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		Infant Feeding in Emergencies: A Guide for Mothers (WHO, 1997, 48 p.)
			(introduction...)
			Foreword
			Introduction
			Why is breastfeeding so important?
			Are commercially-made baby milks as good as breastfeeding?
			Why are commercially-made baby milks not so good?
			But can every woman breastfeed?
			But why don't the experts tell us this if breastfeeding is so important?
			Do babies also need tea and water?
			When do babies need more than just breast-milk?
			So a sick baby should go on breastfeeding?
			Do breastfed babies get fewer diseases?
			But my friend's baby got ill and he was breastfed
			So breastfeeding is like a medicine?
			People say that stress stops the milk, so during stressful times how can we breastfeed?
			What about women who have lost a lot of weight? Can they produce milk?
			Do we need special nutrition for breastfeeding?
			But what about anaemic women? Does breastfeeding drain their strength?
			Someone told me breastfeeding stopped you getting pregnant, but isn't that just a story?
			How does breastfeeding work?
			What about women with small breasts or flat nipples?
			You said the baby has a part too. What can he do?
			Why is the baby's suckling-action important?
			How does a baby stimulate the milk?
			The first principle of breastfeeding: good attachment
			Why does good attachment not always come naturally to the baby?
			Why does the baby not always get this right?
			Sometimes it is hard to get a baby close because he is swaddled and his clothing gets in the way
			Even if my baby attaches well, how can I be sure there will be enough milk?
			You said earlier that milk changes during a feed. Can you explain that?
			But I thought you must feed from both breasts?
			You said earlier that confidence was important but not everyone has that. What can we do?
			I know women with breastfeeding problems. Can they be helped?
			My mother told me that you always get sore nipples and you just have to put up with them
			What about special creams for sore nipples? How can we get them during an emergency?
			With this baby-led feeding how can I be hygienic and wash my nipples?
			So if I get my baby well-attached, I will never get sore nipples?
			You say breastfeeding should not hurt, but what about the engorgement that every woman gets a few days after the birth?
			You mentioned blocked ducts, mastitis and abscess. Are they common and how can we treat them?
			All these problems make breastfeeding look too difficult
			You said earlier that you can breastfeed even if you have stopped completely. How can this be done?
			Food supplies can be precarious. How can we feed the babies over 6 months who need more than breast-milk alone?
			What about premature or very small babies?
			I can see the reason for expressing milk for sick or premature babies, but must all women learn to express?
			How do I express milk?
			I can see that breastfeeding is possible in most cases, but we still have to face the times when it is not possible: emergencies create orphans, abandoned babies and severely ill or wounded mothers
			Is it possible to feed a baby artificially without a bottle?
			How do you cup-feed a baby?
			A final word

People say that stress stops the milk, so during stressful times how can we breastfeed?

In societies where women never doubt their ability to breastfeed, mothers have suckled their babies for centuries during famines and wars and saved their lives. In societies where bottle-feeding has become common and confidence in breastfeeding has declined, women have breastfed even less during emergencies. Aid workers did not realize that when they distributed commercial milks and bottles, they were destroying women's confidence, stopping their babies stimulating their breast-milk production and increasing the risk of illness.

If you understand how women's bodies work, despite the stress, you can help yourself and others to cope with a difficult situation. Stress has no effect on the milk-making hormone (prolactin), but it can have a temporary effect on the hormone which makes the milk flow out of the breast (oxytocin). The temporary stoppage of this reflex is a useful biological mechanism to stop milk being ejected from the breast at difficult moments.

Stress has always been part of life and if it destroyed breastfeeding, the human race would never have evolved. When an early human mother and her baby were escaping from a wild animal, it would help for the milk flow to stop while she was running away. But as soon as she reached shelter, the flow would re-start through putting her baby to the breast.

We know the signs of fear: a dry mouth, increased heart beat, cold feet and trembling. These signs slow down after a while, even when the cause of the fear continues. It is the same with the oxytocin reflex: the milk flow may stop for a short time when you are very shocked, but even though the cause of the shock remains, the flow of breast-milk will resume as long as you keep putting your baby to your breast.

The milk-making system is very robust. The oxytocin reflex is sensitive: it can stop temporarily, but it resumes quickly. We all need comfort during stressful times. Ask someone to give you a gentle back massage. This can help your oxytocin reflex, together with the baby suckling freely, to stimulate the breast-milk to start flowing again.

Breastfeeding, with skin-to-skin contact, helps you feel closer. This can help your baby feel secure and limit the damage of the emotional traumas of stressful situations. The breastfeeding hormones help many women feel calmer in stressful situations.

Show this booklet to the health professionals or anyone who is trying to help you. The most important point for health professionals, aid workers, family or friends to remember is that a few minutes of comfort and reassurance can get breast-milk flowing and protect a baby's health and life. Distributing bottles and artificial milk can cause illness and death.