Skip to main content icon/video/no-internet
icon backReturn to Entries

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding refers to the act of providing mothers' milk to infants for the purpose of nutrition. The most widely accepted definition of breastfeeding seems to accept infants/children extracting milk through sucking at their mothers' breasts for the health benefit of the infant and mother. The act of a woman expressing milk from her breast with the intention of feeding her infant is referred to as breast milk fed, according to Le Leche League International. Understanding breastfeeding history, biology, research, policies, resources, potential problems, treatments, and environmental supports is beneficial to gaining a full understanding of breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding History, Research, and Policy

Breastfeeding can be traced back to the earliest societies where breastmilk was the only way to nourish infants, as is the case with other mammals. Breast-milk is produced during pregnancy. The baby's sucking stimulates the release of hormones (prolactin and oxytocin), which lead to breastmilk “coming in” and “letting down,” respectively, three to seven days after birth. The milk is moved from the milk gland into the milk ducts and into the nipple, where is sucked into the baby's mouth. Until the milk comes in, babies will receive colostrum, which is low in fat but high in carbohydrates, protein, and antibodies. It is extremely easy to digest and an excellent first food for babies.

Breastmilk is the perfect first food for babies, as it contains the precise levels of water, sugar, fat, and nutrients babies need.

None

Current research and policy exist to support the importance of breastfeeding for the health of infants and their mothers. The World Health Organization (WHO), the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians recommend that women breastfeed for at least one year (with exclusive breastfeeding for at least 6 months) to provide their babies with the best source of nutrition and antibodies to protect them from colds and infections. Breastmilk is easy for babies to digest, and it contains the perfect amounts of fat, sugar, water, and protein needed for growth and development. Studies have shown that breastfed children have slightly higher IQs than formula-fed children, as well as lower rates of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), type 1 and 2 diabetes, asthma, high cholesterol, overweight, and obesity. For new mothers, breastfeeding can help reduce the risk of certain breast and ovarian cancers, increase weight loss of pregnancy pounds, shrink the uterus (thus lessening bleeding), delay the return of ovulation and menstrual cycles, reduce the risk of hip fractures and osteoporosis after menopause, and provide opportunities for bonding and relaxation.

Breastfeeding Techniques

How to breastfeed and express breastmilk involve many preferences of the mother and baby. There are several recommended positions (such as the cradle or football hold); schedules (alternating breasts during a feeding or one breast for a feeding, or alternating each time); and length of breastfeeding episodes (for example, 20 minutes or as long as the baby wants). Further, expressing breastmilk can be performed by baby-only, the hand, handheld manual pump, electric handheld pump, or institutional-grade electric pump. Among the many possible preferences, time and comfort may be the most common criteria among women.

...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles

Read next

More like this

Sage Recommends

We found other relevant content for you on other Sage platforms.

close

Have you created a personal profile? Login or create a profile so that you can save clips, playlists and searches

close
close
close Signed In to profile You are signed in as:
close
Logged in Institution Institution