Objective: Although it is reported in the literature that breastfeeding during pregnancy and tandem breastfeeding do not have negative consequences for the mother, foetus and infants, they are not common practices in society. Healthcare professionals should have adequate knowledge to provide accurate counselling to the mother and the community on the subject. This study aimed to determine the knowledge and recommendations of healthcare workers in Şanlıurfa province regarding breastfeeding during pregnancy and tandem breastfeeding.

Material and Method: This descriptive study included health professionals working in family health centers in Şanlıurfa Province and was completed with a sample of 232 participants. The data were collected online using a semi-structured questionnaire developed by the researchers.

Results: Among the health workers who participated in the study, 49.6% were family physicians and 50.4% were family health workers. Of the health workers, 88.8% knew about breastfeeding during pregnancy and 47.4% knew about tandem breastfeeding; 75.4% recommended breastfeeding during pregnancy and 60.3% recommended tandem breastfeeding. The level of knowledge about breastfeeding during pregnancy among female healthcare workers (93.8%) was higher than male healthcare workers (80.2%) and this difference was statistically significant (p=0.003). No difference was found between the levels of recommending breastfeeding during pregnancy, knowing and recommending tandem breastfeeding (p<0.05).

Conclusion: This study showed that health workers need basic training on breastfeeding, breastfeeding during pregnancy and tandem breastfeeding.

Healthcare worker Breastfeeding Breastfeeding in pregnancy Tandem breastfeeding