Frequency of breastfeeding counselling

• 1.Provision of at least six breastfeeding counselling contacts allows for a full range of support to breastfeeding mothers and their families, beginning in the antenatal period through to the introduction of complementary feeding and beyond. Policy-makers and implementers are duty-bound to ensure that breastfeeding counselling contacts are of sufficient quality and quantity to be effective, while ensuring that their use does not expose the mothers and their families to financial hardship.
• 2.People-centred breastfeeding counselling means that the counselling responds to the individual mothers’ and families’ needs, preferences and values. If individual family situations preclude them from accessing at least six counselling contacts, they are, nonetheless, encouraged and enabled to go to as many as they can, and maximize the benefit of this resource with meaningful engagement without stigma or recrimination.
• 3.The minimum of six breastfeeding counselling contacts may occur at the following time points: before birth (antenatal period); during and immediately after birth (perinatal period up to the first 2–3 days after birth); at 1–2 weeks after birth (neonatal period); in the first 3–4 months (early infancy); at 6 months (at the start of complementary feeding); and after 6 months (late infancy and early childhood), with additional
• 4.Breastfeeding counselling during the perinatal period and during the stay in the facility providing maternity and newborn services is done in conjunction with other interventions that protect, support and promote breastfeeding, as outlined in the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative (see link in the full text guideline) and in the Essential newborn care course (see link in the full text guideline)