Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding

Film actor, Hülya Koçyiğit lends her support to the campaign for exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months.

The Best Start in Life

Baby-friendly hospitals follow a simple plan for the promotion of breastfeeding -- every facility which provides maternity services and care for the newborn is encouraged to follow the these Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding:

1. Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all care staff.
2. Train all healthcare staff in the skills necessary to implement this policy.
3. Inform all pregnant women 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 breast milk unless medically indicated.
7. Practise rooming in: allow mothers and infants to remain together twenty-four 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.

Read The Facts about Exclusive Breastfeeding.

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