Essay On Breastfeeding

According to a study produced by the FDA “82% of pregnant women reported that they intended to breastfeed their babies. … A year later, … these women were asked about how long they … had breastfed, 60% said that they did not breastfeed as long as they wanted (Grummer-Strawn).” So in hopes of increasing the number of mothers who are successful at breastfeeding let us take look at common maternity care practices and try aligning maternity medical care with the needs of a breastfeeding mother so that those with a desire to breastfeed might feel more encouraged to continue doing so. To achieve a higher percentage of successful bouts of breastfeeding it is vital to inform individuals, pregnant and not pregnant, of the health benefits of breastfeeding to both mother and child. This type of information should be spread vastly and take many different forms. From using social

In attempts to encourage breastfeeding it was found that many women discontinued breastfeeding due to a lack of support during the early months of trying to breastfeed. (Grummer-Strawn p.107). This response from women is why it is vital that proper, supportive postpartum care is given to both mother and child. Successful breastfeeding mothers require “early breastfeeding initiation, no formula supplementation during the hospital stay, rooming-in, on-demand feedings, no pacifiers, and provision of information about breastfeeding upon discharge” (Grummer-Strawn p. 107). These six points are representative of everything it takes to initiate and stabilize breastfeeding. Mothers who receive this guidance feel more confident and are more likely to be successful at breastfeeding their