Coach Smith's Rules for Breastfeeding Helpers

Rule # 1: FEED THE BABY. Whatever you do is easier when the baby is not stressed. Hunger makes all of us irritable, uncoordinated, and uncooperative. Direct breastfeeding is best; feeding of mother's own milk with a manufactured device is second, using pasteurized donor human milk is #3, and using manufactured milks from other animal or plant sources is #4 on the list. Feeding beats starvation hands down.

Rule #2: THE MOTHER IS RIGHT. If the mother is wrong, refer to rule #2.

Rule #3: IT'S HER BABY. Not the hospital's, not the doctor's, not the grandmother's. The mother-baby unit is a biologic entity, and the mother's right to determine her baby's care has been established countless times in countless legal jurisdictions.

Rule #4: NOBODY KNOWS EVERYTHING. There is always someone who can see what you cannot see, hear another side, or comprehend the situation from another angle. The best help for mothers and babies is a team approach.

Rule #5: THERE'S ANOTHER WAY. Try some creative thinking with people from different backgrounds. Someone, somewhere has solved this problem already, or you will find a new solution and then share it with others.