ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of an interventional protocol for the early initiation of breastfeeding that would remove barriers in the labor, delivery, recovery (LDR) unit. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Descriptive design using 100 postpartum mothers who were interviewed before discharge at a large university hospital in the south-central United States. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis. RESULTS: The protocol was effective for initiating breastfeeding, and breastfeeding increased from 53% to 66%. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: When barriers to breastfeeding are reduced in the LDR setting, women will breastfeed. It is possible that reducing hospital barriers to breastfeeding in the LDR can also set the stage for sustained breastfeeding during hospitalization and for less supplementation with formula.
