"Breast Is Best": A Mantra to Promote Infant Health? or Stigmatizing Adage to Guilt Moms

In my last article “Becoming Dad: A Humbling Birth Experience of a New Father and Nurse,” I discussed my journey to becoming a first-time parent and included some of the challenges that being a nurse and a parent present when it comes to the health of your children. This article continues on my journey with the battle we fought against the “breast is best” movement, which advocates that mothers exclusive breastfeeding babies for the first six months of life. Nurses General Nursing Article

You are reading page 15 of "Breast Is Best": A Mantra to Promote Infant Health? or Stigmatizing Adage to Guilt Moms

CloverPark, RN

42 Posts

I didn't have time to read all the other comments, but I appreciate you posting this. I was "blessed" with large breasts and cursed with flat nipples (sorry if that is TMI). There was NO way any baby would ever latch on! I tried EVERYTHING! I went to the lactation consultant... Those plastic rings only made things worse... but I was determined to breastfeed, even if it was breastmilk via bottle... 3 months later I was exhausted. The time it takes to pump plus feed via bottle left me constantly busy with no time for much else. I lost all the baby weight and then some within the first 2 months, which may sound nice, but was definitely unsafe if I had kept on going the way I was. It was actually my PCP, who was also my OBGYN/the one who delivered my baby, who urged me to consider formula, as she was concerned for my health... Not all women are physically capable of breastfeeding. And they should never be shamed for it! I definitely believe I was a better mother after switching to formula, as I had more time for both the baby and myself. And even though breastmilk is the "holy grail" of healthy nutrition and wellness, oddly enough, my daughter who received breastmilk for the first 3 months of her life was sick much more often than my son who was formula-fed from the start...

flowerpowerntx

76 Posts

I didn't have time to read all the other comments, but I appreciate you posting this. I was "blessed" with large breasts and cursed with flat nipples (sorry if that is TMI). There was NO way any baby would ever latch on! I tried EVERYTHING! I went to the lactation consultant... Those plastic rings only made things worse... but I was determined to breastfeed, even if it was breastmilk via bottle... 3 months later I was exhausted. The time it takes to pump plus feed via bottle left me constantly busy with no time for much else. I lost all the baby weight and then some within the first 2 months, which may sound nice, but was definitely unsafe if I had kept on going the way I was. It was actually my PCP, who was also my OBGYN/the one who delivered my baby, who urged me to consider formula, as she was concerned for my health... Not all women are physically capable of breastfeeding. And they should never be shamed for it! I definitely believe I was a better mother after switching to formula, as I had more time for both the baby and myself. And even though breastmilk is the "holy grail" of healthy nutrition and wellness, oddly enough, my daughter who received breastmilk for the first 3 months of her life was sick much more often than my son who was formula-fed from the start...

Love! Preach it sister! Formula feeding made you a better mom. Plain and simple, that is the experience for a lot of moms.

klone, MSN, RN

14,790 Posts

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
If you could point me to that study it would be greatly appreciated.

Hamdan, A., & Tamim, H. (2012). The Relationship between Postpartum Depression and Breastfeeding. The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 43(3), 243-259. doi:10.2190/pm.43.3.d

Nishioka E., Haruna M., Ota E., et al. A prospective study of the relationship between breastfeeding and postpartum depressive symptoms appearing at 1-5 months after delivery. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2011;133(3):553–559. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2011.04.027

Groër M. W. Differences between exclusive breastfeeders, formula-feeders, and controls: a study of stress, mood, and endocrine variables. Biological Research for Nursing. 2005;7(2):106–117. doi: 10.1177/1099800405280936.

Figueiredo B., Canário C., Field T. Breastfeeding is negatively affected by prenatal depression and reduces postpartum depression. Psychological Medicine. 2014;44(5):927–936. doi: 10.1017/S0033291713001530.

Mezzacappa E. S., Katkin E. S. Breast-feeding is associated with reduced perceived stress and negative mood in mothers. Health Psychology. 2002;21(2):187–193. doi: 10.1037//0278-6133.21.2.187.

Ystrom E. Breastfeeding cessation and symptoms of anxiety and depression: a longitudinal cohort study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2012;12, article 36 doi: 10.1186/1471-2393-12-36.

morte, LPN, LVN

7,015 Posts

note to flowerpower, don't EVER ask klone for citations, unless you REALLY want them. lol

flowerpowerntx

76 Posts

Hamdan, A., & Tamim, H. (2012). The Relationship between Postpartum Depression and Breastfeeding. The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 43(3), 243-259. doi:10.2190/pm.43.3.d

Nishioka E., Haruna M., Ota E., et al. A prospective study of the relationship between breastfeeding and postpartum depressive symptoms appearing at 1-5 months after delivery. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2011;133(3):553–559. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2011.04.027

Groër M. W. Differences between exclusive breastfeeders, formula-feeders, and controls: a study of stress, mood, and endocrine variables. Biological Research for Nursing. 2005;7(2):106–117. doi: 10.1177/1099800405280936.

Figueiredo B., Canário C., Field T. Breastfeeding is negatively affected by prenatal depression and reduces postpartum depression. Psychological Medicine. 2014;44(5):927–936. doi: 10.1017/S0033291713001530.

Mezzacappa E. S., Katkin E. S. Breast-feeding is associated with reduced perceived stress and negative mood in mothers. Health Psychology. 2002;21(2):187–193. doi: 10.1037//0278-6133.21.2.187.

Ystrom E. Breastfeeding cessation and symptoms of anxiety and depression: a longitudinal cohort study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2012;12, article 36 doi: 10.1186/1471-2393-12-36.

Thanks!! Believe it or not, I will be reading these.

Specializes in OB.

Awesome, I'm so glad this dead horse got revived so we can all go back to refuting the literature by inserting our own personal anecdotes as evidence :banghead:

galmeida71

1 Post

Specializes in Maternal Child.

As a postpartum nurse, this is a huge debate in our community. Of course breastfeeding is best and provides the best nutrition and benefits to the baby. According to the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, breastfeeding decreases risk of several conditions such as necrotizing enterocolitis, sudden infant death syndrome, and several different types of infections. There are also longterm benefits such as a lower risk of developing asthma and diabetes (“Breastfeeding”, 2014, p.145). I think most healthcare professionals and people in general could agree that breastfeeding is what is best for the infant, however, all infants and mothers are not alike and I think this “breast is best” movement puts some guilt on those mothers who are not having the ideal breastfeeding experience. As a nurse I make sure to educate my patients on the benefits of breastfeeding over formula feeding, I spend time teaching them breastfeeding techniques, ensure they are seen by a lactation consultant if they are having trouble, but also remind them that the experience of breastfeeding is not the easy and wonderful experience that is sometimes projected to them. Breastfeeding is hard and requires effort and patience and getting to know the baby and their hunger cues and latch techniques. The stress and pressure that society puts on breastfeeding can hinder the breastfeeding process and affect the way a mother’s milk comes in. I find that just as important as educating my patient on the benefits of breastfeeding is supporting the family in however they choose to feed their baby. There are a variety of circumstances that could have a family choose to supplement. These situations include “women with HIV infection, certain substance use disorders, untreated tuberculosis, or who are taking medications contraindicated in breastfeeding” (“Breastfeeding”, 2014, p.146). I have had mothers break down in tears because exclusive breastfeeding was not working for them the way they planned on it and asked me if they are a bad mother for giving the infant formula too early. Education and support is key here because no matter how the newborn is fed, our end goal is to have a healthy baby that can go home with a feeding plan that is comfortable for them that way we can prevent any health issues or readmission into a hospital.

References

Breastfeeding. (2014). Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing, 44(1), 145–150. Retrieved from https://www.jognn.org/article/S0884-2175(15)31769-X/pdf