Intrapartum Nurse's Guide to Protecting, Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding: Another Ten Steps

The intrapartum period is a crucial time for implementing steps to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding. Labor and delivery nurses may be more concerned with the immediate safety of the mother and fetus than with future implications for breastfeeding. The purpose of this article is to review the potential effects that prenatal education and intrapartum practices and interventions have on lactation, and to encourage nurses to thoughtfully consider these effects in their clinical practices. By implementing these recommendations they can better educate the mother, empower her to make informed choices, avoid unnecessary intrusion into the normal birth process, and maximize the potential for meeting her breastfeeding goals.