The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding

Every facility providing maternity services and care for newborn infants should:

1. Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff
2. Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy
3. Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding
4. Place babies in skin-to-skin contact with their mothers immediately following birth for at least an hour and encourage mothers to recognise when their babies are ready to breastfeed, offering help if needed.
5. Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation even if they should be separated from their infants
6. Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breastmilk, unless medically indicated
7. Practice rooming-in, allow mothers and infants to remain together-24 hours a day
8. Encourage breastfeeding on demand
9. Give no artificial teats or dummies to breastfeeding infants
10. Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support and refer mothers on discharge from the facility.