Breastfeeding is influenced by many factors such as the environment, family history, information received in the prenatal period, medical conditions, society... As health professionals, do we have a supporting role or are we part of the barriers to breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding should not be a taboo subject and when families feel understood and heard respectfully, there is no discomfort in asking "How do you choose to feed your child?" in the intake questionnaire. We can then continue with open questions like "And how are you doing?" The answer often allows us to open a door that leads us to better understand the context of this mother with this child precisely, regardless of their reason for consultation.

Now that we know more about the benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and child and society (blog As a health professional, do you know the benefits of breastfeeding?), what can we do as health professionals to support breastfeeding in practice?

1. Adapt the environment
Is there a place in the clinic where women (clients or employees) can breastfeed and/or express their milk in a quiet, hygienic and closed environment? This place should not be a bathroom due to the hygienic conditions necessary to ensure the health of the child and it should also not be mandatory for nursing women who may also wish to breastfeed elsewhere.

2. Support the mother-child dyad
It is recommended that mother and child should be considered together as a dyad instead of separately especially during the first 3 months (this also applies to a mother who does not breastfeed her child). The consultation room should provide enough space to accommodate both the baby and the mother when care is required especially during the 4th trimester* to avoid separation between the child and his parent as much as possible. The interventions proposed as part of our therapies should always be adapted according to the state and condition of the 2 members of this dyad, hence the relevance of including questions about the baby or mother in our respective assessments and considering this information in the establishment of our treatment plan.

*The first 3 months after childbirth are called the 4th trimester, during this crucial period the attachment bond develops greatly, and this bond will be crucial for the rest of the child's life. The proximity of the baby and its mother is also essential to allow good milk production in the nursing mother and has many other advantages.

3. Have a list of resources
It is important to keep an up-to-date list and to know the community organizations that offer services that are often free near our practice location. Referring mothers who tell us that they encounter obstacles in their breastfeeding journey is crucial.

Also keep a list of professionals more trained in breastfeeding such as IBCLC lactation consultants and other health professionals who have done specific and recognized training in the field (e.g. midwives, nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, occupational therapists, nutritionists, dentists ...)

Have documentation or resources available in your workplace (e.g., you can order these free guides "10 good reasons to breastfeed your baby" "10 useful tips for successful breastfeeding" from the Government of Canada Public Health website.

4. Know how to detect "yellow flags"
It is very relevant for health professionals to know how to recognize different problems that can arise with breastfeeding and to direct the people that are involved to the right resources. These problems can be concerning low milk production, mastitis, engorgement, plugged ducts, vasospasm, nipple blebs, an overactive milk ejection reflex, thrush, pain syndrome, nipple damage and trauma, the baby who does not gain enough weight...

5. Be aware of certain preconceived ideas
Our personal journeys should not be the gold standard when it comes to breastfeeding. We can sometimes share with our customers incorrect information without even realizing it. That information may have been transmitted to us in our personal relationships and even sometimes in our academic career. (Blog: Debunking the myths of breastfeeding)

6. Learn more to better support breastfeeding
An online training session on the basics of breastfeeding currently exists for health professionals, in French only. It's free and lasting 7 hours, it’s a good start for any professional who works with pregnant women, mothers, or babies.

Hopefully this blog and these few points initiate a reflection and contribute to help us become better to support breastfeeding when needed with the women, children, and families that we work with as a health professional.