The Role of Peer Support in the Development of Maternal Identity for “NICU Moms”

Peer support and role modeling by NICU‐based breastfeeding peer counselors helped the mothers throughout every stage of their infants' hospitalizations, from giving them hope, to helping them begin to develop maternal identity, to providing anticipatory guidance about taking their infants home. Talking points are provided for nurses who work in NICUs without dedicated peer support to help mothers establish a healthy mother/infant relationship.