Developing Breastfeeding Practices In Health Care

The immediate and long-term benefits of breastfeeding have been demonstrated. Mothers are encouraged to begin breastfeeding immediately after delivery, however mothers choosing to breastfeed find numerous challenges once returning to work. There are not appropriate accommodations to support nursing mothers in the workplace. Although there are law in place to support accommodations in the workplace these laws are not enforced and therefore it is virtually impossible for mothers to continue to breastfeed as a result of the significant barriers they face to effectively find suitable accommodations in their workplace. There needs to be a standard for enforcing these policies if the goal is to move toward encouraging all mothers to breastfeed throughout the first 6 months of life.

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.

Breast milk provides all the necessary proteins, vitamins, sugar and fats essential for an infant’s growth

Since the beginning of time women have breast fed their infants. Although modern science has developed infant formula, doctors and nurses still recommend women feed their infants breast milk. Breastfeeding increases bonding time between mother and baby and decreases cancer in women. It is hypothesized that breast milk significantly improves babies health and cognitive functioning. Breast feeding is frequently researched and there are multiple sources that cite its benefits.

Breastfeeding protects babies against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), as well as sepsis in pre-term babies. Breast milk contains antibodies that help babies fight off infections like otitis media and respiratory problems like meningitis and bronchitis. It has been found to reduce the incidence and intensity of atopic diseases. Babies who breastfeed tend to suffer from colds less frequently and have fewer incidents of colic. (Davis)

For newborns, breast milk can be very nutritious and will protect your infant against diseases. The protection that breast milk forms will wear off within a

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.

Whether to breastfeed or to formula feed is one of the many decisions parents have to make when caring for a newborn baby. The decision may seem simple in which parents base there decision on comfort, convenience and finance but little do most parents know the decision being made can have damaging long term effects than that of the present. There is plenty of research that state the significance of breastfeeding that go far beyond the extent of bonding between mother and newborn. Although, that too is important. Breast milk is known to contain antibodies which can help the newborn in developing a strong immune system which influence all the body systems. Research has shown that breast-milk can help prevent long term diseases such as

Breast-feeding is nutritionally, emotionally and physically superior for a mother and her child. “Human breast milk is not standard nor is it interchangeable with cow’s milk. It is a dynamic fluid that changes in composition to meet the needs of the baby as it grows” (“Giving your Baby... Diet.” par. #10). Breast milk contains growth factors and antibodies which stimulate the growing baby and protect it from illness such as diarrhea, ear infections, rashes, allergies, asthma, skin problems, pneumonia, respiratory illness and other serious illnesses. Breast-feeding also improves a baby’s chance of remaining healthy. These antibodies are not found in formula. They can not be sustained. Breast-fed babies are also neurodevelopmentally more

Breastfeeding babies get antibodies from the mother’s milk that helps fight off viruses, and foreign substances in the blood. Breast milk has vitamins, proteins, and fat that are good for your baby to grow. Breast milk is a lot easier to digest than formula. Breast milk also lowers your baby’s risk of having asthma or allergies. When a baby is breastfed for the first six months they tend to have fewer ear infections, respiratory illnesses, and bouts of diarrhea. Breastfeeding doesn’t only have benefits for the baby, it also has benefits for the mother as well. When a mother breast feeds her child, she is also burning calories, therefore, it can help you lose your pregnancy weight faster. There is also a hormone oxytocin releases that helps your uterus return to its pre-pregnancy size as well. Another amazing benefit is the bond you create with you child when you breastfeed. It’s a bond that no one will ever understand and one you will never

The importance of providing breast milk to infants is something that is talked about often, but there are so many barriers that exist for mothers who have a baby in the NICU. These babies are very sick and need the extra benefits that breastmilk provides. Since I watched my sister struggle with the decision to give up I wanted to do my research on the steps that can be made to insure mothers of premature babies continue to breastfeed. To start my search, I asked myself what role does the NICU nurse play in the promotion of breastfeeding, what are some of the reasons why breastfeeding is not supported in the NICU, and what steps can be taking by the nurse to eliminate some of the barriers that prevent the mother from providing breastmilk.

Breastfeeding is not only a lifestyle choice but also an important health care choice. Any amount of time that a mother can do it will help both her and the baby. Many benefits of breast milk are noted for mothers, babies, and others. Breast milk has disease-fighting cells called antibodies that help protect infants from germs, illness, and even SIDS. Infant formula cannot match the perfect chemical composition of human milk, specifically the cells, hormones, and antibodies that fight disease. The private practice of lactation

Throughout most of human history, breast milk has been the one food that infants have thrived on. Breastfeeding is recognized throughout the world as the preferred method of feeding infants due to its health benefits and nutritional quality. Recommendations by leading health organizations echo the importance of breastfeeding by setting forth guidelines.

For thousands of years, breastfeeding has been the main source that women have had to feed their babies. In today’s society, however, breastfeeding has become a controversial issue due to the increased sexualization of the female body, especially women’s breasts. This same society has failed to consider the benefits that breastfeeding mothers offer to society and, most importantly, the benefits breastfeeding offers to children. It is important to consider and remember that breastfeeding is natural and nursing mothers should be free to nurse everywhere because it is their legal right, it is the first source of nutrition for their children, it eliminates excess waste in the environment, and it benefits society.

Statistical Product and Service Solutions for Windows (SPSS) 12.0 software package and SAS 8.0 software. SPSS 12.0 was used for all statistical analysis except linear regression which used SAS 8.0.