Breastfeeding success and failure: implications for nurses.

Breastfeeding is a relationship and a method of communication. Breastfeeding success or failure is a personally defined experience that is based on a woman's individual perceptions and self-definition. This article discusses various aspects of relationship and communication as they relate to the breastfeeding experience and the effect of connections and disconnections in the mother-infant and mother-nurse relationships. The major goal of the nursing care is to support and encourage a "growth fostering" relationship that is based on mutuality and empathy, regardless of the duration of the breastfeeding experience.