Clinician’s Guide
to Breastfeeding
Evidenced-based Evaluation
and Management

Everyone agrees that breastfeeding is best. The benefits are
countless, and more and more mothers are trying to nurse
their babies. We are told that breastfeeding is an inherent
skill that mothers and babies just naturally know how to do.
For the most part this is true. But not always. When breastfeeding doesn’t happen easily, it can be due to a simple problem, such as an improper latch or a sleepy baby. But often
there are more significant problems: Once-full breasts now
only produce a few ounces of milk… the baby takes leisurely
hour-long feeds, then gets hungry an hour later… the baby
cries at the breast and becomes frantic… the mother experiences pain every time her baby latches on. Talk to a mother
with cracked, bleeding nipples, and watch her cringe at the
mere thought of her crying baby’s mouth, and you’ll see how
bad it can get.