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Breastfeeding is universally recognized as the perfect food for infants as well has having health benefits for mothers. AHRQ has identified breastfeeding as having a large impact on the health of infants and a moderate impact on the mother's health. However, breastfeeding rates falter in the first few weeks after delivery. In addition to mother and/or baby problems, cultural, institutional and professional barriers exist. Many of the interventions commonly done in hospitals interfere with initiation of breastfeeding and can impact the establishment of breastfeeding as well as the establishment of an abundant breast milk supply. Throughout the hospital stay, nurses have an opportunity to provide information and specialized techniques to prevent many of the problems commonly seen in the breastfeeding dyad. Being a skillful educator can make a critical difference for the mother and can be enormously rewarding for the nurse.