Lactation Education for Resident Obstetricians: Promoting Breastfeeding Advocates for the Future

Obstetrics and gynecology residency training programs are historically lacking in breastfeeding education and advocacy. Healthy People 2020 supports interventions that promote breastfeeding as a primary care strategy with significant health benefits to the newborn and woman. Midwives are well poised to engage obstetrics and gynecology residents in lactation education. A few educational interventions have been described in the literature to increase knowledge, confidence, and behavior related to lactation among residents. This article describes a breastfeeding education curriculum developed by midwifery faculty at Boston University School of Medicine. The project included 3 lectures and a simulation center workshop covering topics including lactogenesis, prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum interventions that promote or limit lactation, hands-on latch assistance, hand expression, use of breast pumps and storage of human milk, and common disorders of lactation. Postintervention evaluations demonstrated improvements in knowledge and confidence. Providing breastfeeding education to resident physicians may be an intervention to promote patient breastfeeding education and support and close the gap of disparities in breastfeeding rates.