Question

Culture stigmas on breastfeeding the advantages and benefits and disadvantages

Answer 1

Breast feeding the babies offers many health benefits to the newborn and the mother. But the modern day mothers tend to walk away from breast feeding and prefer bottle feeding as an alternative to breast feeding. The main cultural stigmas associated with breast feeding include :

• New mothers often feel restricted freedom and independence associated with family responsibilities.
• Some mothers return to their job and need to refrain from breast feeding.
• Breast feeding mothers have to give up some habits of her lifestyle.
• The commitments required by breastfeeding and the difficulty to establish successful breastfeeding are regarded as the main threats to mothers freedom and independence.
• Mothers who breastfeed in public places often experience societal embarrassment and perceived social isolation.
• Breastfeeding mothers need to devote so much of their time in feeding baby and feel difficulty in carrying out everyday activities.

The advantages of breast feeding include:

• Breast milk is considererd as the ideal source of nutrients for infants and consist of vitamins, proteins and fats in adequate quantities.
• Breastfeeding reduces the risk of infections, respiratory illnesses and diarrhoea.
• Breast milk contains antibodies and help to boost the immunity of infants.
• Breastfeeding lowers infant's risk of having allergy or asthma.
• Breastfed babies are more likely to gain adequate amount of weight.
• Breastfeeding offers skin to skin contact and eye to eye contact between the mother and infant and help the baby to bond with the mother and feel secure.