Breast Feeding in Midwifery - Term Paper Example

Name: Course: Tutor: Date: Abstract. Up to now, no national or international definition of breastfeeding appears anywhere in the works of scientists despite its great importance. Breast milk serves as an excellent source of nutrients and antibodies for the baby’s health. Breast-feeding has several benefits to both the mother and more so to the baby. Nevertheless, the subject of breast-feeding has various disadvantages mostly to the mothers in some areas. Midwives also have a role to play in breast-feeding. This essay tries to look at some of the advantages, disadvantage, and the roles midwives play in breast-feeding. Advantages of Breast-feeding From traditional communities, to clinicians, midwives and World’s international health organizations, they are various appeals for breast-feeding due to its advantages. For example, recently the World Health Organizations (WHO) recommended that breastfeeding to be done continuously and exclusively for six months after the birth of infants without giving infants any fluid, water, or solid foods, after that with the supplementary foods, infants should be breastfed for two years and more. This elaborates clearly that breast-feeding holds an important role to infants and mothers. The directive by WHO has taken its roots in United Kingdom but still phases a challenge of implementation in United States. First breast-feeding has health benefits to the child due to uniqueness of breast milk (Royal Women's Hospital, 2004). Breast milk contains nutrients and antibodies that increase the immune system of the infant thereby protecting the child from contracting diseases (Cassie C. Rowe, 2012). Other foods cannot contain the nutrients found in the breast milk. Due to these, health benefits from breast milk it is therefore important for the developing Nations affected by malnutrition and perennial disease to carry out breast-feeding to the latter. Secondly, one of the most important substances found in the breast milk called colostrums plays a very important role in preventing renal overload during the period the baby adjusts fluid balance. By this prevention, the child development takes place in a healthy way. Breast-feeding is also very important in preventing some ailments or diseases like Diarrhea and respiratory tract infections of various kinds that can attack the child during the early periods of infancy. In summary, the breast milk in itself is a medicine for the young child at the same most natural balanced diet for the infant (Royal Women's Hospital, 2004). Apart from the young child benefiting from the breast-feeding, the mother also benefits a great deal, both in long run and short run. Researchers conducted show that breast-feeding benefits the mother by promoting uterine contractions and decreases the rates of blood loss from the mother. Hormone called oxytocin produced by the suckling baby during the periods of breast-feeding also benefits the mother by preventing engrossment (Alliet S, 2002). Breastfeeding also helps the mother in reducing the fracture of the hipbone, at the sometime calcium supplementation increases a great deal during the times of breast-feeding (Niece, 2005). Breast-feeding helps in reduction of the risks of getting Premenopausal breast cancers by the breastfeeding mother. Since cancer is one of the greatest threats Worldwide, breastfeeding therefore plays an important role in reducing it women. During the period of breastfeeding, suppression of ovulation process occurs. This means that that the mother cannot get pregnant easily while breastfeeding compared to a woman who does not breastfeed. During the period of breastfeeding, the mother gets time to associate and interact with the child thereby creating a strong bond between the mother and the child. Breast-feeding plays a very important role also in economy due to its convenience and cost effectiveness. The milk comes from the mother without the purchase thereby reducing the cost of buying food materials for the young child. This can be very beneficial to the developing countries with high rates of poverty levels and various cases of infant malnutrition. Breastfeeding therefore prevents deaths in such areas. Disadvantages of breast-feeding Even though breastfeeding greatly provides important benefits to both the mother and the child, it cannot miss to have some disadvantages or dangers to the same mother and the child. Clinical problems encountered during breastfeeding include breast nipple pains. This particular problem happens to the mother by experiencing sores around the nipples. Another danger encountered during breastfeeding involves poor milk supply in the mothers system. In addition to these problems, early infant weight loss happens during the period of breastfeeding. In addition, some cases reported from various researches show that during the period of breastfeeding severing the milk ducts do happen. Damage to the nerves of areola area also takes place. The mother exposes herself into breast engorgement as she breastfeeds though it does not happen to all mothers involved in breast-feeding. Cases of Hypoglycemia also occur during the period of breastfeeding. Another danger of breastfeeding occurs during the time the mother is exposed to pathogens as she breastfeeds the baby. These pathogens include bacteria and viruses. The mother can therefore contract diseases. In addition, during the entire period, the mother experiences stress and fatigue hence reduce the mother’s resistance in general. Poor maternal health especially anemia also becomes a problem during breastfeeding. HIV aids are also one of the greatest problems in breastfeeding. The child exposes herself to a risk of acquiring the disease from the infected mother by 14%. Many cares employed in such cases cannot apply to everyone especially the poor in the developing Nations. Ignorance by some mothers and lack of proper education on the issues of HIV Aids during the periods before birth and after birth contribute to the same problem. Some women do not deliver in hospitals but at homes under the guidance of traditional midwives thereby contributing to this problem (Worlsworth, 2003). When this happens, the child starts breastfeeding straightaway without the test for HIV viruses there by exposing the child to the AIDS disease. From these explanations, it is explicitly clear that breastfeeding has many benefits but it can never lack disadvantages. Benefits most importantly goes to the child who is breastfed, the mother on the other hand does not remain behind without benefiting both in her health and in long-term protection against dangerous disease like breast cancer. Roles of Midwifery In UK, around 98% of women birth takes place in Hospitals (Dykes, 2005). This shows clearly that they deliver under the directions of health worker under a setting- postnatal ward. It therefore means that their breastfeeding procedure occur under the directions of midwives or a clinician. Midwives therefore have various roles to play in breastfeeding and their part becomes impossible to assume because of its significance in this topic. Midwives interact with women during childbearing years. This includes preconception and postpartum periods (Raisler, 2000). They therefore determine many issues concerning the feeding mechanisms and procedures to be followed as the child starts life. The advices received become useful to decide whether to breastfeed or not. Women trust so much the information received from the midwives, this happens due to the experience they have. It becomes very easy to decide on which method to use in infant feeding after getting the clarification from the midwives. This shows that midwives play an important role in breastfeeding. During the period of pregnancy and even after delivery, there are various supports from midwives given to women. These extra supports from midwives increase their desire to breastfeed. Since the midwives give these supports, it shows how they play an important role in this subject. There are also various literature and attentions given to midwives concerning the issue of infant feeding thereby determining a great deal the decision for them to breastfeed or not. Emotional support is very crucial during pregnancy and childbearing periods, midwives become instrumental in providing such supports to women. This is very healthy and beneficial to breastfeeding mothers. They are provided with cool and relaxed environments where they are counseled and encouraged on the issues of breastfeeding (Stamp & Crowther, 1984). Even though the services benefit women a great deal, in some researchers conducted it shows that some midwives do not perform their duties to the later. Some midwives do not even give time to women to air their problems. Consultations also sometimes hurried in a way that it never benefits the women who need assistance. In conclusion, breast-feeding is a natural remedy for many problems and ailments to the infants. It is acts as the most important source for the nutrients for the infant, the mother also benefits from the same activity. However, it has various dangers that it exposes to the child and the mother. Midwives on the other hand plays an important role in breast feeding but if they take time and perform their duty to their best, breast-feeding can benefit the child and the mother a greater deal. Reference Alliet S, W. E. (2002). Breast-feedingn after reduction mammaplasty perfomed during adolecence. Breast-feeding , 32. Cassie C. Rowe, K. P. (2012). Benefits of Breast-feeding. Florida: Univerasity of Florida. Niece, N. I. (2005). Understanding Nice guidance information for people, considering the procedure for their baby and for the public. (Tongue tie) for Breast-feeding. , 6. Dykes, F. (2005). Midwifery. London: Elsevier Limited. Raisler, J. (2000). Against the odds: breastfeeding experiences of low income mothers. Journal of Midwifery and Women’s. London: Oxford Press. Stamp, G., & Crowther, C. (1984). Womens Views of their postnatal care by midwives at an Adelaide Women’s hospital. Journal of Midwifery , 24-56. Worlsworth, S. (2003). Time management strategies in nursing Practice. Journal of Advanced Nursing , 23-45. Royal Women's Hospital. (2004).Breastfeeding: Best Practice Guidelines. Melbourne: Royal Women's Hospital Contributor Read More