The 10th Step and Beyond: Mother Support for Breastfeeding

The 10th Step and Beyond: Mother Support for Breastfeeding explores how different programs have supported the 10th step of the Ten Steps for Successful Breastfeeding. Virginia Thorley and Melissa Clark Vickers have brought together key people from countries around the world to describe what they are doing to support mothers to breastfeed. From Baby Cafes to La Leche League to male peer counselors, the authors in this book discuss the role mother support plays in helping mothers meet their breastfeeding goals. In the final chapters, the authors discuss why good programs fail and the ongoing need for financial sustainability. The authors conclude that mother support is not just providing a mother-to-mother breastfeeding support group, it is also about the shopkeeper who encourages the mother to breastfeed in his shop, the passerby who smiles and congratulates the mother on feeding her baby in the best way, the employer who provides breastfeeding breaks, and the legislator who helps pass laws to prevent discrimination against breastfeeding mothers and improve mother-baby-friendly working conditions. It is about all of us working together to support the breastfeeding mother and make breastfeeding the normal way to feed a baby. This book will give you ideas about tried-and-true methods of support than can be duplicated in your community to better support breastfeeding moms and help you plan for pitfalls that can cause your program to fail.