Culture Influence On Breastfeeding

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

Instead many mothers decide to breastfeed based on the benefits to the baby. Breastfeeding in the relation of a bottle feeding group tends to realize it as difficult and uncomfortable.

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.

The nutrients found in a mother’s breastmilk help the infant to grow healthier, as well as protecting it against some infections. This is one of the reasons that mothers know nursing their infants is best for them. However, even if it is the best for the infant, nursing mothers are still criticized for breastfeeding outside the privacy of their homes. From an early age, a woman has always been taught to cover every part of her body. Therefore, an exposed breast in public is often considered provocative or inappropriate even when used to breastfeed, although that is the breast’s function. Other objections to breastfeeding in public may be a reaction against perceived pressure on mothers to breastfeed at all costs.

“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.

Breastfeeding has numerous benefits for both mother and child. Children who are breastfed are more resistant to health issues like juvenile diabetes, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, and infections. Breast milk provides a unique source of nutrition that helps fight these issues and cannot be replaced with other food, including formula. Mothers who are breastfeeding are less likely to develop osteoporosis, lower risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer. Despite these benefits to both mother and child there has been much stigma on the topic of breastfeeding in public areas.

Breastfeeding is a healthy, natural ability of every woman, and should therefore be socially acceptable and supported by everyone. For some reason this is not the case in our society, in fact breastfeeding continues to be a controversial issue that must be addressed by women’s rights activist groups. Breastfeeding is a feminist issue because the natural act has been medicalized and devalued by major companies because of their interests in profits in bottle feeding. According to Penny Van Esterik a coordinator in the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), women should never have to choose between their duties as a mother and their duties as a responsible, hard working employee. Our society pressures, exploits and oppresses women

There has been a trend developing that moves women away from breastfeeding their children despite the benefits of immunity and nutrients for optimal growth for infants. According to the article, “Breastfeeding and Culture,” the three main forces that work together for this movement is the change in economies that now focus more on money and having the wife be a husband's social partner, a belief that science will provide better for a child then a mother's own body, and commercialism that makes women feel as if breastfeeding is primitive, shameful, or unhealthy. These factors play a huge role in many different cultures for women when deciding if they should breastfeed their child or not. Particularly from Western influence and the effect of media, educated upper class women of many

Breastfeeding has sometimes been viewed as a disturbing public exposure by a lot of people. Most of them chose to ignore the benefits of breastfeeding your child. The article of Lisa Flam is an example of what people think about breastfeeding. It discusses a picture of a young African woman nurturing her child in front of everyone during a graduation ceremony. Despite the fact that people think is wrong to breastfeed your child in public, it is legal in 49 states in the United States. Another perspective of looking at this article is the empowerment of encouraging African women to breastfeed their children because they are the groups that breastfeed their children the least in the United States.

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

There is historical evidence of this all over the world. In Israel around 2000 BC, children were deemed a blessing, and breastfeeding was considered a religious obligation. Breastfeeding was not always possible, however, due to lactation failure of the mother In Greece around 950 BC, women of higher social status frequently demanded wet nurses. Wet nurses were women that were paid to breast feed new babies when their biological mothers were not able to accomplish it. Breast feeding a child was widely accepted as “the thing to do” and even though it was uncomfortable and inconvenient many mothers took part in it. It was also common for fathers to watch the process and in turn it was a bonding experience for the whole family and eventually, wet nurses acquired a position of accountability and authority. The Bible even notes various examples of wet nurses

Culture according to J.P. Lederach (1995), “is the shared knowledge and schemes created by a set of people for perceiving, interpreting, expressing, and responding to the social realities around them." There exists an inconsistency in breastfeeding practices particularly exclusive breastfeeding, which is considerably influenced by ones cultural belief. (Osman, Zein, & Wick, 2009). The World Health Organisation (2013) defines exclusive breastfeeding as the means by which an infant receives only breast milk for the ideal growth, development and health of the child and is recommended to last for the first six months. Therefore within this period, no other liquid or solids should be introduced in the infant’s diet. (World Health Organization, 2013)

Becoming a mother is a time of excitement, preparation, anxiety, and uncertainty. Women are given nine months to prepare and make all decisions before the big day of giving birth. One of the most important decisions a woman must make is how they plan on feeding their child. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports, “In 2011, 79% of newborn infants started to breastfeed” and of those infants “49% were breastfeeding at 6 months and 27% at 12 months.” More women should breastfeed their child because of the cost, convenience, and it is not only beneficial for the child, but also for the mother as well.

Breastfeeding is the oldest style of feeding a baby. It’s existed since the start of time. In fact, out of all the mammals that exist on this planet, each one of them nurses their babies, including humans. Recently, breastfeeding publically has been seen as indecent. Why would society frown on the most natural and beautiful act a mother can do for her child? Nearly daily women are asked to leave public places when they’re feeding their kids because someone believes it 's indecent or perverted, despite the efforts that are made to promote breastfeeding as positive. Breastfeeding isn 't indecent or perverted; but, several people assume it should be hidden and out of the general public eye. It’s a women’s right to nurse her child anyplace she

Breastfeeding has become the new normal for parents of the millennium generation. With new research and enhanced parent education, new mothers have developed knowledge in relation to the benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and baby. Breastfeeding is linked to psychological benefits such as a hormonal release to enhance bonding and attachment through mother and baby. At the very least, breastfeeding may also reduce or prevent the likeliness of long-term health complications. Coincidentally, some mothers still struggle with thought of breastfeeding and the potential risks and complications involved with formula fed infants. Let’s review the good, the bad and ugly facts of breastfeeding.