A nurse is providing discharge teaching to a new parent about breastfeeding her infant. Which of the following statements should the nurse make?
Explanation & Rationale
Choice A reason: Offering the breast at hunger cues, like rooting, supports demand feeding, regulating milk supply via prolactin. This ensures adequate nutrition and bonding, critical for infant growth and lactation success, aligning with evidence-based breastfeeding practices for optimal maternal-infant outcomes. Choice B reason: Limiting feeding to 10 minutes per breast restricts hindmilk intake, rich in fat, reducing nutrition and milk supply. Fixed timing disrupts prolactin-driven lactation, risking inadequate weight gain, contrary to breastfeeding guidelines recommending unrestricted feeding based on infant cues. Choice C reason: Starting each feeding with the same breast risks unbalanced milk production and engorgement. Alternating breasts ensures even stimulation and emptying, maintaining supply and preventing complications, making this incorrect for supporting effective breastfeeding practices in new parents. Choice D reason: Feeding every 6 hours is too infrequent for newborns, needing feeds every 2-3 hours to meet nutritional demands and stimulate milk production. Fixed schedules ignore hunger cues, risking dehydration or poor growth, contradicting evidence-based breastfeeding recommendations for infants.