Breastfeeding and health professional encouragement

The objective of the study was to ascertain the nature of health professional contacts related to breastfeeding for 341 women. Subjects were prospectively queried by phone or home visit over a 20-week period regarding the number and nature of contacts with health care professionals related to breastfeeding. Lactation consultants gave significantly more positive encouragement (98%) (p = .01) than either nurses (75%) or physicians (68%) did. However, of the 233 health provider contacts that included breastfeeding advice, only 21% involved lactation consultants. Primiparae were likely to decrease their level of breastfeeding if a health professional encouraged supplemental foods (39%) or weaning (86%) during the prior week. Multiparae who were experienced at breastfeeding (3+ weeks breastfeeding the previous infant) decreased their breastfeeding slowly across the weeks with the current infant, and their level of breastfeeding in general appeared independent of health care provider advice. Multiparae who lacked previous sustained breastfeeding experience (0-3 weeks) had the most rapid decrease (65%) in their breastfeeding rates even with health care provider encouragement to continue. Thus, they too appeared to act independently of health care provider advice.