Essay On Breastfeeding

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Research suggests a strong association between breastfeeding and breast cancer (Morris, 2009). One study shows that the relative risk of breast cancer decreased 4.5% for every year of breastfeeding, regardless of others factors such as age and geographical location (Morris, 2009). Another study among women who had a first-degree relative with breast cancer showed that the women who breastfed had a lower incidence of breast cancer than those who did not (Stuene, Willett, Xue, Michels, 2009). It has also been found that the duration of breastfeeding plays an integral role in the level of risk a woman is at for breast cancer. In fact, the shorter duration of breastfeeding in developed countries contributes to the greater incidence of breast cancer …show more content…

This program will provide a workplace support group where women will build camaraderie and gain education on how to breastfeed as well as learn about the relationship between breastfeeding and breast cancer. The participants will meet once a week in the office during the lunch hour. During this time, women will share personal experiences and receive the breastfeeding education. In addition, experienced mothers at the workplace will be asked to volunteer to speak with the women who are new to motherhood. Once a month a lactation specialist from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia will come to the meeting and provide in-depth knowledge of the benefits of breastfeeding, the risks of not breastfeeding, and how to break the barriers to breastfeeding. Other topics that will be covered are techniques to breastfeeding, how often to breastfeed, and how to promote breastfeeding in the workplace and in the community. Each woman will also receive a free breast pump for participating. The women involved will be surveyed before and after this program on the following: 1) their level of knowledge on breastfeeding and its relationship to breast cancer, 2) the level of acceptance they feel that their work environment provides, 3) the strength of the breastfeeding support system among employees, and 4) their personal level of comfort breastfeeding at their