BREASTFEEDING THE INFANTS
Introduction
Breastfeeding refers to feeding of infants directly from the breast instead of using a bottle. Mothers are required to breast feed their babies for almost six months or more. They should breast feed their babies withouth adding any infant formula or without giving babies solid foods. In addition, mothers are supposed to breast feed babies for almost one year after giving them solid food. The World health organization claims that human breast milk is healthier than other kinds of milk and hence mothers should continue breast feeding their babies. Most mothers find it hard to breast feed their babies because they are not aware of the importance of breast feeding. Lack of access to midwife has made it hard to provide the best care to babies. Midwifes provide an opportunity for mothers who are pregnant to learn more abut breast feeding and breast fed baby. They also initiate breast feeding immediately after birth. In addition, Midwifes help in maternal learning and infant learning during postnatal periods. They also help in the preparation for discharge like providing contacts for community resources.
Discussion
Most researchers argue that midwifes play an important role in breast feeding of infants. First, midwifes help in educating about breastfeeding and their health. This is according to Beldon and crozier (2005).The authors claim that health promotion is important among pregnant mothers. The need for health care services has forced midwives to offer health promotion services to different people in the society. For instance, midwives educate pregnant mothers especially teenagers on health issues and breast feeding. The midwives examine pregnant mothers regularly so to determine their health. Midwifes work together with mothers and family members to determine the kind of care the mothers need. Interacting with family members and the mothers gives the midwives an opportunity to provide education to women. Midwives need to include family members in management of care so as to meet the breastfeeding goals especially among teenagers (Edwins, 2008).
Midwives are required to educate pregnant women in the society about prenatal health. Prenatal care encompasses many things. For example, prenatal care focuses on nutrition and physical activities. In this case, pregnant mothers are informed the importance of having proper diet so as to ensure the baby grows well. Poor diet can affect the development of the baby and lead to complications. In addition, pregnant women are supposed to be educated on the effect of substance abuse like smoking and excessive drinking. Educating mothers on diet helps them make proper decisions as they have enough knowledge. Apart from being taught about diet, pregnant women are taught about the benefits of having regular exercise. They are also taught how to care for their newborn (Edwins, 2008).
Apart from providing prenatal care, midwives educate pregnant women on breast feeding and infant care. Most of the pregnant teenagers are not aware of the benefits associated with breastfeeding. This is because they do not have the right knowledge about breast feeding. This in turn affects the teenagers after birth as they are not able to breast feed their babies as expected. Many researchers have proved that midwives play an important role in training youths. Most of the youngsters are able to meet with midwives before they get pregnant and hence establish attitudes to breast feed. Hence, this makes it easy for the teenage mothers to learn the benefits linked with breast feeding. Breastfeeding has become a major problem in the society as many women are not able to breast feed. This is because of changes in roles in the society. Most of the women in the society have taken up white collar jobs and no longer carry out household duties. This has hindered them from taking proper care of their children. This has in turn affected the health of the children as they do not get proper care.
Most of the mothers use formula feeding to feed their babies. Formula feeding has negative impact on the health of the kids. Most studies have shown that formula feeding has a negative effect on the health of the babies. For example, a study carried out by Jenny Edwin showed that formula feeding leads to increase in rate of diseases among children. The research studied more than 540 children in Dundee. The study was aimed at determining the impact of the formula feeding on children. The researchers collected data related to various diseases like respiratory disease, growth and blood pressure. The participants used in the study were aged 0-7 years. The participants were examined according to the kind of infant feeding and giving of solid food. The results from the study showed that breast feeding led to low deposition of fats.
On the other hand, formula feeding led to deposition of fats. In addition, breastfeeding led to regulation of appetitive. The composition of breast milk cfhanges often and this leads to high fat content as the baby continues to feed. This in turn acts as a physiological message to the baby as the baby learns that she is full. On the other hand, the composition of artificial milk is constant and baby depends on the caregiver to control the amount of milk she feeds and this leads to poor health. The researcher found that midwives help promote health among women who are pregnant and mothers. Mothers have enough information to make decisions that do not affect the mother and her child (Edwins, 2008).
The midwives also promote health among the pregnant women as breastfeeding helps enhance their health. Breastfeeding helps reduce the risk for chronic diseases like breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Women who breast feed regularly reduce the chances of getting cancer by 25% within 24 months of breast feeding. Most of the midwives provide antenatal care to women. Providing antenatal care helps prevent maternal ill health and any injury. In addition, it helps reduce infant mortality and morbidity. The pregnant women are supposed to attend antenatal classes and to visit the hospitals regularly. The antenatal classes help the mothers to learn more about breastfeeding and their health and health of the baby (Edwins, 2008).
Most of the pregnant women are influenced by breast feeding mothers in the society and this leads to anxiety and worry. The mothers find it hard to accept the benefits of breast feeding and this impact the health of the child. Such mothers need enough support so as to be able to realize the advantages of breast feeding. Apart from being influenced by breastfeeding mothers, they are also affected by social and cultural factors. Some societies do not support breastfeeding among mothers. This is because of cultural beliefs and norms in the society. In this case, midwives provide support to the mothers by educating them together with other people in the society about breastfeeding. This helps eliminate barriers that hinder adoption of breastfeeding among the mothers. Other factors that affect breast feeding among mothers are sexual factors. The role of midwives is to support women and help then make the best choice and protect the health of the baby and their health (Edwins, 2008).
The rate of breast feeding is low among poor families and minority groups. This is because minority women and poor women do not get the right resources and support. Most of the women from minority groups are not able to access midwifery services and this prevents them from getting help and making proper decisions. This has resulted to high infant rate among low income earners and minority groups. This was evidenced in a study carried out by Lupton and Whelan (1998). The researchers carried out the study to determine factors that promote breastfeeding among low income earners. Also, the study was carried out to determine factors that hinder successful breastfeeding among low income earners. The factors analyzed included social and environmental factors. They also identified midwifery practice factors. The findings from the study showed that women who breast feed their babies got support from their families and other people. In addition, the women had a partner who encouraged breastfeeding. Also, the women were able to cope with social isolation. Additionally, the researchers noted that babies who were breastfeed regulary had good health and had gained weight. Also, the results from the study showed that women who breastfeed their babies had adequate support from the midwives. For example, they got advice on how to position the baby at the breast. They also had a chance to share their problems with the midwives and get help. Thus, midwives helped solve breastfeeding issues among low income women (Beldon &Crozier, 2005).
Apart from educating pregnant women on breastfeeding, midwives help initiate breastfeeding after delivery. Studies have proved that keeping the baby near the mother’s after delivery is crucial for the baby and mother. Midwives help promote the contact between the mother and baby after birth. Placing the baby and mother close has various advantages. First, keeping the baby and the mother near helps improve the level of interaction between the mother and the child. Also, keeping the child near the mother after delivery helps the baby stay warm and reduce crying among the babies. Moreover, keeping the mother and the child near helps improve the rate of breastfeeding among the babies. For example, it makes babies breast feed for long. The importance of keeping contact was shown in an analysis of 30 researches. The studies used more than 1900 mothers and kids. The findings from the study showed that keeping the baby and mother near after delivery improved the relation between the mothers and babies. It also helped babies breast feeding.
Midwives should encourage all women to keep their babies near whether they want to breast feed their babies or not so as to help the mother and baby achieve the benefits listed above. However, providing contact is not easy for many midwives. This is mainly due to lack of time and cooperation from the mothers and family members. The midwives only offer skin to skin contact for few hours. Also, most of the mothers opt to keep their babies clothed and this hinders them from having skin contact with the babies. This in turn affects the mother and the baby as they do not get the right care (Moore, Anderson &Bergman, 2007).
Further, midwives help in maternal learning and infant learning during postnatal period. The postnatal period starts after birth up to six weeks after birth. The postnatal period is important for most mothers as they move to motherhood. Mothers undergo various changes after birth. For example, they undergo physical changes and psychological changes. Other changes include social changes. Women have different experiences during this time and need different kind of care. The experience the mother has depends on the kind of the baby and the experience she had before getting the baby. It also depends on the amount of support she gets from the family. Most mothers find it difficulty to take care of the baby as it needs a lot of time and commitment. Midwives are important during this time to help the mothers accept their new roles (Carfoot, Wiliamson &Dickson, 2005).
The midwives help identify maternal depression among mothers. Most of the mothers suffer from maternal depression as they are not able to accept their new roles. This in turn leads to stress and depression. Midwives give advice to mothers during this time to prevent maternal depression. The mothers are advised on how to care for their new born babies. This helps redue stress that results from child rearing. Also, the midwives monitor the growth of the child. Majority of the mothers find it hard to offer quality care to their children due to lack of support and effect of depression. This results to death of the babies (Carfoot, Wiliamson &Dickson, 2005).
Additionally, Midwives prepare mothers before releasing them from the hospital. For instance, the midwives provide treatment to the mothers and babies. This helps improve the health of the mother and ensure that the baby and the mother have the right support. Most of the hospitals offer midwifery services to mothers and babies for sometime before discharging them. The care has helped reduce the rate of deaths among new born babies. Most of the new born babies die after birth because of lack of proper treatment incase of complications or diseases. Also, the mothers might have complications during birth or get diseases. In this case, the midwives help the mothers recover well before discharging them. For example, mothers get the right care incase of an operation and hence prevent infections or complications. Apart from preparing the mother and child before discharge, the midwives provide support to the mother before discharging her. This happens if the mother has not prepared well before delivery. Preparing the mother before discharge is vital among low income earners and minority groups as it helps the mothers care for the babies (Wallace, Dunn &Lae, 2006).
They also provide contact for community resources. Most of the women who have given birth are not able to access community resources. For example, the women are not able to access health care facilities in the community and this affects their health as they do not get proper care. Mothers are supposed to get proper care after birth including medical treatment. This is to make it easy to diagnose diseases and offer treatment. Most of the communities do not have health care facilities and this hinders provision of quality care. So, midwives help mothers get care after birth from the nearest facilities. They also help mothers’ access midwifery services after being discharged. Accessing midwife services from the nearest facilities or from the community helps solve issues that affect the mothers. For example, it helps mothers learn how to care for their babies. Apart from helping the mothers access midwife services, it helps them get social support from the community and family members and hence ensure they get proper care (Wallace, Dunn &Lae, 2006).
Conclusion
In conclusion, studies have shown that midwives are important in providing care to pregnant women and mothers after birth. The midwives help promote health among pregnant mothers by advising them on how to eat. They also advise mothers on the risk of abusing substances. Moreover, the midwives educate mothers on beast feeding. They educate them on the benefits of breastfeeding their babies. They also teach them how to position themselves and the babies while breast feeding. In addition, the midwives help in keeping the baby near the mother after birth. They also prepare mothers before discharging them and help them access community resources like health are facilities and midwife services.
References
Edwins,J.(2008).Community Midwifery Practice. John Wiley and Sons
Carfoot,S.,Wiliamson,P.,&Dickson,R.(2005).A randomized controlled trial in the north of England examining the impact of skin to skin contact on breast feeding. Journal of midwifery, vol 21, issue no.1, p71-79
Beldon,A.,&Crozier,S.(2005).Promoting health during pregnancy. The duty of a midwife. Journal of social promotion health, Vol 125, issue no.5, p216-220
Moore,E.R.,Anderson,G.C.,&Bergman,N.(2007).Early skin to skin contact for mothers and their newborn infants. Vol 18, Issue no.3
Wallace,L.M.,Dunn,O.M.,&Lae,S.M.(2006).A randomized controlled trial in England of a postnatal midwifery intervention on breast-feeding duration. Journal of midwifery, Vol 22, issue no 3, p262-73
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