things pregnant women and lactating mothers need to know are:
- Nutrition and health during breastfeeding
- Positions to help baby latch onto the breast effectively
- Common fears, concerns, problems and myths
- Signs of success or potential problems in the first few days after hospital discharge
- Pumping and milk storage
- Referrals for postpartum support
- When and how often to breastfeed
- Managing milk production
- Infant sleep and breastfeeding
- Introducing solid foods and weaning your breastfed baby
Knowledge can be taught, intuitive or passed down from previous generations. We need to have all three.
What do you know now that you wish you had known earlier in your motherhood journey? Let us know in the comments section below.
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K is for Knowledge