Mother-to-mother support for breastfeeding means women helping women breastfeed their babies. Experienced breastfeeding mothers model optimal breastfeeding practices, share information and experiences, and offer support to other women in an atmosphere of trust and respect. In this setting, pregnant women and mothers who are breastfeeding explore options that result in a satisfying breastfeeding experience.

Many traditional societies have recognized that a new mother is often vulnerable and sensitive and needs encouragement and support. The informal, traditional support system that positively reinforced breastfeeding in the past may no longer be in place where modernization and bottle-feeding have become the norm. Mother-to-mother support helps fill this gap, as usually it is easier for mothers to share their concerns with other mothers.

Babies, mothers, family members, and health care providers all benefit from mother-to-mother support. Pregnant women gain knowledge in preparation for breastfeeding, and mothers receive support and learn from the wisdom of more experienced mothers. Babies get their choice food as well as a healthy start in life. Husbands and other family members benefit because a new mother who is well supported has greater confidence and can cope better with the adjustments of motherhood.

There is no set time limit for a mother's participation, though a mother may move on to different types of involvement as time passes. For example, women may make contact and/or attend meetings during pregnancy or while breastfeeding and may continue with subsequent children. A mother may choose to stay on and become one of the "experienced" mothers, or she may undergo training and become a telephone counselor, peer counselor, or facilitator for a mother support group in her community.

Mother-to-mother support takes place one-on-one or in groups, informally or formally, anytime, anywhere: in the market place, at the bus stop, at church meetings, in a community hall, at maternity clinics-wherever pregnant or breastfeeding mothers are found. Mother-to-mother support occurs in a variety of settings including, but not limited to, the following:

Some of the challenges to sustainability are the shortage and turn-over of volunteers as well as financial constraints. Turn-over is often the result of family responsibilities and a lack of recognition and acceptance of the volunteers by health care providers. These challenges can be addressed by focusing on one or two activities, matching tasks to available time, and providing incentives.

Mother-to-mother support is not about giving medical advice but about sharing information. Information is provided on topics such as breastmilk production, latch-on and positioning, the resolution of common breastfeeding difficulties, how to tell if the baby is receiving enough breastmilk, and how to breastfeed discreetly (if this is a concern). Mothers returning to work or in difficult medical circumstances receive support and information on how to continue breastfeeding in these situations.

A sense of self-accomplishment is a strong motivation in and of itself. Volunteers work best if they enjoy what they are doing. Individual talents need to be tapped; volunteers need ongoing nurturing and support.

Mother-to-mother support groups utilize a methodology that follows an organized, yet flexible format with guided discussion, rather than a formal class where "experts" teach. Each meeting has a different topic for discussion. The facilitator briefly introduces the topic and then encourage others to share their experiences and thoughts.

Your hospital should have certified lactation consultants (IBCLCs) on staff who are available before, during, and after your stay, since any mother having difficulty breastfeeding should be promptly evaluated by a qualified professional. Your hospital should have a written policy on breastfeeding. It should encourage breastfeeding within an hour of birth and encourage you to sleep near your baby.

I have helped all but 4 of my clients with initial breastfeeding support immediately after delivery. Those I did not help had chosen not to breastfeed. However, I did assist them with initial bonding. The first hour after delivery is such an important time for bonding, for all mothers, fathers and babies. I cherish those first moments as some of the most beautiful in a birth. I breastfed both of my children.

The community may not perceive the need for establishing a support group. The prevailing attitude in society may be an obstacle. People may think that breastfeeding is a common practice, old fashioned, difficult, embarrassing, or inconvenient. Countering these attitudes is difficult. News releases in print and on radio, posters, and leaflets can help raise awareness of breastfeeding in general and the benefits of support groups.

One form of mother-to-mother support is the "support group." A mother-to-mother support group is initiated and operated by a mother who facilitates the meeting. She may have received training, but her primary qualification is that she is a mother with breastfeeding experience. At the meetings new, as well as experienced mothers, share information and are encouraged to voice their doubts and concerns.

You can start by telling them all the benefits they will get from your breastfeeding: You and your partner may get more rest (if you sleep near your baby and nurse lying down). You or your partner will miss less work because your baby will be healthier. Your baby is less likely to be crying from colic. Unlike formula, breastmilk won't stain clothing, in case of spit-ups. The stools of breastfed babies do not smell as bad as those from formula-fed babies.

We may consider stopping breastfeeding only if a mother has cancer, or is so seriously ill that it is physically impossible for her to breastfeed; if she is on treatment with radioactive compounds or is receiving anti-cancer drugs. A mother can continue to breastfeed if she has infections like infective hepatitis, typhoid, cholera, diarrhoea, tuberculosis and leprosy.

Your obstetric provider should discuss feeding options with you early in your pregnancy, so that you can make an informed choice. Your provider should let you know that breastfeeding is important for your health, as well as for your baby's long term health. Your provider and your baby's provider should not have formula advertising in her office, nor offer sign-up sheets for "baby-clubs" with free or discounted formula.

To support lactation and maintain maternal reserves, most mothers in developing countries will need to eat about 500 additional kilocalories every day (an increase of 20 percent to 25 percent over the usual intake before pregnancy). Well-nourished mothers who gain enough weight during pregnancy need less because they can use body fat and other stores accumulated during pregnancy. Lactation also increases the mother's need for water, so it is important that she drink enough to satisfy her thirst.

Don't be silly! Of course it is. It harms no creature (don't tell my wife I said that) and provides vital sustenance for another. Vegan mothers commonly breast feed for longer periods of time than other mothers, as they are unwilling to use dairy based infant supplements. Vegan infant formulas are available now.

Answer – There are many dangers associated with a diabetic mother breastfeeding her baby. Firstly, the diabetic mother is always on medication. These medicines can enter the mother’s milk. They could cause problems in the baby. For this reason, diabetic mothers are recommended to stop their oral medications and to control their blood sugar levels by a proper dietary regime, exercise and injections of insulin.

Physically, none. But emotionally, the mother may be feeling an awkward combination of grief over the loss of one baby and relief for the viability of the surviving baby. It is important for the parents to grieve in a way that feels appropriate, acknowledging the loss of a child as well as the loss of their identity as parents of multiples. Vanishing Twin Sydrome FAQ - Get Answers to Questions A...Is It Twins? 10 Signs That You're Pregnant with Twi..