Supporting breastfeeding: how to implement agency change.

Health care agency policies and protocols that negatively influence breastfeeding initiation and continuance can be changed to provide a supportive milieu for breastfeeding mothers and their infants. This change must be systematic and purposeful to be effective. Agency personnel must become aware of the need for change and be guided by a credible change agent through a process of goal-setting, assessing the present, educating staff, educating consumers, assessing and documenting care, and evaluating results. Outcome and continuing evaluation can be measured against the WHO/UNICEF's (World Health Organization and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) "Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding."