Evaluation of a Community Health Nurse/Peer Counselor Program to Help Low-Income Women Breastfeed Longer

"The usual care group will received standard care from the Johns Hopkins Hospital lactation consultant and nurses, which may have included a visit in the hospital by the lactation consultant if mothers delivered Monday through Friday. The lactation consultant was also available by request. A warm-line was also standard. This was a telephone line that was connected to an answering machine; the lactation consultant checked this line once daily (Monday through Friday) and returned calls."

"Visits by a community health nurse/peer counselor team during the first six postpartum months. Based on prior research and experience, the team was developed to provide culturally relevant support and health-care education to low-income mothers, who were a high percentage of African American women. The goals of this team were to 1) increase the duration of breastfeeding while emphasizing ways to decrease fatigue, and decrease breast discomfort; 2) strengthen maternal competence with breastfeeding and commitment to breastfeeding; 3) provide parent education about the infant regarding breastfeeding; 4) provide/find social support needed for continued breastfeeding; and 5) foster linkages to community services that will facilitate the maintenance of breastfeeding.~The specific activities of the CHN/peer counselor team included hospital visitation after enrollment, home visiting during the first postpartum month, and telephone support throughout the first six postpartum months."