Beyond the latch: A new approach to breastfeeding

Abstract Health professionals supporting breastfeeding play an important role in women successfully achieving their breastfeeding goals. Instrumental knowledge has dominated health professionals' breastfeeding education and practice. Because breastfeeding is a contextual and embodied experience, a relational orientation is required to identify effective strategies to support women. A relational inquiry approach to breastfeeding practice offers a practical way to support women to better achieve their breastfeeding goals within the complexities of their own lives. Incorporating a relational inquiry approach to breastfeeding practice may assist health professionals to more effectively respond and engage with women in practice so that women's breastfeeding goals are protected; women's capacity and self-efficacy are promoted; and women feel and experience the support from health professionals that they require to be successful with breastfeeding.