My Breastfeeding Journey

As a young child, I was always drawn towards the field of health care. I remember reading about the many options that are held within it and wondering what path it would lead me on. Neonatal nursing was something that always came into my mind, but it was often pushed to the side by people and teachers who thought I should become a pediatrician instead. This became a real struggle for me, but as I grew up and began researching and exploring the health care field I came to a decision for myself. I came to the realization that everyone was wrong. I didn’t want to be a doctor at all. This sudden burst of independence from what everyone else wanted was the first step to reaching my end goal. Along with this, an accelerated education, volunteer

At 17 years old, I had the grueling task of deciding how I wanted to spend 40 plus years of my life. I always aspired to land a career in the medical field, so I majored in biology like most pre-med hopefuls, but during my junior year, I no longer desired to become a physician. The medical field was calling out to me, but the specialty of focus was incorrect. After graduation, I went back to the basics and put my nursing assistant certification to use.

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.

Being a parent transformed me in unexpected ways. I found myself wanting to provide for my daughter and later my son the same security and benefits my parents had provided for me. I found a job at University Children’s Center. UCC provides care for children from the ages of 6 weeks to 6 years and I wanted to be close to my children. I worked with all the age groups but found my niche in the infant program. I enjoyed the close bonds I was able to form with both the babies and their families. I took great pride in creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. I took classes to become Infant Nursery Room Supervisor. Once again, I excelled in my studies and enjoyed the learning process. Bringing the information I learned into the classroom was

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

In this paper I will evaluate two artworks that share the same theme of “motherhood and breastfeeding.” In the last few years, the sexualization of breastfeeding has become a big issue. This is due to people see breast as sexual objects and think that women are being exhibitionist, and are doing it just to flaunt their breasts in public. Breastfeeding mothers are faced with the public criticism as they struggle to breastfeed their child, although it is the most natural and healthy method of feeding. The first artwork is by Mary Cassatt and is titled Mother Rose Nursing her Child. This painting was created in the 1900s and it depicts a woman breastfeeding her child. The second piece is a contemporary portrait created by Catherine Opie titled Self-Portrait Nursing. The portrait depicts a modern mother also nursing her child. When comparing both of these pieces of art I plan to focus on the beauty of motherhood and the bond between mother and child. In this paper I will discuss the social issue of mother’s being criticized for breastfeeding in public. Now more than ever women’s breasts are being overly sexualized when they are not a sexual organ, but in fact a part of their body used to feed another human being.

There was a number of events that confirmed to me that child nursing was the only career I'd fully enjoy. From a young age I'd always had an interest in the medical industry and was drawn to care for others. When I was nine, my little brother took ill with menangitis and MRSA. At the start of this year my little sister was in a neo-natal intensive care unit in an induced coma and less than a month later my little brother followed with a burst appendix. Needless to say, I've had my fair share of hospitals. As I was there so often, I attempted to shadow some of the nurses that were taking care of my family. They were very friendly and would teach me things like needle techniques and the different types of drip function. When my sister was diagnosed with down's syndrome, I attempted to pay as much attention as I could to the learning disability expers that came to talk to my family. They successfully put us at ease, fully believing that these learning issues are not scary or difficult if known how to approach them. On top of this, I've really attempted to invest my time with children more; As the oldest of nine children this hasn't been that difficult. I've always been on call to help with trips to hospitals, babysitting and sometimes just changing a nappy. I've also given up time to help my two of my friends who are foster careers. I've helped babysit a number of children with different backgrounds. Some with severe learning problems and some with neonatal abstinence syndrome.

I have always loved working with children. My first job was at Ellison Youth Inc. summer camp and I was a counselor. I interacted with campers between the ages of six through ten. Based on the managers observed she offered me a position during the school year with the after school program. Any environment I’m in I always seem to gravitate towards children and this is when I learned that working with children was my passion. Prior to this time I had no idea this was my passion I knew I just knew I enjoyed working with kids. There was always a sense of self-gratification. So when I found out I was pregnant I was in for a treat.

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.

The proudest accomplishment in my educational career has been graduating with a college degree in a field I absolutely love. With all honesty, I cannot attest that I have always wanted to be a registered nurse. As my college transcripts reflect, I have taken a hodgepodge of classes in attempt to find something; anything I can be passionate about. I found that passion in my first nursing class, Introduction to Healthcare Careers, that I took at the community college. Initially, I planned on taking a few medical terminology and anatomy classes to assist me at work as a paralegal. At the time, I worked for an attorney who specialized in personal injury and medical malpractice law. I would work 40+hours a week at the law firm and nursing school/clinical hours were done on nights and weekends. I survived and graduated with my Associates degree in nursing.

This paper will explain the benefits of breastfeeding and how it plays an extreme role in the long-term health of a child not only in the early stages of life but also into adulthood and how we as nurses can help promote this mode of nutrition.

It’s a beautiful summer day. The sun is shining and the breeze is blowing. You decide to make a run to Sonic for a creamy shake that’s ice cold. Once you make it there, place and receive your order, you decide to sit outside and sip on your tasty treat. A few minutes pass and you notice something strange. People are staring at you. Their faces show nothing but pure disgust. You begin wracking your brain; looking for an explanation as to why these people are looking at you the way they are. Nothing comes to mind. You hear someone behind you say, “Really? Does he have to do that here?” You immediately begin feeling insecure. You make your way back to your truck and start driving away. As you sit there, in the driver’s seat of your Chevy Silverado,

Two years ago, I was introduced to midwifery when my brother and his girlfriend were considering options for the impending birth of my nephew. Since that time, everything I’ve pursued and studied has helped bring me a step closer to becoming a midwife myself. I find pregnancy, childbirth, and babies to be the most fascinating things in the world. I spend heaps of time independently researching different aspects of childbirth. Last year, I wrote a research paper on the differences between home births and hospital births, and I’m currently working on a podcast about home births and the role midwives play. There's so much knowledge out there that I was oblivious to; once I figured out that pregnancy, birth, and even postpartum care need not be

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.

162 mothers and 100 partners or coaches from 22 breastfeeding classes held over a one-year period