Breastfeeding provides countless benefits to both the infant
and mother. I have always been interested in this topic and how it relates to
child development and health for both the mother and child. From a public
health standpoint, I believe if more women breastfed their infants, healthcare
costs would decrease. According to Berger (2009), breastfed babies are less
likely to get sick and mothers benefit from decreased mental health issues.
These benefits would lead to fewer costs on healthcare as well as the immediate
cost for the milk itself. Breast milk is
FREE! You can’t get any better than that.
Women around the
world have varying views on breastfeeding. The social stigmas that come from
nursing an infant in public can lead to a mother’s decision on how to feed her
infant. Sub-Saharan African culture
views breastfeeding as a natural common feature of the day (Brown). Women in
Ireland are not as inclined to breastfeed, especially in public (Brown). Other
countries such as France have a 50/50 take on breastfeeding (Brown). Many of
the changes in attitudes come from a woman’s work routine and schedule.
If the working
mother has to change the way she feeds her infant and possibly give her baby a
less nutritious feeding, then shouldn’t society be changing its policies to accommodate
a breastfeeding and working mother. Breastfeeding is completely natural, just
as is the need for sleep. In my future work, I will always take regard for
woman’s culture and personal desire to feed her infant in any way. However, I
will continue to encourage mothers to give their child the best start in life
to help ensure healthy growth and development.
References
Berger, K. S.
(2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY:
Worth Publishers.
Brown, T. (N.d.) Breastfeeding Around the World:
Breastfeeding’s Popularity Varies From Place to Place. Retrieved May 10,
2012 from http://www.breastfeed.com/nursing-mothers-life/nursing-facts
I am also pro breast feeding and will encourage and support anyone who needs or would like assistance. It is a natural part of raising a child. However, some women get really tense during this time and their emotions and tension in there muscles are picked up by the infant and can cause the infant to react to the message that is being sent. Sometimes through encouragement, patience with herself and infant, and learning to feel confident; the new mother is usually able to master breastfeeding. I know some women have physiological reasons for not being able to breastfeed, e.g. damage to the thyroid or pituitary gland during childbirth, or if part of the placenta is left behind after childbirth, and sometimes there are simply no explanations. I like how Dr. Alison Stuebe, MD, MSc, a maternal-fetal physician and breastfeeding researcher at the Uni. of North Carolina Medical School puts it in her article: http://bfmed.wordpress.com/2010/04/24/when-lactation-doesnt-work/
ReplyDeleteYou have put together a good discussion, well done and thank you
I totally agree with you, that breastfeeding is a natural aspect of motherhood and should be more recognized by the society. Mothers should be given flexible working hours and maternity leave in order for them to be able take care of their babies. I know so many women want to, but sometimes, economic and societal influence tends to undermine this possibility.Public education on benefits of breastfeeding should be promoted
ReplyDeleteHi terri, I applaud mothers who breast feed. I truly wanted to breast feed but it was to painful for me. I tried it for about a week and was in so much pain. I even tried breast pump. That was even more painful so I gave it up. My children were infamile babies.
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