Five Steps to Improve Bedside Breastfeeding Care

Best postpartum breastfeeding practices must address the caloric needs of all infants, including vulnerable infants, while enabling long‐term, exclusive breastfeeding. An adequate subsequent milk supply depends on early, frequent and effective colostrum removal. A combination of hand expression of colostrum, spoon‐feeding and unrestricted breastfeeding provide more milk for infants and more stimulation for subsequent breast milk production. A sustainable, preventive practice model for low‐ and high‐risk infants depends on elevating staff expertise and shifting the focus of lactation educators to address staff learning needs. We propose a five‐step implementation program to achieve this.