The new edition of this best selling handbook has been written to help midwives and other health professionals provide more effective advice and support for the breastfeeding women in their care. It offers clear, research-based, and effective guidelines to answer such questions as: Why breastfeed? How does a baby breastfeed? How long and how often should feeds occur? What is the correct positioning and attachment of the baby? What factors are helpful or unhelpful in breastfeeding? What other antenatal and postnatal considerations are there? What if there are problems or special circumstances? The third edition of "Successful Breastfeeding" has been compiled by the breastfeeding working group at the Royal College of Midwives, which comprises Sally Inch, Chloe Fisher, Sally Garforth, Ellena Salariya and Michael Woolridge, with contributions by Jean Rowe and Margaret Kerr.

Table of Contents

Preface. Introduction. The background. Why breastfeed? Understanding how a baby breastfeeds. Duration and frequency of feeds. Correct positioning and attachment of the baby at the breast. Factors that have been shown to help. Factors that have been shown to be unhelpful. Protecting breastfeeding. Antenatal and postnatal considerations. Notes on less common problems. Breastfeeding under special circumstances. Appendix 1: The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. Appendix 2: Voluntary organisations. Appendix 3: Breastfeeding initiatives in the UK. Appendix 4: Further reading. Appendix 5: Health benefits of breastfeeding. Index.