Table 2 Summary of recommendations to support early and exclusive breastfeeding

1.

Improve antenatal teaching on breastfeeding to pregnant women and include other family members who will attend them in the perinatal period

2.

Introduce the concept of skin-to-skin contact after birth to pregnant women and health workers and alter postnatal care routines to allow babies time to initiate early breastfeeding

3.

Provide training for health workers to support exclusive breastfeeding to mothers on postnatal wards and for health workers and community health workers to counsel mothers and support exclusive breastfeeding once the mother returns home

4.

Explain physiological principles of on-demand feeding and stimulation of milk production to mothers and other family members attending them

5.

Explain how to recognise the signs of adequate/inadequate milk supply to mothers and other family members attending them