Teaching Plan Breast Feeding - Essay Example

The milk from the human breast is considered as the healthiest form of nutrition for infants. (Picciano, 2001) However, most women are not ready to deal with breastfeeding in the aftermath of childbirth because of a lack of education. A lack of appreciation for breastfeeding’s advantages and the cumbersome routine forces most women to bottle feed their infants which has higher risks associated with it. In the given scenario, the mother is new to the concept of breastfeeding and so needs education as well as intervention in order to facilitate her and her child.

Various aspects related to breastfeeding will be clarified using a teaching plan which will include typical problems, sources of confusion and their solutions along with focus on the patient. Bottle Feeding versus Breast Feeding Education The learning objectives will concentrate on making breastfeeding seem like a better choice than bottle feeding to the client. The client will be provided with a comparison of both bottle feeding and breastfeeding from the aspects of nutrition, comfort and cost.

The client is new to childbirth and care so is confused between breastfeeding and bottle feeding. It could be expected that she would be eager to learn about these concepts to clarify her confusion. The content covered will delineate that breast milk is nutritionally superior to formulas and is easily digested and absorbed by the baby. Moreover the contents of breast milk change automatically to suit the baby’s needs while formulas require constant intervention on the part of the paediatrician.

Moreover breast milk is free while formula milk costs between $54 and $198 each month depending on brand. Breast milk does not need any preparation or conditioning while formula milk does. However breastfeeding is uncomfortable initially and care must be taken to avoid certain kinds of medications. (American Pregnancy Association, 2011) The mother’s learning will be evaluated through oral quizzing and her concepts will be reinforced as required. Proper Nutrition and Fluids during Breastfeeding At the conclusion of the learning session the patient will be expected to know what kinds of nutrients are required during breastfeeding and what foods could be expected to provide such nutrition.

Moreover the patient will develop an understanding of why fluids are needed and what quantity should be consumed each day to facilitate lactation. The patient will be told to increase the amount of milk and starch based products in diet and to consume the prenatal vitamins during breastfeeding in the originally prescribed quantity. The consumption of calories will be increased by around 500 while fluid intake would be enhanced by 8 to 12 glasses each day with preference provided to milk. Furthermore the patient will be told to consume fruits in preference to fruit juices so as to avoid too much calorie intake.

(Health Pages, 2011) The patient will be told to record food intake for at least a few weeks and this will be monitored. Any intervention required would be based on these records. The patient will further be evaluated for sticking to the instructions provided. Nipple and Breast Care The patient will be expected to learn why breast and nipple care is necessary and what extents should be taken to avoid infection and swelling. The proper latching techniques will be demonstrated to the patient through the use of diagrams and videos to enhance understanding as mere