Benefits of Breastfeeding Essay

Studies have shown that breastfeeding has numerous benefits for mother and baby, including reducing the risk of common childhood infections. The protective antibodies found in breast milk helps to combat common infections that often leads to missed days from work and translates into lost productivity. In addition, breastfeeding has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of obesity in breastfed children verse children that were not breastfed. Breastfeeding also helps to

Very few experts disagree with the fact that breastfeeding is the optimal choice for the infant. However, decreasing breastfeeding rates raise many questions as to why mothers are not choosing the best nutritional choice for their children. Despite breast milk being the obvious choice for infant feeding due to the health, psychological, and economic benefits, many mothers still decide to feed their infants formula due to lack of knowledge and support, difficulties with breastfeeding, and social embarrassment. Changes need to be made with formula companies, medical professionals, and the public opinion of breastfeeding in order to give nursing mothers the support they deserve.

Breast-feeding was introduced in the 1800s as an alternative to avoid deadly illnesses that were travelling from Spain, Middle East and Asia. In the 1860s scientists began supplementing animals’ milk as formula; especially for mothers who were not able to breast-feed. By the twentieth century, the United States “experienced a sharp decline in breast-feeding rates for infants and toddlers” (Lerner, 2006, p. 362). The reason for decreasing rates in breast-feeding were due to breast-feeding was seen as public indecency, mothers were headed back to work, and mothers were not encourage to breast-feed their child because some people saw it embarrassing. Due to not enforcing laws that were established for breastfeeding mothers; mothers are not comfortable to breast-feed in public from indecency exposure law, allowed flexibility to feed infant during work hours and also protecting a mother’s well-being to breast-feeding in public without embarrassment.

Breastfeeding provides unique nutrients for the baby, protects from disease, has health benefits for the mother, and provides a unique bond between mother and baby.

Twenty one to one interviews were conducted with women who have had babies within one year. Half are currently breastfeeding and half are not breastfeeding at all but were at the time of birth. Ages range from 20 to 34. I will first discuss the women who are not breastfeeding. There were several motives expressed as reasons why breastfeeding was not successful, but the overwhelming underlying reason was lack of proper education. Motives listed in order of most frequent were pain associated with breastfeeding (3), lack adequate milk supply (3), infection from oversupply (1), lack of pumping time/space at work (2), wanted baby to sleep longer (1), and family members not being supportive (2). Concurrently, in literature, lack of adequate milk supply and returning to work were the two main reasons women stopped breastfeeding (Arlotti, Cottrell, Lee, & Curtin, 1998). The women that reported pain as the reason for not continuing to breastfeed never sought out a lactation consultation, and felt like their primary care provider was not well versed in lactation in general. The women who stopped breastfeeding due to inadequate milk supply all became frustrated and stopped at a common infant growth spurt phase suggesting that education on growth spurts and how the supply and demand system work may have been beneficial. The women who stopped breastfeeding due to pumping concerns at work were not educated on the state laws regarding breastfeeding and that the law mandates a reasonable

Others may say the woman should at least cover herself and the child when the baby is feeding. Many people view breastfeeding indecent exposure when done in public. Although a woman is allowed to breastfeed in public, that does not mean that she should. In some cases, it is understandable why a mother wants to breastfeed in public. A breastfeeding mother can choose to breastfeed for her and her baby’s health. Breast milk contains more nutrients, and it is easter for a baby to digest. For the mother, breastfeeding her baby can lower health risks, and breastfeeding helps with weight loss. In some cases, the mother may pump before she leaves home, but the bottle could have spilled or leaked out. If a mother were to excuse herself to a restroom, she would be in a very unsanitized environment for her baby to be eating. Also, other people argue the fact that the mother could cover up with a blanket or some other material, but the mother may not be able to see if the baby is latched properly or whether the baby has fallen asleep. A baby is normally not on a schedule to eat, so when the baby starts crying a mother may not always have a bottle at hand. It is more convenient for the mother if she can breastfeed her baby whenever or wherever she needs to. Breastfeeding mothers get criticized on a daily basis for wanting to nourish their baby properly. In public or in private, no one should judge another person for the decisions that one person

There are benefits to the mother for both breast and bottle feeding. When a mother breastfeeds her infant for example, this allows for bonding between the parent and child which actually can help prevented postpartum depression in new mother 's. Breastfeeding also helps mothers to burn calories helps to shrink their uterus. This is beneficial in allowing new mothers to return to their previous weight and shape sooner and healthier. It also helps to decrease the risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer. Most mothers who breast feed also experience less postpartum bleeding. Some basic comfort issues of breast-feeding that are alleviate by bottle feeding is the soreness and is comfort that many new mothers feel during breast-feeding. This includes the "latch on" pain that lasts about a minute during every breast-feeding for the first week and also nipple soreness and swelling. Although breast milk is slightly healthier for an infant, good formulas can also offer the nutrients that an infant needs so it isn 't good to base the whole decision on this reason. This is not to say however that it is a menial reason. Cow 's milk can be allergenic to a lot of infants. It is also important to note

"The benefits for mothers who breastfeed include but are not limited to reduced risks for breast and ovarian cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease" (Hubbard, J. M., & Gattman, K. R., 2017, p. 90). Antibodies from the mother are passed on through breastmilk as well which helps the infant's system fight off colds for example. "These antibodies will help your infant conquer the cold germs quickly and effectively " (New Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding, 2nd Edition, paragraph

of society's views on breastfeeding mothers, even though breastfeeding is known to be the optimum

Breastfeeding in public is the practice of nursing children with breastmilk in public. Our society today is often loaded with inconsistencies about what is suitable or not when it comes to breastfeeding, they view breastfeeding as public indecency. This can cause mothers to be less apprehensive handling their social lives as nursing mothers in public. “Some people are unsettled by the idea of a child being nourished by something that comes from his mother's body”, which is a natural process being seen as disgusting and dirty. Although breasts are design to feed children giving them the nourishments they need in order to grow (Trocola, “ Breastfeeding in Public”). It’s hard for breastfeeding mothers to feel comfortable in public with society’s ignorance and

Have you ever stopped and stared when you seen a mother breastfeeding? Or maybe have you ever seen a mother getting criticized for breastfeeding? Have you ever stepped in or wanted too? The question continues to circle through people's minds. Everyone has their own opinions and are entitled to them, but does that give them the justification to judge others? A lot of mothers get criticized and lectured for breastfeeding in public. The real question is, if breastfeeding is legally aloud why are people frown upon it and should people be informed on the benefits on breastfeeding and should people be aloud to judge a mother on the decisions she choices for her child? Through this paper, we want to help provide individuals with information for them to understand why a mother would chose to breastfeed and why it's apart of there basic right to do as they wish with their child.

However, some people think of breastfeeding as Nudity. Breasts are viewed as sexual items rather than a natural way of providing nutrients and comfort for a child. Anxiety about breastfeeding in front of other people affects breastfeeding for women with low self-confidence or who feel society disapproves of breastfeeding in public. They start to feel uncomfortable. Women should be able to have rights to legally breastfeed their babies in public. Mothers report that that they felt more comfortable breastfeeding in a park than a shopping mall. In some cases, women are asked to leave the premise due to them breastfeeding. Parents do not want to explain to their children about breastfeeding. So, they label breastfeeding in public indecent. Parents who are concerned about their children asking questions should just explain to them. This will help people understand the benefits of breastfeeding.

Though breastfeeding is undoubtedly the optimum feeding method, it is not necessarily a possibility for some mothers (The Nemours Foundation). For example, couples who choose to adopt children are obviously not able to breastfeed their child because the mother is not lactating. Other mothers just simply do not have the time to breastfeed their children because they are busy running errands (Health Psychology). Another reason some mothers do not breastfeed is that they are using a babysitter so they need the babysitter to have some way to feed the child (Health Psychology). The reasons behind bottle feeding are definitely sound, but they only prove that bottle feeding is an alternative method, not a replacement for breastfeeding.

Even though breast-feeding has many positive effects, it also has negative effects. First, is the diet restriction. A nursing mother can't eat whatever she wants, she will has to watch everything she eats because it is all passed to the baby. Smoking also must be avoided because it can interfere with her milk supply to the baby. Another potential problem that a nursing mother could face is that when a baby develops an allergy to a certain food she may have eaten, it is very difficult to pinpoint which food is the reason behind the allergy. Second, is passing infections to the baby, it is possible to pass on infections, like chickenpox or HIV to the baby through the milk. Third, breast-fed babies wake more often than babies that drink formula

There is a wide array of benefits as a result of breastfeeding that specifically help a child survive and develop from the time they are born and throughout all stages of life. The more recognized and examined benefits during infancy and toddlerhood include, but are not limited to, increased intelligence, decreased risk of getting ear infections, lowered risk of Sudden Infant Death syndrome, better resistance to common illnesses and allergies (stronger immune system), lower risk for childhood onset diabetes, lower risk for asthma and eczema, increased cognitive development, higher IQ, and increased social maturity.