Breastfeeding : Facts And Opinions Regarding Postpartum Mothers

The audience intended for this paper are mothers that have a desire to breastfeed, employers, clinicians, breastfeeding advocacy groups and federal and state legislators involved in policy change.

Breastfeeding is one of the best methods for providing infants with a healthy start to life. Breast milk helps the body fight off various bacteria and viruses that one’s child might be at risk for catching. Breastfed babies are thirty-six percent less likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome and are fifty-five percent likely to become obese later in life, compared to babies who are not breastfeed. (Workplace and Public Accommodations for Nursing Mothers, 2016) Not only is the child benefiting from breastfeeding, the mother is as well. Women who breastfeed are more likely to revert to their

A lot of mothers are not being told how wonderful breastfeeding is for their health. Whether out of inexperience or due to the impact of the artificial baby milk industry, many health care providers fail to let mothers know of the facts. As other new mothers find out about these facts, more mothers will not merely choose to breastfeed for a short period of time to provide early disease control for their baby, but will continue to breastfeed, providing the best results both for their child and for

“Some mothers have to give up breastfeeding even though they want to breastfeed. To give up breastfeeding can be a sensitive issue in a time when breastfeeding is promoted as the healthiest for mother and child” (Larsen & Kronborg, 2013, p. 848). The debate over whether breast-feeding is better than bottle-feeding or vice versa has been a debate for many years. With more and more research that is continuously being developed, the option to breast-feed or bottle-feed is ultimately up to the parents of the child. Although the decision could be based on factors such as a physical incapability or financial burdens, the end result should always be what is going to be best for the baby. As research continues to grow, there has been proven evidence of the positive and negative aspects that come with breast-feeding and bottle-feeding.

In this article, “The Ideal and the Real of Breast-Feeding” by Jane E. Brody, Brody brings some good points to light. The campaign to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months in today’s society is becoming increasingly prevalent by health care providers, lactation consultants, and other organizations. Brody’s notable outlook on breastfeeding stems from her own personal experiences with her twin boys. The ever increasing numbers of reasons one should breastfeed and how important it is for the health of the child to continue to grow. As the textbook, “How Children Develop” by Robert Siegler, shows it is a natural life source. Mammals use breast milk as a source of nutrition for their young. Humans have become more reliant on formula feeding.

Mother’s breastfeeding in public should be universally accepted because it would allow mothers to feed their infants without fear, allow mothers to provide the most complete form of nutrition to their babies, and desexualize the act of breastfeeding.

In Gina Ciagne’s article “Breastfeeding Has Heart and Can Save Yours” researched showed that just like men, the number one killer of women was cardiovascular disease (2012). In the article it also stated that women “who breastfeed could lower their risk of developing heart disease and related issues” (Ciagne, 2012), Ciagne also stated that the body resets after pregnancy if the woman is breastfeeding (2012), While reading this article length was fairly short, and the vocabulary used was very easy to read and understand. Ciagnes credential listed was a CLC (Certified Lactation Counselor), The writing style Ciagne used were in ways mothers could relate, using emotions and repetition while still being informative. All in all the articles conclusion with the results were consistent.

“Breast feeding rates in developed countries such as the UK, Australia and the US are typically lower than World Health Organisation goals” Parkinson (2010) 3. From a study carried out by Queensland university stressed the importance of not only the delivery of literature on how effective breastfeeding is for your babies health but that what was also needed to increase the number of breast feeders was to give personal support and explains social and environmental benefits also. When they looked at the UK in particular, Parkinson (2010) 3 stated “women already understood that breastfeeding was good for their baby, and what they needed were the tools to help them to breastfeed longer. From this it is clear that although effective and sufficient information around the benefits of the child is being addressed, there is no sufficient information or skills being given direct to the parents in order for them to carry this out for any length of time. Another piece of research was carried out in 2010 on ways to change the paradigm of breastfeeding, from encouraging promotion of breast feeding within the employment setting.

The author bases her argument based on the premise that breastfeeding is beneficial to the mother and the child’s physical and mental health. Throughout the essay, Schow gives examples of different health issues that can be improved through breastfeeding. Some are breast cancer, osteoporosis, connection between the mother and child, and child behavioural problems. Each of these instances are used to strengthen the argument that the benefits from breastfeeding are of utmost importance.

Breast feeding has been in practice for a very long time, as early as 2000 BC. Before the invention of formula, bottles, and pumps this was the safest most common way for a mother to feed their infants. In fact, for 99% of human history breast milk was the sole source of nutrition for children until the age of two. In today’s society there are many different and opposing personal stand points on where or not a mother should breast feed their children. It is a very controversial topic with many variables. In breast feeding there are several benefits, reasons, and cultural effects that go into making the decision to engage or stay away from breast feeding. There is also historical causes and cultural differences that lead influence a mothers

In correlation to not being able to breastfeed, there are also many other factors including racial and cultural influences which shape the way a mother chooses to provide for her infant. In fact through one study it was shown that women in Asian countries breastfeed more than those here in the United States. This difference can also be shown through different economic standings; the majority of women who breastfeed often arise from the middle class. This is due to the fact that these women are more able to meet breastfeeding demands as they do not have to return to work right away, unlike those in lower economic standings. Not only does this perspective reveal the societal pressures on new mothers and differences among infant care, but it also discusses how the public has often been misinformed when it comes to the advantages of breastfeeding. More times than not, the benefits of breastfeeding are based on faulty scientific studies which often fail to account for other potential factors that aid in development. In addition many advocates fail to mention the aspects of breastmilk that are not very advantageous, such as environmental toxins. Though this perspective agrees with the fact that breastmilk is a good source of nourishment, it argues that promotion of this practice usually leaves mothers feeling convicted when they are unable to

The employed mother in the United States makes up a significant portion of America’s work force and is an important contributor to a successful business and the economy. The CDC reports that working mothers make up 70% of the workforce but only 10% of mothers nationally successfully breastfeed to 6 months of age (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], n.d). Due to the increasing demands of the economy and a push for women to stay in the workforce, many more mothers are now faced with the unique challenges to maintain the ability to breastfeed as long as they can while working. Approximately, 79.2%

There are many barriers to breastfeeding and it is not always possible for mothers to breastfeed their child. The authors describe that there are many different benefits of breastfeeding to mother and infant; these benefits have been well documented over time. Breastfeeding has shown to improve the child’s overall health, reduce health inequalities, reduce risk of childhood illnesses (respiratory illness, asthma, and wheeze), diarrheal disease, atopic disease and also, gastrointestinal illness. More recently, breastfeeding has been implicated as having a protective effect against the development of type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and obesity (Sloan, Sneddon, Stewart & Iwaniec, 2006). Breastfeeding also allows skin-to-skin contact which promotes bonding and soothing. Evidence shows that breastfeeding can result in many benefits for cognitive development in early and middle childhood. Mortensen, Michaelson, Sanders, and Reinisch (2002) found an association between breastfeeding and intelligence in adulthood, independent of confounding factors including education and socio-economic status. Breastmilk is said to contain certain chemicals that help stimulate brain

“Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers” Statement taken from the world health organization publication on the nutrition of exclusive breastfeeding.

In completing post-class questionnaires, participants scored significantly higher for breastfeeding knowledge, rated breastfeeding as significantly more important, and cited significantly higher confidence levels in breastfeeding than in pre-class questionnaires. In the 6-week postpartum interview, 70 of the original 153 mothers were interviewed. 91% were