Supporting lactation when mothers and infants are separated: a clinical guideline for perinatal nurses.

It has been our intention to describe the vital role a nurse may play in assisting a woman to establish lactation successfully. Stitt indicates that the two most common reasons why women decline to breast-feed are (1) embarassment about their lack of knowledge of techniques and (2) fear of failure. Nurses are in a unique position to intervene constructively in both instances. It is essential for nurses to explore their own feelings about breast-feeding and sexuality and to help each other recognize how attitudes and values affect care. Only through understanding ourselves can we become sensitive to the desires of those who need our care.