Question

You are the registered nurse performing a health assessment on a newborn infant. From the functional health pattern portion of the assessment, you learn the mother is reluctant to breastfeed her baby. How do you respond? Explain the approach you will take to ensure adequate nutrition for the newborn, with or without breastfeeding. Provide rationale for your answer.

Answer 1

Breast feeding is a distinctive or personal decision taken by a mother to give or not. But breast milk is a unique complete nutritional source for new born .If the mother hesitates to breast feed her baby first assess why she is not breast feeding her baby. Causes may be because of baby blues, fear ,pain or no adequate information and also analyse whether she is willing to learn about benefits of breast feeding.Provide her psychological support .Encourage her to talk about her feelings.Some women fear that breastfeeding will ruin the appearance of their breasts. But most breast surgeons would argue that age, gravity, genetics, and lifestyle factors like smoking all change the shape of a woman's breasts more than breastfeeding does.(WebMD https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/nursing-basics#4)

Respond to her by providing education about breast feeding as follows:

Exclusive breast feeding for first 6 months is very important and unique source of nutrition for newborn. Colostrum is a rich source of  secretory immunoglobulin A .The breast milk contains everything which is necessary for the newborn to thrive and it is easily digestable.It also contains antibodies which prevent risk of having asthma, allergies, few ear infections.Breast fed babies has low risk of diarrhea.Rooming-in allows mothers and their babies to stay together day and night to bond and to establish breastfeeding .So it should be practised in hospitals.Breast feeding enhances the bond between newborn and mother . Breast feeding helps in involution of uterus, prevent risk of breast cancer and act as a natural contraception.

Sometimes due to stress, sore and cracked nipples,inverted nipples and breast ducts blockage,infection may bring a situation to temporarily stop feeding due to pain .Enough milk production may be not present at starting time but the supply may become good in comin days. If the baby wets six to eight diapers then the feeding is adequate.

If not breast fed, formula feeding for newborns are available which is prescribed by physician.After necessary precautions prepare feed and provide .Use always fresh feedings to give baby.Breast is always good than formula feedings.Babies tend to digest formula more slowly than breast milk, so bottle feedings may not be as frequent as breastfeeding sessions.

Assist the mother to if she needs any help or donot know how to breast feed the baby. Nowadays lactation consultant are available who are professional breastfeeding specialists trained to teach mothers how to feed their baby.

A newborn needs a good sleep which is fulfilled when the baby is fully satisfied with milk,because sleep is very essential for the child to be active and healthy.