LAUSR

Health professionals supporting breastfeeding play an important role in women successfully achieving their breastfeeding goals. Instrumental knowledge has dominated health professionals' breastfeeding education and practice. Because breastfeeding is a contextual and embodied experience, a relational orientation is required to identify effective strategies to support women. A relational inquiry approach to breastfeeding practice offers a practical way to support women to better achieve their breastfeeding goals within the complexities of their own lives. Incorporating a relational inquiry approach to breastfeeding practice may assist health professionals to more effectively respond and engage with women in practice so that women's breastfeeding goals are protected; women's capacity and self-efficacy are promoted; and women feel and experience the support from health professionals that they require to be successful with breastfeeding.