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Breastfeeding: Maternal Benefits & Support.......Motivation to keep going!


jaldrich 1 / 1  
Apr 7, 2017   #1

Breastfeeding Research: Maternal Benefits & Support



Breastfeeding has created a lot of controversy in the past few years, which is surprising considering how beneficial it is for the mother and child. The benefits for children are widely publicized, while maternal benefits are not. This is one of the reasons a lot of new mothers stop breastfeed before their babies are twelve (12) months old. Another reason is that new mothers do not receive enough support from their employers, the media, and healthcare providers. UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) say new mothers should breastfeed infants exclusively from birth until four to six months, and continue to past two years. If mothers were more aware of the maternal benefits and properly supported to do so, then they would continue to breastfeed to the minimal six months.

Mothers can benefit greatly from breastfeeding mentally and emotionally. Studies have shown that breastfeeding can help lower stress and the risk of postpartum depression. Postpartum affects one in nine new mothers ("The Statistics"). That number is very large and overwhelming. Breastfeeding catalyzes oxytocin and prolactin, which, in turn, initiates dopamine to travel to the brain. This process reduces the risk of a mother developing postpartum depression. Like depression, the release of oxytocin to the brain helps to reduce stress ("The Alpha Parent"). For mothers that might be susceptible to depression or have experienced postpartum with previous children, then breastfeeding might be even more appealing.

A large part of mental and overall health is getting a proper amount of sleep. A big myth to help sell infant formula is that babies who are breastfed wake up more often and their mothers get less sleep. In a 2007 study, breastfeeding mothers were found to get forty to forty-five minutes more of sleep, than those who fed their babies formula ("Breast-feeding increases sleep"). In a related study involving over 6,000 mothers, it was found that mothers who breastfed were found to sleep longer and better, which helped them function better during the day and reduce the symptoms of depression ("Exclusively Breastfeeding Mothers"). Most new mothers do not get a lot of sleep due to infant feeding schedules, so they need every minute that they can get.

Breastfeeding benefits mothers physically, as well as mentally and emotionally. Studies have shown that breastfeeding can help lower the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. "Research shows mothers who breastfeed lower their risk of pre- and post-menopausal breast cancer. And, breastfeeding longer than the recommended six months can provide additional protection," says Rachel King, a health education specialist in MD Anderson's Lyda Hill Cancer Prevention Center ("Breastfeeding lowers your breast cancer risk"). Although, there are studies that believe that mothers need to breastfeed more than one child for an extensive amount of time to get these results, there are more studies that prove that is incorrect. Breastfeeding helps to exfoliate breast tissue which could help eliminate cells that DNA that could lead to cancer ("Lactation"). Reducing genetic cancer cells makes breastfeeding a simple, non-invasive way to reduce the cancer risk. In a 2014 study, there was a significant decrease in the risk of ovarian cancer, not only for women who breastfed, but also the risk decreased by every additional month the women continued to breastfeed ("Breastfeeding and the risk of ovarian cancer"). If mothers can decrease their risk of cancer with every month they breastfeed, then going beyond the six-month mark can be very influential for those who are already at high risk for cancer.

In addition to cancer, studies have shown that breastfeeding can help lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes. For those mothers who suffered from gestational diabetes and were able to breastfeed exclusively were fifty percent less likely to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes before the child turns two years old ("Kaiser Permanente Study"). Minorities are at a high risk for diabetes which would be a great way to promote health in minority communities. Breastfeeding mothers, compared to mothers who fed their baby formula, lowered their risk of diabetes by fifty-four percent ("Breast-feeding may cut moms' risk"). This is another way contradict the myths of how infant formula is better than breastfeeding.

Another physical benefit that can help not only mothers, but their families as well is lactation amenorrhea which can serve as a backup form of birth control. Lactation amenorrhea is a lack of menstruation that occurs when a mother is exclusively breastfeeding. New mothers can depend on breastfeeding to help prevent pregnancy with a one to two percent chance of pregnancy with a baby less than six months old if the mother is exclusively breastfeeding ("LAM - The Lactational Amenorrhea Method"). Mothers who experience lactation amenorrhea benefit from not losing iron which they would normally lose during menstruation ("A Well-Kept Secret"). Lactation amenorrhea also relieves women of the major premenstrual syndrome symptoms like tender breasts, cramps, bloating, mood swings, headaches, food cravings, fatigue, and heavy bleeding.

A lot of new mothers miss out on these amazing benefits because they discontinue breastfeeding due to a lack of support. The most common complaint is mothers having to return to work too early because they are not offered paid maternity leave. Women need the proper ample time to recover and bond with their new baby. Even though new parents have the right to family leave per the Family and Medical Leave Act, in 2008, only sixteen percent of companies with over one-hundred employees offered paid maternity leave ("U.S. Maternity Leave Benefits"). Once they return to work, most women do not get a private space to pump while they are away from their little one. Only forty percent of women are offered a private space to pump. Due to that statistic, these women are 2.3 times more likely to breastfeed exclusively for six months ("Access to Workplace Accommodations").

On a higher level, the media and hospitals, historically, advertise infant formula more than breastfeeding. In 2015, the formula industry was worth around $50 billion ("How the billion pound"). This gives the formula industry lots of access to market in the media and send millions of cans of formula to hospitals as free samples to rally their support. There have been calculated marketing strategies directed to women with assistance from healthcare providers that give out samples and do not promote breastfeeding ("Marketing Breastfeeding"). In addition to the samples, coupons and advertisements are mailed directly to new mothers who sign up for any new mother registries or newsletters. Even during National Breastfeeding Week, Babies R Us posted an advertisement for bottles on Facebook ("How the billion pound"). Healthcare providers are who a lot of first-time mothers turn to for answers and resources, which should require them to give the advice to breastfeed as it benefits the mother as much as it does the child. Advertisements via television and social media are difficult for organizations like UNICEF, WHO, and La Leche League International to compete in since the formula industry has a bigger budget to work with.

However, in recent years there are more and more places and people for new mothers to turn to get the support they need. This support includes lactation specialists, "mommy blogs", and other online communities. There are lactation specialists in most hospitals, and in the communities to help support new mothers. The United States Lactation Consultant Association (USLCA) helps to regulate the amount of IBCLC credentialed lactation consultants in hospitals around the United States ("In-Patient Hospital Lactation Programs"). Lactation consultants help to teach new mothers methods of breastfeeding, pumping, and promote breastfeeding to those new mothers, families, and healthcare providers. "Numerous studies reveal an association between the availability of IBCLC lactation consultants and improved breastfeeding outcomes in patients who are nursing their newborns" ("In-Patient Hospital Lactation Programs").

There are numerous "mommy blogs" and online communities where mothers come together to help support each other with their different woes of motherhood, and organizations help inform healthcare providers, employers, and the public on the advantages of breastfeeding. As of 2012, there were approximately four million "mommy blogs" where mothers, and even fathers, come together to share the highs and lows of parenthood including postpartum depression, craft ideas, and baby poop stories ("The Benefits of Mommy Blogging"). Because there are so many blogs to find online, there is something for everyone. "Mommy blogs" can be something different for each reader or blogger, "information, motivation, inspiration and advocacy" ("The coolest breastfeeding blogs"). The United States Breastfeeding Committee, or USBC, helps to work with other organizations like the U.S. Surgeon General to create an environment in social media, the healthcare industry, and the government, across the U.S. that supports breastfeeding ("Social Media"). Social media is, literally, in everyone's hands now with smartphones, which makes it a very powerful tool to promote and support breastfeeding.

In conclusion, there are an overwhelming number of maternal benefits to breastfeeding and approaches to support new mothers (and fathers) to do so. The only way to get new mothers to begin and continue to breastfeed is to make them aware of the benefits to their children, to themselves, and educate their families and employers. The goal is to have these maternal benefits widely publicized to act as encouragement. If healthcare providers and the media advertise appropriately, this will only help support those new mothers to breastfeed. There are many instances where a mother cannot breastfeed which is completely understandable. However, when there is an option to give a baby the best nutrition possible, then the best efforts must be made. In addition, when there is an option to give the mother the best benefits physically, mentally, and emotionally, the media and healthcare providers must be active in supporting it.

Works Cited

Bergin, M. Sue. "The Benefits of Mommy Blogging." BYU Magazine

Beyer, Monica. "Advocacy and encouragement." SheKnows

Brown, Heidi. "U.S. Maternity Leave Benefits Are Still Dismal." Forbes. Forbes Magazine

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Coordinating Center for Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Breastfeeding Report Card 2007. Rep. U.S.

Cordeiro, Brittany. "Breastfeeding lowers your breast cancer risk | MD Anderson Cancer Center." Breastfeeding lowers your breast cancer risk | MD Anderson Cancer Center.

"Depression Among Women." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Dermer, Alicia, MD, IBCLC. "A Well-Kept Secret Breastfeeding's Benefits to Mothers." New Beginnings July-August 18.4 (2001): 124-27. La Leche League International.

Division Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Breastfeeding Report Card 2016. Rep. U.S.: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Doan, Therese, Annelise Gardiner, Caryl L. Gay, and Kathryn A. Lee. "Breast-feeding Increases Sleep Duration of New Parents." The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing 21.3 (2007): 200-06. PubMed.gov.

Feng, Li-Ping, Hong-Lin Chen, and Mei-Yun Shen. "Breastfeeding and the Risk of Ovarian Cancer: A Meta-Analysis." Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health

Haelle, Tara. "Breast-feeding may cut moms' risk of type 2 diabetes." CBS News. CBS Interactive

Hahn-Holbrook, Jennifer, Chris Dunkel Schetter, and Martie Haselton. "Breastfeeding and Maternal Mental and Physical Health." Women's Health Psychology.

Hill, Milli. "How the billion pound formula industry hijacked breastfeeding." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 26 June 2015. Web. 25 Mar. 2017.
"In-patient Hospital Lactation Programs." Breastfeeding Resource Center.

Kaplan, Deborah L., and Kristina M. Graff. "Marketing Breastfeeding-Reversing Corporate Influence on Infant Feeding Practices." Journal of Urban Health

Kendall-Tackett, Kathleen. "Exclusively Breastfeeding Mothers Get More Sleep: Another Look at Nighttime Breastfeeding and Postpartum Depression." Science & Sensibility

Kozhimannil, Katy B., Judy Jou, Dwenda K. Gjerdingen, and Patricia M. Mcgovern. "Access to Workplace Accommodations to Support Breastfeeding after Passage of the Affordable Care Act." Women's Health Issues

Marion, Mary, and Susan Roberts. "Lactation." Clinical Nutrition for Oncology Patients. N.p.: Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2010. 201-02. Print.
"Social Media." USBC

"The Alpha Parent." How Breastfeeding Changes Your Brain.

"The Statistics." Postpartum Progress.

"UNICEF in action." UNICEF in action.

Wallance, Ann, and Heather Platisha. "Kaiser Permanente Study Finds Breastfeeding Lowers Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Following Gestational Diabetes Pregnancy." Kaiser Permanente.

"World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action : WABA." World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action : WABA
Holt  Educational Consultant - / 14,766 4768  
Apr 8, 2017   #2
Jeanette, in the first paragraph, you mention that breastfeeding has caused a number of controversies over the past decades. However, you do not indicate what these controversies are. You must make mention of these discussion topics in the opening statement because a part of the research paper deals with the debunking of the breastfeeding debate topics. Without the indication of the debate reasons, the essay does not have a clear focus for discussion and also doesn't provide any basis for the research that you have indicated. Your research paper is basically very informative and well researched. The only drawback, is that the thesis statement is not well thought out and represented in the opening statement. If you can address that little problem with the research, then research paper will be ready to submit.
OP jaldrich 1 / 1  
Apr 8, 2017   #3
@Holt Thank you so much for the feedback. Your response is exactly what was missing, but I couldn't figure it out. I really appreciate it!


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