Breastfeeding Resource Book: Uniting Maternity Nurses' Many Voices for Consistency in Support

Providing breastfeeding support consistently on an LDR/ High Risk Obstetrics unit whose yearly deliveries equal 7,000 is complicated by the number of nursing staff required to optimally run the unit.  Busy nursing staff needed comprehensive, accurate and up to date breastfeeding information that could be accessed easily during on-going patient care.  In response to this need, the authors investigated and organized pertinent information for the development of a unit specific breastfeeding resource book. To fulfill this mission, the authors, who are unit-based staff R.N.s, collaborated with the parent education department and the staff development specialists of the LDR/ High Risk, and postpartum units and the NICU.  Integrating this information unified the many voices that support breastfeeding.  

Examples of information in the resource book include specific phone numbers of hospital-based resource persons as well as community groups; hospital based patient education materials and care plans, print-outs of web-based materials from reputable breastfeeding support organizations and manufacturers of support products, and current, evidence-based journal articles.  A list of medications approved for breastfeeding mothers which are commonly used on the High Risk unit was compiled. The resource materials contained in a bright pink binder remains highly visible on the unit.    

The authors considered both the needs of mothers of healthy, term infants as well as mothers of preterm infants.  A literature review of topics pertaining to providing breast milk for preterm infants and a consult with the NICU staff development specialist resulted in the inclusion of the topic of breast pumping to provide breast milk in the resource book. One section addresses strategy, documentation and specific patient education hand-outs for patients who desire to provide breast milk for their preterm infants. Tips for nurses to encourage breast milk production for mothers of preterm infants were outlined and summarized in an acronym developed by the authors.     

Favorable response from staff R.N.s indicates substantial use of the breastfeeding resource book. Any suggestions from staff for areas to be addressed or revised are incorporated into the binder making it a dynamic source of information.  Success in uniting the many voices throughout the maternal child department has upheld the mission of giving consistent breastfeeding support.