Breastfeeding and
You:
A handbook for
antenatal educators
Second edition
Handbook coordinator and principal author
Dr Jane Svensson
1
,Breastfeeding and you: A handbook for antenatal educators
Online ISBN: 978-1-76007-082-3
Publications approval number: 10621
Copyright Statements:
Paper-based publications
© Commonwealth of Australia 2015
This work is copyright. You may reproduce the whole or part of this work in unaltered form
for your own personal use or, if you are part of an organisation, for internal use within your
organisation, but only if you or your organisation do not use the reproduction for any
commercial purpose and retain this copyright notice and all disclaimer notices as part of that
reproduction. Apart from rights to use as permitted by the Copyright Act 1968 or allowed by
this copyright notice, all other rights are reserved and you are not allowed to reproduce the
whole or any part of this work in any way (electronic or otherwise) without first being given
the specific written permission from the Commonwealth to do so. Requests and inquiries
concerning reproduction and rights are to be sent to the Communication Branch,
Department of Health, GPO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, or via e-mail to
.
Internet sites
© Commonwealth of Australia 2015
This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce the whole or part of
this work in unaltered form for your own personal use or, if you are part of an organisation,
for internal use within your organisation, but only if you or your organisation do not use the
reproduction for any commercial purpose and retain this copyright notice and all disclaimer
notices as part of that reproduction. Apart from rights to use as permitted by the Copyright
Act 1968 or allowed by this copyright notice, all other rights are reserved and you are not
allowed to reproduce the whole or any part of this work in any way (electronic or otherwise)
without first being given the specific written permission from the Commonwealth to do so.
Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights are to be sent to the
Communication Branch, Department of Health, GPO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, or via e-
mail to .
This project was funded by the Department of Health, Canberra.
2
,TENTS
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION TO THE HANDBOOK............................................................................................................. 6
1. CONTEXT OF THIS HANDBOOK..........................................................................................................................6
2. THE AIM OF THE HANDBOOK............................................................................................................................7
3. HOW TO USE THIS HANDBOOK..........................................................................................................................7
MODULE 1: PREPARING TO BREASTFEED....................................................................................................... 9
1. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................10
2. THE REALISATION OF PREGNANCY....................................................................................................................10
3. THE DECISION TO BREASTFEED........................................................................................................................10
4. THE IMPORTANCE OF ANTENATAL EDUCATION...................................................................................................17
5. THE BREASTS IN PREGNANCY..........................................................................................................................18
6. WHY BREASTFEED?.......................................................................................................................................20
7. YOUR ROLE AS AN EDUCATOR.......................................................................................................................21
8. CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................................................22
MODULE 2: THE BREASTFEEDING EXPERIENCE................................................................................................... 23
1. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................24
2. THE BREASTFEEDING RELATIONSHIP.................................................................................................................24
3. HOW BREASTFEEDING WORKS........................................................................................................................26
4. FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE BREASTFEEDING.......................................................................................................32
5. COMMON PROBLEMS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT................................................................................................42
6. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS........................................................................................................................43
7. EXPRESSING AND STORING BREAST MILK...........................................................................................................46
8. INFANT FORMULA.........................................................................................................................................48
9. YOUR ROLE AS AN EDUCATOR..........................................................................................................................49
10. CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................................................51
MODULE 3: FACILITATING GROUPS.............................................................................................................. 52
1. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................53
2. ANTENATAL GROUP PARTICIPANTS....................................................................................................................53
3. UNDERSTANDING GROUPS.............................................................................................................................55
4. FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE GROUP FUNCTIONING................................................................................................56
5. GAINING CONFIDENCE...................................................................................................................................60
6. YOUR ROLE AS AN EDUCATOR.........................................................................................................................60
3
, 7. CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................................................60
MODULE 4: PLANNING PROGRAMS............................................................................................................. 61
1. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................62
2. RECOMMENDED CONTENT..............................................................................................................................62
3. PREPARING SESSION PLANS.............................................................................................................................64
4. LEARNING STRATEGIES...................................................................................................................................66
5. ASSESSING THE NEEDS OF EACH GROUP OF PARTICIPANTS.....................................................................................73
6. SAMPLE SESSION PLAN AND OUTLINE OF ANTENATAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS..........................................................73
7. CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................................................74
MODULE 5: EVALUATING PROGRAMS.......................................................................................................... 77
1. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................78
2. PROGRAM EVALUATION.................................................................................................................................78
3. PROGRAM EVALUATION STRATEGIES.................................................................................................................79
4. SELF-EVALUATION.........................................................................................................................................82
5. CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................................................82
MODULE 6: RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS.................................................................................................... 83
1. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................84
2. WHERE YOU CAN YOU CAN OBTAIN RESOURCE...................................................................................................84
3. USEFUL EVIDENCE BASED AND RELIABLE RESOURCES............................................................................................84
4. CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................................................88
MODULE 7: ACTIVITIES FOR PROGRAMS...................................................................................................... 89
1. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................90
2. HOW TO USE THE ACTIVITIES..........................................................................................................................90
3. PREPARING TO BREASTFEED............................................................................................................................92
4. LEARNING TO BREASTFEED...........................................................................................................................108
5. THE REALITY OF BREASTFEEDING...................................................................................................................117
6. BECOMING A PARENT..................................................................................................................................123
7. CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................................130
MODULE 8: HANDOUTS FOR PARENTS....................................................................................................... 131
1. INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................................132
2. HOW TO USE REFERENCE MATERIAL..............................................................................................................132
3. HANDOUTS FOR YOUR PARTICIPANTS.............................................................................................................132
4. RESOURCES FOR PARENTS............................................................................................................................133
5. CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................................133
4
You:
A handbook for
antenatal educators
Second edition
Handbook coordinator and principal author
Dr Jane Svensson
1
,Breastfeeding and you: A handbook for antenatal educators
Online ISBN: 978-1-76007-082-3
Publications approval number: 10621
Copyright Statements:
Paper-based publications
© Commonwealth of Australia 2015
This work is copyright. You may reproduce the whole or part of this work in unaltered form
for your own personal use or, if you are part of an organisation, for internal use within your
organisation, but only if you or your organisation do not use the reproduction for any
commercial purpose and retain this copyright notice and all disclaimer notices as part of that
reproduction. Apart from rights to use as permitted by the Copyright Act 1968 or allowed by
this copyright notice, all other rights are reserved and you are not allowed to reproduce the
whole or any part of this work in any way (electronic or otherwise) without first being given
the specific written permission from the Commonwealth to do so. Requests and inquiries
concerning reproduction and rights are to be sent to the Communication Branch,
Department of Health, GPO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, or via e-mail to
.
Internet sites
© Commonwealth of Australia 2015
This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce the whole or part of
this work in unaltered form for your own personal use or, if you are part of an organisation,
for internal use within your organisation, but only if you or your organisation do not use the
reproduction for any commercial purpose and retain this copyright notice and all disclaimer
notices as part of that reproduction. Apart from rights to use as permitted by the Copyright
Act 1968 or allowed by this copyright notice, all other rights are reserved and you are not
allowed to reproduce the whole or any part of this work in any way (electronic or otherwise)
without first being given the specific written permission from the Commonwealth to do so.
Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights are to be sent to the
Communication Branch, Department of Health, GPO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, or via e-
mail to .
This project was funded by the Department of Health, Canberra.
2
,TENTS
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION TO THE HANDBOOK............................................................................................................. 6
1. CONTEXT OF THIS HANDBOOK..........................................................................................................................6
2. THE AIM OF THE HANDBOOK............................................................................................................................7
3. HOW TO USE THIS HANDBOOK..........................................................................................................................7
MODULE 1: PREPARING TO BREASTFEED....................................................................................................... 9
1. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................10
2. THE REALISATION OF PREGNANCY....................................................................................................................10
3. THE DECISION TO BREASTFEED........................................................................................................................10
4. THE IMPORTANCE OF ANTENATAL EDUCATION...................................................................................................17
5. THE BREASTS IN PREGNANCY..........................................................................................................................18
6. WHY BREASTFEED?.......................................................................................................................................20
7. YOUR ROLE AS AN EDUCATOR.......................................................................................................................21
8. CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................................................22
MODULE 2: THE BREASTFEEDING EXPERIENCE................................................................................................... 23
1. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................24
2. THE BREASTFEEDING RELATIONSHIP.................................................................................................................24
3. HOW BREASTFEEDING WORKS........................................................................................................................26
4. FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE BREASTFEEDING.......................................................................................................32
5. COMMON PROBLEMS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT................................................................................................42
6. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS........................................................................................................................43
7. EXPRESSING AND STORING BREAST MILK...........................................................................................................46
8. INFANT FORMULA.........................................................................................................................................48
9. YOUR ROLE AS AN EDUCATOR..........................................................................................................................49
10. CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................................................51
MODULE 3: FACILITATING GROUPS.............................................................................................................. 52
1. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................53
2. ANTENATAL GROUP PARTICIPANTS....................................................................................................................53
3. UNDERSTANDING GROUPS.............................................................................................................................55
4. FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE GROUP FUNCTIONING................................................................................................56
5. GAINING CONFIDENCE...................................................................................................................................60
6. YOUR ROLE AS AN EDUCATOR.........................................................................................................................60
3
, 7. CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................................................60
MODULE 4: PLANNING PROGRAMS............................................................................................................. 61
1. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................62
2. RECOMMENDED CONTENT..............................................................................................................................62
3. PREPARING SESSION PLANS.............................................................................................................................64
4. LEARNING STRATEGIES...................................................................................................................................66
5. ASSESSING THE NEEDS OF EACH GROUP OF PARTICIPANTS.....................................................................................73
6. SAMPLE SESSION PLAN AND OUTLINE OF ANTENATAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS..........................................................73
7. CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................................................74
MODULE 5: EVALUATING PROGRAMS.......................................................................................................... 77
1. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................78
2. PROGRAM EVALUATION.................................................................................................................................78
3. PROGRAM EVALUATION STRATEGIES.................................................................................................................79
4. SELF-EVALUATION.........................................................................................................................................82
5. CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................................................82
MODULE 6: RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS.................................................................................................... 83
1. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................84
2. WHERE YOU CAN YOU CAN OBTAIN RESOURCE...................................................................................................84
3. USEFUL EVIDENCE BASED AND RELIABLE RESOURCES............................................................................................84
4. CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................................................88
MODULE 7: ACTIVITIES FOR PROGRAMS...................................................................................................... 89
1. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................90
2. HOW TO USE THE ACTIVITIES..........................................................................................................................90
3. PREPARING TO BREASTFEED............................................................................................................................92
4. LEARNING TO BREASTFEED...........................................................................................................................108
5. THE REALITY OF BREASTFEEDING...................................................................................................................117
6. BECOMING A PARENT..................................................................................................................................123
7. CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................................130
MODULE 8: HANDOUTS FOR PARENTS....................................................................................................... 131
1. INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................................132
2. HOW TO USE REFERENCE MATERIAL..............................................................................................................132
3. HANDOUTS FOR YOUR PARTICIPANTS.............................................................................................................132
4. RESOURCES FOR PARENTS............................................................................................................................133
5. CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................................133
4
