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women’s health
BREASTFEEDING
Family
matters
A
s the saying goes, “It takes
a village to raise a child.”
e same might be said
of breastfeeding. It may not really
take a village to breastfeed a baby,
but it does take a village to support
a mother’s choice to breastfeed.
In fact, a common reason women
decide not to breastfeed or to stop
breastfeeding is a lack of family and
social support.
Where is this lack of support
coming from?
Infants have been
formula-fed for many years. at
a ects the way that a family
approaches breastfeeding. From
birth, we look to our mothers for
advice and guidance. Many of the
new parents today have mothers
and grandmothers who have never
breastfed. ey grew up in a time
where formula was thought to
be as good as, if not better than,
breastmilk. If a family knows little
about breastfeeding and has no
direct experience, a mother may
decide not to breastfeed.
What can families and friends
do to help a breastfeeding
mother?
If a family has little to
no experience with breastfeeding,
they can still help a breastfeeding
mother in a variety of ways.
1.
Be informed.
Family members
can attend local breastfeeding
classes to gain knowledge on
breastfeeding. is will allow
them to assist the new mother if a
problem arises.
2.
A rm and encourage the
new mother.
Breastfeeding can
be tough, especially for a new
mother. So build her con dence.
Breastfeeding women who are
more con dent and committed to
making it work are more likely to
have success with breastfeeding.
Families and friends should avoid
telling the mother to give the baby
formula to resolve breastfeeding
challenges. ey should encourage
the new mom. If challenges persist,
point her to the lactation support
resources in the community.
3.
Tackle the to-do list.
Partners
and family members can help a
breastfeeding mother with daily
tasks that can be overwhelming
while nursing, such as housework
or helping with her other children.
4.
Plan ahead.
For those family
members who provide child care
once the mother goes back to work,
encourage her to pump her milk
so that the baby can still receive all
the health bene ts of breast milk.
Although mothers today know
more about breastfeeding, lack of
family and social support is still
a big barrier to success. Family
members can work together to
ensure that they provide support to
mothers with newborns!
Source: Office of the Surgeon General
August is National
Breastfeeding Month.
KFHC mailing address: 9700 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA 93311
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family
health