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How to Breastfeed — Self-Paced, Evidence-Based Course for African Moms

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About Course

This concise, evidence-based self-paced course equips mothers across Africa and beyond with practical breastfeeding skills, confidence, and culturally relevant troubleshooting. Designed by clinicians and lactation-aware educators, the course covers the fundamentals (positioning and latch), feeding cues, increasing and protecting milk supply, safe expression and storage, returning to work or school, common problems (sore nipples, engorgement, mastitis), and when to seek professional help.

Modules include clear demonstration videos, downloadable step-by-step guides, bite-size audio summaries for busy caregivers, and printable checklists for hospital and home. Content is sensitive to low-resource settings and includes strategies using locally available tools, guidance for mixed feeding decisions (non-judgmental, safety-first), and ways partners and community can support breastfeeding mothers. Completion awards a printable certificate and practical resource lists (local & international) to help mothers connect with health services and peer support groups.

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What Will You Learn?

  • Confidently position mother and baby for an effective latch.
  • Recognize newborn hunger and satisfaction cues to reduce unnecessary feeding.
  • Solve common problems (sore nipples, poor latch, engorgement) with practical steps.
  • Use hand expression and pumps safely and store milk appropriately.
  • Maintain and increase milk supply using evidence-based strategies.
  • Plan breastfeeding when returning to work or school and coordinate with caregivers.
  • Make safe, informed decisions about supplementation and mixed feeding when needed.
  • Support infant growth monitoring and know red flags that require clinical review.
  • Include partners, family members, and community in a breastfeeding support plan.
  • Access local and international breastfeeding resources and services.

Course Content

Why Breastfeeding Matters (10 minutes)
Health and developmental benefits for infants Maternal benefits (physical and mental) Economic and community-level advantages Common myths and culturally specific misconceptions

Newborn Feeding Cues & Anatomy (20 minutes)
Early vs. late hunger cues and what they mean Normal newborn feeding patterns and stomach capacity Brief breast anatomy (lobes, ducts, nipple, areola) in plain language Signs of effective feeding (swallowing, contentment, diaper output)

Positions & Achieving a Good Latch (40 minutes)
Position options: cradle, cross-cradle, football/clutch, side-lying Stepwise approach to help baby latch (prepare — attach — assess) Signs of a good vs. poor latch (comfort, nipple shape, audible swallowing) Small-person adaptations (premature, small mouth, tongue-tie considerations) Safe positioning for mothers with C-section recovery

Protecting & Building Milk Supply (25 minutes)
Establishing supply in the first days and weeks (frequency, skin-to-skin) Night feeds and cluster feeding explained Lifestyle and medical factors that reduce supply (e.g., certain medications, stress) Relactation and increasing milk supply safely Nutrition and hydration myths vs. evidence

Expressing & Storing Breastmilk (20 minutes)
Hand-expression steps and common mistakes Choosing and using pumps (manual vs. electric) — practical tips Safe collection, labeling, storage, thawing and warming guidelines (low-resource options included) Cleaning and hygiene for bottles and storage containers Feeding expressed milk to infant (cup, spoon, paladai, bottle considerations)

Common Problems & Practical Solutions (25 minutes)
Causes of sore nipples and immediate relief techniques Managing engorgement and preventing blocked ducts Recognising mastitis vs. normal engorgement and when antibiotics may be needed Low weight gain: assessment steps and feeding plan adjustments Non-judgmental approach to supplementation and safe short-term options

Returning to Work or School; Feeding Outside the Home (15 minutes)
Creating an express-and-feed routine (timing, containers, transport) Practical storage and transport tips for different commute types Rights and workplace basics (general guidance; encourage local legal verification) Communicating with caregivers and preparing safe feeder notes Emotional coping and practical fallback plans

Special Situations (20 minutes)
Feeding preterm or low-birthweight infants: kangaroo care, cup or tube feeding basics Managing twins/multiples: tandem feeding tips and time-saving routines Mothers on medication or with infectious illness: how to check drug safety and local guidelines (HIV, TB, etc.) Using donor milk or milk banks (where available) — safety basics

When to Seek Help & Building a Support Network (15 minutes)
Red flags for baby and mother (e.g., poor weight gain, fever, severe pain) Where to seek help: clinic, CHW, lactation consultant, emergency care Building a support network: partners, family, peer counsellors, community groups Using telephone/text supports, community groups, and referral pathways

Wrap-up, Resources & Final Assessment (15 minutes)
Key takeaways and common pitfalls to avoid Next steps: seeking local support, advanced training options How to use course materials beyond the course (groups, sharing, peer support) Final 20-question multiple-choice quiz (80% pass mark)

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