Breastfeeding: A Case Study

Breastfeeding is the prefect way that providing ideal food for healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an important component part of the reproductive process for the health of mothers (WHO, 2002). Breastfeeding has benefits not only for both mother and baby in health and family finance but also for society. The chance of disease such as type 2 diabetes, breast cancer ovarian cancer and postpartum depression would be decreased if mother breastfeed their babies. And babies would have a lower risk to get necrotizing enterocolitis, lower respiratory infections, asthma, obesity and type 2 diabetes. In poor family, breastfeeding can save the cost of formula milk and health care. For society, if 90 percent of mothers breastfeed their babies for 6 months, 1000 deaths of infants will be prevented. For environment, the amount of rubbish would be decreased due to the less of formula can and bottle.

Breastfeeding has been a very controversial subject for many people over the years. Some mothers are very passionate about breastfeeding; while there are just as many mothers who are very persistent about the fact that breastfeeding is just not for them. However, an even bigger issue that has been on the front lines regarding those who have made the decision to breastfeed; whether a mother should be free to nurse their children wherever they choose or be forced to nurse their children in private. Many seem to have an opinion on the matter, which makes this a hot button topic for many. Interestingly enough, this surprises me, considering that breastfeeding is not a new concept, but has been around since the beginning of time. It does seem that women have embraced breastfeeding more for whatever reason, and are a lot more comfortable with nursing their children out in public. “American mothers who breastfeed after birth number about 64%. By the time six months rolls around that number plummets to 29%. Could this drop in breastfeeding be blamed on the negative reactions that women encounter from the public and their families?” (Ephraim, RD, CCN, 2006. para.8). There was a time in history when women were much more discreet about our bodies, but it seems that we are way past that time. Apparently this became more evident during World War II. Breasts became more sexualized after the war by the pinup poster girl and Playboy magazine (Bentley, 2015). We can see that change by the

Breastfeeding provides many nutrients that the child needs in order to grow. Breast milk has many more nutrients to help a child’s immune system more effectively than formula milk (www.nrdc.org, 2005). It has been proven that breastfeeding can help an infant from coming in contact with diseases later on in life, helps the mother lose weight, and is also a cheaper way to feed the child (www.nrdc.org, 2005). This can be very vital information to know because this can help a lot more mothers become educated in breastfeeding their children rather than using formula. In recent findings on breastfeeding it was found that children who are breastfed longer as an infant were less likely to become obese in the future (Carling and Feldman-Winter, 2014). It was believed that breastfeeding allowed the child to discover proper eating habits due to microscopic substances in the breast milk the helped regulate metabolism, in which the child can then learn how to control the food intake as they got older (Carling and Feldman-Winter, 2014). This is very important because mothers can help prevent their child from becoming overweight or obese. It’s recommended that mother’s breastfed for more than four months, while this can be challenging between mothers who work or mothers who are not educated about breastfeeding, support groups and help are available for these mothers (Carling and

Breastfeeding creates an emotional attachment with the mother and the baby. Breastfeeding is the healthiest choice for your baby if you can. It provides the exact amounts of the vitamins, fats, and nutrition at just the right temperature. You don’t have to worry about the questionable packaging for formula or contaminants for water you mix it with each day. Breast milk provides immunity and antibodies that are huge benefits to your baby. In fact, when you are exposed to the germs when you are breastfeeding, not only does your body fight off the illness, this benefit is transferred to your baby when you breastfeed. In fact, the thymus gland, which is the part of the immune system, is twice as big in 4-months-old babies as babies that are not breastfed. The benefits of breastfeeding do not stop once it ends either. The benefits continue through childhood. Breastfed infants are shown to have a lower risk of developing allergies, obesity, diabetes, and metabolic diseases than non-breastfed infants. Breastfeeding not only impacts the women's weight later in life but also can reduce the risk of obesity and diabetes. It also helps new moms loose weight faster. It also lowers the risk of breast and ovarian cancers among the mothers who breastfed their children. Breastfeeding should be mandatory for the mothers who have the ability to feed their newborns with their milk. They should also be thought the correct procedure to breastfeed an infant at the hospital as a law at the right

Enforce laws of protecting workplace pumping breast milk;(7) Free breastfeeding from public indecency laws; (8) provide campaigns about breastfeeding awareness and education about it. Breastfeeding practices were examined form 2 group: breastfeeding infant and mother for 18 to 45 year-old who had a live child. The question Mother's general information such as age, ethnicity, poverty status, income, education, marital status, working time and type of employer of mother also includes in the study because these factors can impact on the decision of breastfeeding.The result showed that there was a greater percent of infant who ever breastfeeds in states where promoting breastfeeding laws presents, infants who were breastfeeding for at least 6 months have greater proportion in the state with enforcement of pumping laws and exemption from jury duty. Associate to infant report, there was a great percent of mother start or continue breastfeeding in states which law protecting breastfeed in public

Human infants, at the time which they are born, are incredibly dependent creatures. Extensive measures must be taken to ensure that they are given the adequate nutrients they need in order to grow into a health, fully-functioning adult. The means in which infants receive these nutrients is most commonly through breastfeeding. The intimate relationship between mother and child that exists in the womb is maintained after birth through the act of breastfeeding. The choice of a mother to breastfeed her child has numerous, serious implications – for both herself and her offspring. The physiological consequences that breastfeeding has on mother and child are undeniable. Breastfeeding directly affects the physical development of an infant

The standard for exclusive breastfeeding after birth is six months to one year (Briere, Cong, Cusson, McGrath, 2014), but the percentage of mothers breastfeeding for the full duration is low. Specifically, the percent of newborns receiving any breast milk for six months is 43% and only 23% receive it for the full year (Beaman, Bernaix, Schmidt, Harris, & Miller, 2010). There are many factors responsible for these statistics and multiple research studies have and are being conducted to fully understand which factors have the biggest impact. Throughout these studies, education and support from the nurse during pregnancy and after birth influence how mothers perceive breastfeeding, and a positive maternal perception will lead to longer exclusive breastfeeding. In order to achieve this, nurses need to facilitate a comfortable and knowledgable foundation starting during pregnancy and extending after discharge.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 81.9% of delivering mothers have documented successful breastfeeding habits at the time of hospital discharge (Healthy People 2020, 2013). The view of women breastfeeding has become a topic of interest for society as a whole. Some women feel comfortable breastfeeding whenever their child is hungry regardless of the location, but some people disagree with this action. This is because society views breasts as a sexual part of the body rather than a functioning asset to the mother and child. In accordance

Since the very beginning mothers have been nursing their children, but in today’s society many say it is an act for behind closed doors. Women have been criticized and asked to leave restaurants, doctors’ offices, stores, schools, airplanes, and churches for nursing their child. Mothers are standing against this idea and wanting to feed their baby without being shamed by the public.

Devin arrived three weeks early weighing only five pounds and had an Apgar Score of six indicating that Devin needed some assistance with establishing breathing and vital signs (Berk & Meyers, 2016). After about a week in the hospital Devin was healthy enough to go home, his mom decided to breastfeed him. Breastfeeding infants helps to protected them against many disease and helps to provide the correct amount of fat and protein (Berk & Meyers, 2016). Devin lives with both parents his mother Anna who works as a teacher at the local school and his father Aaron who works as a manager at a restaurant. They are a low-income family who lives in an apartment in the city. Devin is now two years old with a brown complexion and short brown hair, he

Breastfeeding of infants is an important health and medical decision for a mother and her baby. Research has repeatedly shown that human milk and breastfeeding of children provide advantages with regard to general health, growth, and development; while significantly decreasing the risk for a large number of acute and chronic diseases (CDC, 2012). Breast milk is the ideal nutrition for infants and is actually the only food infant’s need for growth and development during the first six months of life. Breastfeeding also benefits the mother. It can help some mothers lose weight faster. Breastfeeding can reduce the risk of osteoporosis and some forms of breast and ovarian cancer, and can help the uterus return to its normal size more quickly

In the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, it is believed that there are enormous health-related benefits of breastfeeding and therefore, it recommends exclusive breastfeeding

As it is the natural source of nutrition for babies, breast milk is the best food to give a baby. The benefits of breastfeeding extend well beyond basic nutrition. Not only does breast milk contain all the vitamins and nutrients a baby needs in the first six months of life, breast milk is packed with disease-fighting substances that protect the baby from illness. This is just one of the many reasons exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months is recommended by several medical authorities, although any amount of breastfeeding is beneficial (Tucker and Dauffenbach, 304). Much scientific research shows that breastfeeding is good for the mother’s health as well. While breastfeeding is the most optimal choice of nutrition for a baby, there may be factors preventing a mother from deciding to breastfeed. Thus, the decision to breastfeed is a personal matter. It is also a decision that is likely to draw strong opinions from friends and family. “Many medical authorities, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, strongly recommend breastfeeding” (Tucker and Dauffenbach, 303). However, each mother and her baby are unique, and the decision is solely in the mother’s control (Tucker and Dauffenbach, 303). This essay presents just a few of the many important factors and benefits that breastfeeding offers the mother and baby.

There is also an inherent weakness in the rate women can answer questions correctly and fully, despite early infant childcare considerations, such as sleep loss and accurate record keeping, which is not addressed in this project. Multiple definitions of success also cloud self reporting: in many studies exclusivity means only breastfeeding at the breast, whereas some means just breastmilk in any form; supplementation can also mean at the breast or via bottle; infant weight gain may be adequate for an individual child but considered too low to for a defined successful rate in study parameters; and self reported success can be even more subjective (Fairbanks et al., 2000; Geraghty et al., 2013). The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends “exclusive breastfeeding for about 6 months,

Citing extensive health benefits for both mother and infant, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends the exclusive breastfeeding of infants for six months after birth, followed by continued breastfeeding, with the addition of complimentary solids, until 12 months of age (Eidelman & Schanler, 2012). The health benefits for infants include decreased risk of infection and hospitalization, positive effects on neurodevelopment, decreased risk of obesity, and a decreased rate of infant mortality. Maternal benefits include acute results such as decreased postpartum blood loss and decreased instance of postpartum depression, and long-term positive effects such as a decreased risk of ovarian and breast cancer. From an organizational perspective, the benefits of breastfeeding is evidenced by higher maternal productivity, reduced turnover, increased morale, and lower absenteeism and reduced healthcare costs resulting from significantly lower instances of infant illness (Eidelman & Schanler, 2012; Witters-Green, 2003). Additionally, the AAP’s official policy statement indicates that “strategies that increase the number of mothers who breastfeed