The public health topic I chose is
breastfeeding. I chose this topic
because I breastfed both of my boys. It
was important to me to provide the best nutrients for them, especially because
they were premature. Breastfeeding was
not an easy task. I remember being very
stressed to be successful in the beginning.
My first born had a hard time latching on because he was not breastfed
right after birth due to my C-section. This
caused my son to be “nipple confused”. The
hospital gave me literature on the importance of breastfeeding my son,
especially the colostrum milk. I learned
to speak with a lactation specialist to get strategies to help me be successful
in my quest to breastfeed. I found a
technique that worked for me independently and continued to be successful with
my second son. I was able to breastfeed
my oldest son for nine months. My second
son didn’t last as long. He nursed for
six months.
I
looked up how other countries viewed breastfeeding. In Cuba babies less than six months old are
breastfed. Upon leaving the hospital 98%
of newborns are breastfed. This
percentage is due to the efforts of health professionals sharing awareness and
the importance of breastfeeding ("More Infants Exclusively
Breastfed In Cuba", 2013). In Cuba they have world breastfeeding
week. It is the week of August first through
seventh. Cuba emphasizes the importance
and values of breastfeeding infants for the first six months and then
supplement for one year and up to two ("Cuba Marks 20th World
Breastfeeding Week", 2012).
The
information I learned from having my two boys as well as from Cuba has encouraged
me to ensure that my child care center has pamphlets on the importance of
breastfeeding. I also will continue to
share my experiences with parents and friends that ask about
breastfeeding. I would recommend
breastfeeding to everyone. I would say
the mother that is not able to breastfeed to not get discouraged. Strides have been made to improve formula. I also would refer the new mom to work with a
lactation specialist. Breastfeeding
really helped my boys to grown into the young men they are today. My youngest only weighted four pounds,
however, looking at him know you would have no idea.
Reference
Cuba
marks 20th world breastfeeding week. (2012). Retrieved from http://english.juventudrebelde.cu/cuba/2012-08-07/cuba-marks-20th-world-breastfeeding-week
More
infants exclusively breastfed in Cuba. (2013). Retrieved from http://victoriafriendsofcuba.wordpress.com/2013/08/09/more-infants-exclusively-breastfed-in-cuba/
Your post was very interesting. I've heard a lot of talk about breastfeeding and how it is so much better for the baby and mother. There are several child development centers in my area that have lactation areas in their nursery. Having a lactation specialist to come out and speak to the mom would be great and would add to the center. The mom's are just loving this!
ReplyDeleteBreastfeeding is a good thing for many, but for others it is something they will not do. With the younger generation having children they are too busy to have that special time to bond with their child, when the older mother's really enjoy it. Breastfeeding have some good benefits for child and mother, and with the cost of milk it think it would be a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI think breastfeeding is very important in order for children to get the proper nutrition. It's sad that in today's world it is not done as much. I understand that it's harder today with moms working and many other things going on in their lives. I think it is a very important bonding period for mother and child.
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