I've dashed into a coffee shop and ordered my take-away flat white. While waiting I observe a group of three mothers sitting outdoors with prams carefully arranged not to obstruct the flow of customers, enjoying a coffee and chat with babes in arms.
In 1999, two leading Australian academics challenged Australian universities to lead moves to better manage employees' maternity and breastfeeding needs, and 'bring babies and breasts into workplaces'. This paper addresses the question of how universities cope with the need for women to breastfeed, by exploring barriers facing women who combine breastfeeding and paid work at the Australian National University (ANU). Data were collected through online surveys in 2013 using mixed method, case study design, nested within a larger national study. Participants were 64 working mothers of children aged 0-2 years from the ANU community of employees and users of on-campus child care. Responses highlighted the ad hoc nature of support for breastfeeding at ANU. Lack of organisational support for breastfeeding resulted in adverse consequences for some ANU staff. These included high work-related stresses and premature cessation of breastfeeding among women who had intended to breastfeed their infants in line with health recommendations.
AIM:Little research has been done to investigate the influence of male family members' support for breastfeeding. This article considers the influence of male partners and other male family members on the initiation and duration of exclusive breastfeeding.METHODS:Thirty heterosexual New Zealand women who had identified in a short antenatal questionnaire that they intended to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months were recruited. The qualitative research included a face-to-face postpartum interview followed by monthly audio-recorded telephone interviews that stopped at 6 months. The participants' narratives were analysed using thematic analysis.KEY FINDINGS:Five key themes related to breastfeeding support from male family members were identified: a) male partners did not have enough knowledge about breastfeeding, b) male partners wanted to share infant feeding, c) participants received emotional and practical support from their male partners, d) male partners supported breastfeeding in public, e) some women received crucial breastfeeding support from male family members who were not the father of the baby.CONCLUSION:Comments from participants suggest that some New Zealand men are actively involved in supporting breastfeeding in their nuclear and extended families. Several participants suggested that male support was as effective as support from female family members.
Breastfeeding is widely accepted as an important public health issue for babies and their mothers. Yet, despite this, Australia continues to struggle with reaching global targets for breastfeeding indicators. In 2007, the Best Start Parliamentary Inquiry Report was released and set the stage for the Australian National Breastfeeding Strategy [2010-2015), which was announced in November 2009, with the vision to increase Australia's breastfeeding rates of infants at 6 months of age and beyond. The aim of this research project was to explore the perspectives of key stakeholders in the field of infant feeding in Australia on the implementation of the strategy, barriers and enablers to its successful implementation and actions that were still needed. Using qualitative research methods of in-depth, semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, this study identifies main themes of these perceptions about the strategy implementation and some recommendations for future strategies and further research. The main themes identified were initial opinions of the strategy as a blueprint for action, the strategy as a driver for action, lessons learned and recommendations for the future. For success in improving implementation of national breastfeeding strategies, it is recommended that Australia establish an independent breastfeeding/infant feeding committee, increase the political prioritisation of issues surrounding infant feeding and strengthen the regulation of the marketing of breastmilk substitutes.
Cleft palate and cleft lip and palate are relatively common birth anomalies which complicate infant feeding and may render at-the-breast feeding impossible. There is little experimental evidence to guide mothers who want to breastfeed babies with oral clefts, so expert opinion and adaptation to individual babies' needs comprise best practice. Mother/infant dyads will vary in their capacity to feed breastmilk and health professionals helping them must balance encouragement with a realistic understanding of what may be possible. This paper seeks to compare the parental experience of two Australian mothers with the published literature.
This study aims to examine the relationship between infant-feeding practices and American Indian infants' gut microbiome--laying the foundation of a research program aimed at identifying potential aetiologies of childhood obesity in this population. Previous studies have emphasised the high prevalence of obesity in American Indian infants, but its underlying causes remain unclear. We received funding from the University of Washington to examine attitudes towards breastfeeding and formula feeding in American Indian mothers, their dietary and physical activity habits and the yield, quality and diversity of their infants' gut microbiome. Our study combines the strengths of qualitative and quantitative data with DNA sequencing. Results will be used to propose a larger study aimed at clarifying aetiologies of childhood obesity in this population and to identify prevention strategies. This protocol describes the theoretical basis of the study, rationale for the target population, study design, participant recruitment and data analysis plan.
The aim of this study was to advance understanding of the experiences of mothers using closed Facebook groups attached to the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) and how these mothers find and share breastfeeding support and information using this forum. The study involved members of three closed Facebook groups that were chosen as interesting cases for study, based on the volume and nature of their posts. Members of these three groups then participated in online depth interviews and online semi-structured focus groups. The overarching theme identified was support, with four sub-themes that describe the nature of online breastfeeding support within the Facebook environment. These sub-themes are: community, complementary, immediate and information. It was found that social networking sites (SNSs) provide support from the trusted community. It is immediate, it complements existing support or services that ABA provides and also provides practical and valuable information for its users.
The role of breastfeeding in a child's lifelong health has long been appreciated (Goldman, 1993). The nutritional, immunological and emotional benefits that breastfeeding provides make it the most intimate of maternal gifts. However, recent discoveries are revealing even deeper connections showing why breastfeeding is far more precious than we first thought.
As more effective treatments for cystic fibrosis [CF) have become available, so the life expectancy of people with CF has extended and it is now common for women with CF to face the decision of whether to have children. For women with CF, pregnancy and motherhood present extra challenges. The daily routine of people with CF includes physiotherapy and medication regimens which Cystic Fibrosis Australia describe as 'lifelong, ongoing and relentless' [Cystic Fibrosis Australia, 2015, About cystic fibrosis, para 6). Women with CF need to maintain that routine through pregnancy and parenthood. At a time when most parents are able to rely on their own youth and health to allow them to focus on their child's needs [and find that hard enough), parents with CF need to continue to give high priority to their own health, to be able to be there for their child.
OBJECTIVE:This study examined initiation of lactation in primiparous mothers of late preterm infants who had conceived with assisted reproductive technology (ARTC) compared to those who conceived spontaneously (SC).METHOD:Milk productions on day 4 (72-96 hours) and day 7 (144-168 hours) postpartum were measured by weighing expressed breastmilk and test weighing breastfeeds in the ARTC (n = 8) and SC (n = 8) groups.RESULTS:Mean total milk volumes for the ARTC group compared to the SC group were clinically lower on day 4 (191 mL, SD = 110 vs. 285 mL, SD = 225) and on day 7 (374 mL, SD = 238 vs. 601 mL, SD = 243) respectively.CONCLUSION:These preliminary observations indicated milk production in the first week was clinically lower in mothers with ARTC, with a range of potential influencing factors identified, suggesting the need for a higher-powered study investigating the effects of ART on the initiation of lactation.
... it was horrible - a difficult, painful and agonizing process. ... Nothing I tried made it anything but torture. Finally, my son got a mouthful of blood, and I gave up. I felt like a failure. It added to my depression, made me question my ability to mother, and caused my infant to lose too much weight. (The American Dietetic Association's) position paper has no loopholes for us 'failures', no compassion for those of us too poor to rent an electric pump ... Could you please let us off the hook? (Saban, 2002, p. 24) I can't say what a devastating experience failing to breastfeed Bianca was for me. I was left feeling like I'd failed her as a mother, and even as a woman. I found it difficult to talk about, and was loath to bottle feed Bianca in public.
INTRODUCTION:Pharmacists are one of the most accessible and trusted professionals in the Australian health care system and can have a large impact in supporting and encouraging breastfeeding.AIM:This study aimed to research the knowledge, attitudes and training satisfaction of Australian pharmacists in the area of infant nutrition and breastfeeding.DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS:The mixed method study involved quantitative data collection via an online survey and qualitative data collected via separate semi-structured interviews. All registered pharmacists in the Australian Capital Territory and surrounding regional areas were eligible. Participants were recruited via emailed information sheets and individual onsite recruitment.KEY FINDINGS:Positive attitudes towards and a desire to support and advocate for breastfeeding by pharmacists were hampered by a lack of knowledge, confidence, training and education.CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE IMPLICATIONS:Government or other non-profit organisations can enhance community-based support for breastfeeding, including developing new education and training programs for pharmacy students and pharmacists.
Many cultures around the world routinely practise bedsharing by the mother-infant dyad. Bedsharing in these cultures is believed to ensure a safe and comfortable night's sleep for both mother and infant, as well as supporting breastfeeding. Nonetheless, this practice is at odds with dominant Western cultural ideals about child rearing and is recommended against by public health campaigns regarding SIDS. The current qualitative study aimed to explore the lived experiences of breastfeeding mothers who bed-shared with their infants in a Western cultural setting. In-depth interviews were conducted with six multiparous mothers and were analysed using a phenomenological framework. Seven themes were identified, including mothers' increased sleep quality and/or quantity, easier infant settling and a strong relationship with breastfeeding ease and duration. Given that many mothers bed-share, public policies need to be inclusive of this practice in order to lessen the likelihood of unsafe bedsharing practices.
Media reports and research realities: For some time a spate of media reports has claimed - sometimes ahead of publication of the trial protocol and data - that 'early' introduction of foods other than breastmilk may prevent the development of allergy. In popular understanding, 'early' is under 6 months of age, or around 4 months, which - though set by the American Academy of Pediatrics only in 1980 - has assumed an unwarranted status as the 'traditional' age. 'Late' in popular understanding means at or after 6 months, as the World Health Organization recommends globally.
Breast and nipple pain, nipple damage and mastitis are common reasons given by women for their early cessation of breastfeeding. There are a limited number of effective therapies available to support healing of damaged nipples during lactation. Low level laser therapy is a painless treatment, which appears to accelerate wound healing and ease pain. We present two case studies, which demonstrate the use of low level laser therapy in clinical practice.
BACKGROUND:There is an abundance of published literature that describes the short- and long-term effects of breastfeeding for both the infant and mother. Despite the majority of women having good intentions to breastfeed, challenges that they encounter place their breastfeeding journey in jeopardy. Improving breastfeeding rates and durations is a significant public health priority at a local, national and international level.AIM:This pilot study aimed to identify and describe participating women's breastfeeding experiences in order to better understand why some achieve their breastfeeding goals, despite experiencing challenge and others do not.METHOD:A qualitative methodology was chosen to allow these mothers to have their voices heard. Twenty Australian Breastfeeding Association trainee counsellors, who were undertaking the Certificate IV in Breastfeeding Education, gave permission for the examination and analysis of their de-identified reflections on their own breastfeeding experiences. Data was examined and thematically analysed into identified themes.RESULTS:Participants' breastfeeding experiences were identified into six themes: 1. expectation of breastfeeding, 2. motivation to breastfeed, 3. support to maintain breastfeeding, 4. returning to work, 5. the experience of breastfeeding and 6. social attitude to public breastfeeding. The responses and experiences were varied, with each woman describing a particular event that had a significant impact on her breastfeeding journey.CONCLUSION:It is not completely understood why some mothers continue with their breastfeeding journey, whilst others discontinue earlier than they had planned. Women in this pilot study reported that support, acceptability of breastfeeding to their family and social circle, public breastfeeding, issues around infant sleep and maternal fatigue were all significant issues for them as they navigated breastfeeding for the first time.Findings from this pilot study will be used to inform the development of a larger study which will further explore women's decision making, as well as identify what supports are needed to improve women's experience of breastfeeding.
Zinc is a mineral which has many important functions in the body. Its role in human health has been appreciated only relatively recently and there is still research to be done to reveal the ways in which it functions. Zinc is important at the cellular level, in every organ and body system. It is said to play three major biological roles: catalytic, structural and regulatory.
This article will describe the content of the key criteria for the selection of wet nurses that persisted across time and the authors who transmitted this advice. Where relevant, it will include variations, such as additional recommendations or a different weighting being given to one or other criterion by a particular author. The focus is on the selection of a wet nurse for the employer's baby. The factors that led a woman to enter this employment and the consequences for her own baby will not be addressed here as they will be discussed elsewhere. The article is an historical one, drawing on primary sources, where possible, and important secondary sources. Guidelines for the selection of wet-nurses have existed from antiquity to the early 20th century. The key recommendations managed to survive across the centuries because they were considered useful by influential ancient and Early Modern and later authors who passed them on through copying and translations. It is tempting to assume that the prescriptive advice was followed by physicians and mothers. However, the discussion will raise doubts about whether the criteria were adhered to by physicians and parents, particularly when wet nurses were in scarce supply.
BACKGROUND:Over the last decade, a number of studies have demonstrated that early division of tongue-tie (TT) is associated with significant feeding benefits to both mother and baby. Notwithstanding, it remains a controversial procedure. We examined the breastfeeding outcomes of a cohort of babies at 1-2 weeks (follow-up 1) and 3-5 months (follow-up 2), post-TT division.METHODS:We undertook a cohort study on all mother/baby dyads who had a TT divided at Canberra Hospital between 1 July 2013 and 30 June 2014. We contacted the mothers of both follow-up groups by telephone, focusing on breastfeeding and maternal pain.RESULTS:Follow-up 1 consisted of 116/182 (63.7%) of mothers in the study; contacted at 12.4+-7.8 days post-division. Of these, 107/116 (92.2%) were still breastfeeding, with 11/15 (73.3%) of the mothers who had ceased breastfeeding before division having re-established it at the time of follow-up (p < 0.00l). Additionally, 90/101 (89.1%) valid responses reported decreased nipple pain following TT division. Follow-up 2 consisted of 112/182 (61.5%) of all mothers in the study; contacted at 3.7+-1.8 months of age. Of these, 86/112 (76.8%) were still breastfeeding, with 11/15 (73.3%) of mothers who had ceased breastfeeding before division having re-established it at follow-up (p < 0.001).CONCLUSION:A divided TT was associated with benefits at both periods of follow-up. There was (i) an increase in overall breastfeeding rates and (ii) a decrease in maternal pain.
