I unfortunately was not able to nurse my last daughter for more than a month, which was a huge shock and disappointment to me. It never occurred to me that my supply would dry up, which was confusing because "quantity increases to meet the demand" (Berger,2016). My last daughter weighed 8 lbs. 4 oz at a little over 3 weeks early, she was surely demanding a lot however, my body decided it just was not up for the task.
In the United States, most new moms (about 80 percent) start breastfeeding. More than half (about 58 percent) of moms breastfeed for 6 months. About one-third of new moms (36 percent) breastfeed for 12 months (March of Dimes, 2019). I did not think that breastfeeding was something that is still practice as highly as it may have been a decade ago but the more I read I am learning that is not the case. Being able to breastfeed not only protects babies immune system but it is also a benefit in it for moms. After a women has a baby breastfeeding increases a hormone known as oxytocin. Oxytocin "helps the uterus go back to the size it was before becoming pregnant" (March of Dimes, 2019).
A report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) - shows that the lives of newborn babies under the age of six months could be saved if they were breastfed for at least the first six months of life.
During that period, mothers are strongly encouraged to feed their babies with nothing but breast milk alone, and in the preceding months they can then give their babies complimentary food but with continued breastfeeding up to two years.
Breastfeeding is very critical during the first six months of life as it helps in preventing diseases like diarrhea and pneumonia, the two major causes of death among infants. It is also beneficial to the mother as it reduces the chances of her getting ovarian and breast cancer (Welle, 2017).
Believe it or not, 99 percent of mothers in Norway initiate breastfeeding, according to LLLI, and 70 percent are still exclusively breastfed at three months. This is likely due to the generous maternity leave laws available to them. Save The Children reported that mothers can take up to 36 weeks off work with 100 percent of their pay, or they may opt to take off 46 weeks with 80 percent pay. Additionally, 80 percent of Norwegian hospitals are considered "baby friendly" meaning that they do not accept free infant formula or bottle-feeding equipment from private companies and have trained staff to help and encourage mothers to breastfeed at birth (Manes, 2016).
There were a few other countries that had low breastfeeding rates that I was actually surprised by because I assumed that most other under developed countries only breastfeed their children and I could not have been more wrong.
Berger, K. S. (2016). The developing person through childhood (7th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
4 comments:
Wow this is amazing! I've always been curious about breast feeding. I've always heard that "breast is best" but I've also seen when babies don't latch. I did not know that your supply could dry up, unless you began to ween your baby off of breast feeding. I have also seen mothers who do not want to breast feed and immediately go to formula. I have always seen breastfeeding as an important aspect of the bonding experience between mother and baby. That also makes me think of wet nurses. Many families in royalty chose to opt for a wet nurse rather than feed their baby on their own. Did they not want the bond with the child or was it simply not done? I love the fact that in Norway mothers are given the option to have that much maternity leave available to them. The time that they are given is precious bonding time. I remember my mother saying how hard it was for her to be separated from me when the time came for her to return to work. I feel like having more time with your child, especially when breastfeeding would be extremely beneficial to mothers in the workforce.
Great post... Breastfeeding has been linked to higher IQ scores in later childhood in some studies. Breast milk provides the ideal nutrition for infants. It has a nearly perfect mix of vitamins, protein, and fat everything your baby needs to grow. And it's all provided in a form more easily digested than infant formula. Breast milk contains antibodies that help your baby fight off viruses and bacteria. Breastfeeding lowers your baby's risk of having asthma or allergies.
https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/nursing-basics#1
Great post Violanda! You made some valid points regarding breastfeeding. I admired your personal story of why the breastfeeding topic was important to you. Breastfeeding is an excellent way for a baby to collect the adequate amount of nutrition needed to develop, especially f the mother is healthy. A mother and child gets to bond and share precious moments together while breastfeeding. Breastfeeding has become more accepted in today's society. Most of the infants that our school serves are being breastfed. Due to the large number of nursing mothers, we have created a room designed for them. One of the worse things an infant educator can do is to make a mistake and give breast milk to a child who it does not belong to.
Great topic. I believe breastfeeding has many benefits and breastfeeding is now more common. I had my daughter as a young teen and didn't see the value of breastfeeding. I as early childhood educator and now new owner of a childcare center I have created a space for breastfeeding.
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