. 2020 Mar 2;6:9. doi: 10.1186/s40900-020-0181-z

Table 3.

Preliminary analysis of interactions between breastfeeding mothers and healthcare professionals

Issues	What worked / what mothers wanted
● The early days are crucial. ● “Throw away” comments can ‘make or break’ breastfeeding for many mums. ● Lack of time for staff is a major factor. ● Tongue tie seems to be commonly missed or down-played. ● Problematic latches and the effective transfer of milk were a significant issue but often the focus was on treating weight loss, thrush, mastitis or nipple damage rather than the underlying problem.	● Listening to the mother is the most important thing. ● The success stories normally happened when one person listened to the mother about the whole situation and worked through everything step by step. HCPs need to be ready to listen to what mothers want/need before offering any advice. ● HCPs working with mothers should be prepared to admit they don’t always know the answer and be willing to look in to it

Issues

What worked / what mothers wanted

● The early days are crucial.

● “Throw away” comments can ‘make or break’ breastfeeding for many mums.

● Lack of time for staff is a major factor.

● Tongue tie seems to be commonly missed or down-played.

● Problematic latches and the effective transfer of milk were a significant issue but often the focus was on treating weight loss, thrush, mastitis or nipple damage rather than the underlying problem.

● Listening to the mother is the most important thing.

● The success stories normally happened when one person listened to the mother about the whole situation and worked through everything step by step. HCPs need to be ready to listen to what mothers want/need before offering any advice.

● HCPs working with mothers should be prepared to admit they don’t always know the answer and be willing to look in to it