Objective: This study aimed to empower mothers in supporting infant feeding and breastfeeding effectively, thereby promoting infant health and development.

< b>Materials and Methods: The study included 396 mothers from the baby unit service and breastfeeding outpatient clinic of Mersin City Training and Research Hospital, between December 1, 2023, and January 31, 2024. A 45-question survey covering infant details, demographic and obstetric characteristics, breastfeeding knowledge, and practices was administered.

Results: Of the babies included in the study, 51% were girls, and 49% were boys. A total of 30.8% of the mothers were in the 25-30 age group, 93% were housewives, and 44.2% were primary school graduates. It was found that 68.9% of the mothers did not receive prenatal information about infant feeding, whereas all of the mothers received information about breastfeeding and infant feeding in the postnatal period, and 90.7% received this information from the breastfeeding nurse. Among the mothers, 62.4% had a cesarean section, and 37.6% had a normal delivery. Breastfeeding was observed in 98% of the mothers who gave birth normally and in 96.4% of the mothers who gave birth by caesarean section. It was observed that traditional practices such as waiting for three hours for breastfeeding, emptying the first mouth milk, and giving water after breastfeeding were known by many mothers but were practiced at low rates.

Conclusion: Supporting breastfeeding is crucial for maternal and infant health. The adoption of policies supporting breastfeeding in health institutions and the training of personnel will contribute to a healthy future by increasing public health.