A Child's Advocate: Breastfeeding

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding wasn’t always as important to me as it is now. When I was pregnant everyone kept asking me if it was something that I was going to do. I would always reply that I would if I could and move on. A friend of mine only had one breast that would produce milk, but she was very adamant about the benefits and continued to breastfeed well after one year old. She was a huge inspiration to me when I began and was frustrated because nightly feedings were every two hours and I was the only one who technically had to get up. But I did it, and lasted a whole thirteen months before my baby decided she had had enough.

The benefits that I was providing to my child by breastfeeding far outweighed the bad. And breastfeeding is far cheaper! It was a bond between my baby and me and provided alone time when we just wanted to be together and let the world stand still. It was also amazing to think that I was doing something that women centuries ago had done!

I researched breastfeeding in Australia and found that in the 1970’s “40-45% of women breastfed their infants after being discharged from hospital,” however, by 1995 82% of babies were being breastfed (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2003) My mom told me something similar that when she had her other children (in the 60’s and 70’s) that she never breastfed because it wasn’t pushed upon the mother. She said no one mentioned it or knew the benefits of it like they do now. This could explain the jump in percentages over the years.

My future work hopefully will be in regards to emotional development in children and providing adequate examples for them. I have seen multiple sites that talk about the emotional development with regards to breastfeeding and feeding this way has mental and physical positive elements to it.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2003). Breastfeeding in Australia, 2001. Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4810.0.55.001.

2 comments:

Valerie GainesMay 13, 2011 at 9:54 PM
Tina,
I would like to commend you for breastfeeding. When my son was born, I had no desire to breastfeed. I guess I was not pushed and didn’t really know or think about the benefits in would have. If I had to do it all over again and after finding out the pros, I would definitely breastfeed. I now know that physical contact through breastfeeding is very important to new born and that it can help them feel more secure, warm and comforted and they are usually sick less often. Good post!
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Allison JonesMay 15, 2011 at 1:27 PM
You are so right in saying that breastfeeding is cheaper than buying formular. I did not breastfeed my baby and I have wondered if I missed out on something since reading about it in the text. I guess I was much like your mom, it wasn't encouraged and I didn't give it much thought. My daugter and I have a beautiful relationship; however, looking back now I think it would have helped in conributing to development.
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Personal Childhood Web

Terry- A neighbour of mine when I was a teenager. She was like a big sister in a way and treated me like my age instead of like a small child. I could confide in her and she helped me through a sticky situation when I was in high school. She taught me that although things seemed bad at the time and like there was no possible way out, that all things end eventually. That thought has helped me through some tough times in my life.
Chris- My brother. Chris joined the service when I was young, but when I'd visit him he never ceased to congratulate a grade or a new step in my life. He is someone who gives appreciation and shows admiration to everyone. He is intense to learn more about you and to help you feel better about yourself along the way. He carries my favorite trait which is sometimes hard to find- common sense. I hope I have gathered at least a handful of his knowledge and kindness along the way. His open heart and courage to do good is a constant reminder to me that there is more to people than meets the eye.
Kathy- A friend of my mother's, she was and still is someone who tells it like it is. She would never hide anything about the truth to me and she was comical in telling it. If I had a question, Kathy had a straightforward answer. Still to this day Kathy will not hesitate to give meaningful opinions and life lessons to me. I don't call her enough, but I do think of her constantly especially when life throws me a curve ball and I make some kind of joke out of it!
Louise- A friend of my mother's, she was someone I could tell things to that I was afraid to tell my mom. She would comfort me and let me know I was normal and tried to figure out ways to help me in any situation. She stayed calm and optimistic and I always admired those traits about her that I wish I could have found at home. Louise has definitely taught me to stay true to myself and not try to change to meet another's needs. She's also taught me positivity lasts longer and doesn't create as many wrinkles.
Melanie- She was a childhood friend who had a stable family life and was very intelligent. She helped me study and she helped me see past what other's thought to find out what I thought. Melanie is someone who I assume went on to become some kind of life changing scientist. She showed me dedication, and for a young child to see a peer unafraid of committment to something left a lasting impression.