GRADE READINESS OF EXPECTANT MOTHERS TO BREASTFEED.

Breastfeeding is the optimal type of child feeding, having a beneficial effect on the health of the child and mother. Objective: to assess the knowledge of expectant mothers about breast milk and the current practice of preparing for breastfeeding in medical organizations. Materials and methods. A one-time study was conducted using a voluntary survey among pregnant and postpartum women in antenatal clinics and obstetric institutions. Results. Despite the readiness of 89% of surveyed respondents to breastfeed their children, there is insufficient commitment of medical personnel to prepare for breastfeeding: only 44% of expectant mothers received information about the benefits of breastfeeding during pregnancy in antenatal clinics and 68% in maternity care institutions, attached to breasts immediately after birth in only 73% of newborns, only 29.6% of postpartum women received help from a breastfeeding consultant in the maternity hospital, 39% of nursing mothers developed cracked nipples on the second or third day from the start of feeding, indicating a violation of breastfeeding technique, and finally, only 33.0% of mothers in the region breastfeed until their children reach 6 months of age. Only 7.3% of respondents know about the reduced risk of developing breast cancer when breastfeeding, 26% believe that children receiving adapted artificial formula are less susceptible to acute intestinal infections. Conclusion. Insufficient knowledge about the benefits of breast milk in expectant mothers requires a change in organizational forms of work to support breastfeeding during pregnancy and in the early postpartum period in medical organizations, as well as large-scale measures to inform the population and create conditions conducive to breastfeeding about its importance.