Immediate skin-to-skin contact between a mother and her newborn has been associated with successful breastfeeding outcomes. One of the challenges nurses face in promoting skin-to-skin occurs in the operating room during a cesarean delivery. Utilizing an interprofessional approach for this quality improvement project, we successfully implemented skin-to-skin contact for all eligible mother/infant couplets after cesarean birth. Exclusive breastfeeding rates for these women increased as a result.
Keywords: Baby-Friendly; cesarean delivery; exclusive breastfeeding; interprofessional; perinatal core measures; skin-to-skin contact.
© 2014 AWHONN, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.