Despite advances across the globe in breastfeeding initiation rates, many families continue to report they are not meeting their breastfeeding goals. Concerns about milk supply, infant nutritional intake, and infant weight gain are among the most commonly cited reasons for early breastfeeding cessation. Nurses working with individuals during the perinatal period are uniquely positioned to educate families and offer evidence-based interventions to promote optimal milk supply, infant growth, and maternal mental and physical health. Such interventions include early and frequent skin-to-skin care, emptying of the breast, and professional lactation support. By implementing such evidence-based practices in the first hours after birth and connecting families to lactation support in the first 14 days, nurses can begin to help families achieve their breastfeeding goals.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the physiology of lactation and recognize risk factors for delayed and/or reduced milk supply.
- Identify strategies and interventions to establish or increase milk supply and protect breastfeeding.
Citation:
Pados, B. F. & Camp, L. (2024). Physiology of human lactation and strategies to support milk supply for breastfeeding. Nursing for Women’s Health, 28(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nwh.2024.01.007
Faculty & Faculty Disclosures:
Britt Frisk Pados, PhD, RN, NNP-BC, IBCLC, FAHA, FNAP
Lindsey Camp, PhD, MPH, RN, CLC
Britt Pados is the owner of Infant Feeding Care and Infant Feeding Labs. The content has been reviewed and found free of commercial bias, and any relevant financial relationship is mitigated. Lindsey Camp and the nurse planner have no relevant financial relationships to disclose. No commercial support was received for this learning activity.
Publication:
Nursing for Women’s Health
Contact Hours:
1.0 nursing contact hour (NCPD activity available until August 6, 2027)
AWHONN Accreditation Statement
The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Accredited status does not imply endorsement by AWHONN or the ANCC of any commercial products displayed or discussed in conjunction with an educational activity. AWHONN is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, provider # CEP580.
Copyright© 2024 by the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any other means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy recording without permission in writing from the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.
Requests for permission to use or reproduce material from this activity should be directed to permissions@awhonn.org or mailed to: Permissions, AWHONN, Suite 740S, 1800 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
Keywords: bottle feeding; breastfeeding; breast milk expression; human milk; infant; lactation; milk supply; newborn; postpartum period; premature
Target Audience: women’s health, obstetric, and neonatal nurses