Consultant Suggestion

BREASTFEEDING ADVICE DURING THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK :

• Breastfeeding protects newborns from getting sick and also helps protect them throughout their infancy and childhood.
• Breastfeeding is particularly effective against infectious diseases because it strengthens the immune system by directly transferring antibodies from the mother.
• As with all confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases, mothers with any symptoms who are breastfeeding or practicing skin-to-skin contact should take precautions.

ACTIONS FOR BREASTFEEDING MOTHERS :

• > Practice respiratory hygiene, including during feeding. use a well -fitted medical mask when near your child.
• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap or sanitizer before and after contact with your child.
• Routinely clean and disinfect any surfaces you touch.
• If you are severely ill with COVID-19 or suffer from other complications that prevent you from caring for your infant or continuing direct breastfeeding, express milk to safely provide breastmilk to your infant.Mother needs to be guided in proper hand expression / pumping & safe storing techniques .
• If you are too unwell to breastfeed or express breastmilk, you should explore the possibility of relactation (restarting breastfeeding after a gap), wet nursing (another woman breastfeeding or caring for your child), or using donor human milk. Which approach to use will depend on cultural context, acceptability to you, and service availability.

ACTIONS FOR HEALTHCARE FACILITIES AND THEIR STAFF :

• If you are providing maternity and newborn services, you should not promote breastmilk substitutes, feeding bottles, teats, pacifiers or dummies in any part of your facilities, or by any of your staff.
• Enable mothers and infants to remain together and practice skin-to-skin contact, and rooming-in throughout the day and night, especially straight after birth during establishment of breastfeeding, whether or not the mother or child has suspected, probable, or confirmed COVID-19.

COUNSELLING & PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT :

• If you, your infants, or young children have suspected or confirmed COVID-19, seek breastfeeding counselling, basic psycho social support, or practical feeding support.
• You may get support from appropriately trained health care professionals and lactation professionals / counselor.

About Dr. Divya Sriharan

• Actively promotes breastfeeding and assists mother’s in reaching their own goals for breastfeeding.
• Develops and implements standards of care and guidelines for assisting breastfeeding mothers in all areas of the organization where they might be served.
• Plans ,implements ,and evaluates patients ,family and staff for breastfeeding education activities ,in accordance with current research literature and national standards of care.

• Advantage of having a personal breastfeeding experience of 4.5 +years now of breastfeeding my child.
• Assisted mother’s to help wean off formula, bottle feeding and pacifier’s. Assessment of mother’s breast to check for flat/inverted nipples &engorgement.
• Assisted to help in proper deep latch technique & proper feeding positioning to enable efficient milk transfer.
• Assisted mother’s to practice proper pumping & storage ,hand expressing and messaging techniques to help increase maintain milk supply for NICU babies and healthy babies.
• Assisted in following up on proper growth chart (WHO) of babies who have been weaned of formula to exclusive breastfeeding.
The Lactation Consultant will be responsible for ensuring all staff members are oriented to the infant feeding policy within 6 months of hire.
• Provides antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum classes and support groups on breastfeeding,breast care and related lactation specific topics on
mother to mother basis /group basis.

• Member of ALPI(Association of Lactation Professionals in India)
• Member of ILCA(International Lactation Consultants Association)
• Member of BPNI.
• Certified to have completed 10 hours of participation in the online lactation
conference “CLINICAL UPDATES IN INDIAN BREASTFEEDING PRACTICES”. & AWARDED as WINNER for the “best case presentation ” in the conference by the best panel of judges from the health care & lactation profession.
– AUTHORISED ASSESSOR & COUNSELLOR of the “BFHI – Breastfeeding Friendly Hospital Initiative “ by BPNI & ministry of health and family welfare,

PERSONAL NOTE :

• My aim is to present current evidence-based recommendations on breastfeeding issues to empower women to make informed decisions, assist them to help learn the skills to successfully initiate and maintain lactation and overcome breastfeeding challenges.
• I strongly feel, breastfeeding may be normal or natural, but not always simple and straightforward; breastfeeding is a skill and it takes some practice and lots of support to continue breastfeeding. I hope to make an impact in every mother-baby dyad by enabling a successful breastfeeding journey, which for sure will create a healthier community.
• Every mother &their supportive family needs assistance and support by a trained &equipped Lactation Professional and i am sure if this can be made available at every hospital in our country, it’s going to bring around major changes in the community & to the families.