Promoting and supporting breastfeeding is an integral part of the role of the midwife. These aspects of the role, however, can cause dilemmas and conflict for midwives. Conflicts arise from how midwives acquire their knowledge of breastfeeding, which if used inappropriately can disempower breastfeeding women. Promotion of breastfeeding can cause dissonance between providing informed choice and what midwives see as coercion. The issue of time can greatly undermine midwives' support for breastfeeding mothers and the dichotomies between evidence-based practice and experiential/personal experiences can result in inappropriate care being provided for breastfeeding mothers. Midwives can overcome some of the conflicts within their role by gaining more knowledge of breastfeeding, learning the art of good communication and by reflecting personal experiences.

Susan Battersby - Independent Lecturer/Researcher, Infant Feeding