Another factor that must be considered when deciding which side of the fence to stand on is a mothers milk supply. An article from MayoClinic suggests that there are many reasons a mothers milk supply can decrease; one of the reasons is from not nursing enough. If an infant is exclusively breastfed then they must be fed on demand otherwise a mother runs the risk of having an insufficient milk supply. This should be taken into great consideration when a person sees a mother breastfeeding in public. It is unfair to the infant for a stranger to impose a mother to stop feeding just because they are uncomfortable; not only is this demanding letting an infant be hungry until the mother is in an "appropriate"place, but a mother is also at risk of a low milk supply due to a skipped feeding.
August is National Breastfeeding Awareness month. I think that it is extremely important of making benefits of breastfeeding common knowledge in the U.S.
Below is a picture I found on Wordpress that summarizes many benefits an infant receives when breasted.
Sources Used:
Daly, Alison, et al. "Benefits, Barriers And Enablers Of Breastfeeding: Factor Analysis Of Population Perceptions In Western Australia." Plos ONE 9.2 (2014): 1-10. Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 Mar. 2016
Hi Crystal,
ReplyDeleteI think your blog is very interesting and empowering for mothers. I believe your blog will help mothers stand up for their rights of breastfeeding, and bring awareness to those who don’t know how helpful breastfeeding is to a child. I have learned a lot from your blog. Before reading your blog I had no idea that there was even a month for breastfeeding awareness, now I know that it is August. I love that you added the picture that summarizes the benefits an infant receives when breastfed. I hope your blog helps people understand why mothers breastfeed, and helps them to be more supportive of breastfeeding.
Amanda Roach
Crystal, Im impressed with your passion for this topic. As a male, it's a subject I know very little about. It is very interesting to learn that it not only helps the baby thrive, but helps the mother retain the ability to breastfeed. I too had no idea that August was an awareness moth for the topic. It is very clear that more education about the topic needs to be spread. The chart you added was a great touch, and helped me learn the many benefits of breastfeeding for a baby.
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