What doctors don't know about breastfeeding

Physicians are often new mothers’ primary source of breastfeeding information and support. Unfortunately, doctors usually know little about breastfeeding and it’s not their fault. Breastfeeding is not included in medical education. So doctors are in the unenviable position of being expected to know something that they have never learned. Most physicians, and many other health professionals, cannot accurately assess latch and whether babies are drinking from the breast. In addition, they don’t know how to solve breastfeeding problems.

What Doctors Don’t Know About Breastfeeding describes the many ways that doctors and other healthcare providers undermine breastfeeding by not knowing basic breastfeeding management. Other topics include starting solids, sleep training, nipple shields, full-term breastfeeding, and much more. Newman and Polokova provide detailed instructions on how doctors can improve their skills and better support breastfeeding mothers and their families. What Doctors Don’t Know About Breastfeeding is written for both healthcare providers and parents, and will facilitate them working together so that families can have positive breastfeeding outcomes.