World Breastfeeding Week

The 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 women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
4. Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.
5. Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation, even if they are 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 pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants.
10. Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic

I love this campaign by the World Alliance For Breastfeeding Action (WABA) because it puts the responsibility of nurturing new moms and babies onto the community. The healthcare industry that claims to want the best for us, tells us that breastfeeding is best, but has no adequate policy to help moms learn how to. Says me, just from personal experience 

:-P.

So, in honor of the campaign, I am going to make a commitment to finish writing my story this week, in hopes that I can encourage others who may be experiencing beastfeeding challenges too. 

I also want to announce that my husband and I have started a new little "work from home" business venture called Green Baby Bottom. (That is why I have been slack on the blogging front.) Our etsy shop is here: greenbabybottom.etsy.com and we have a new line of nursing covers we call "Milk Drunk" which are all about FUN and just perfect for this week! 

So, keep your eyes peeled and hold me accountable, "part 3" of my breastfeeding story is coming...