Informative Essay: The Importance Of Breastfeeding

The Importance of Breastfeeding Breastfeeding is the ideal way to nourish newborns providing health benefits for mother and child. Despite the advantages of breastfeeding, less than 40% of mothers around the world breastfeed their children exclusively for the first 6 months of life (Dodt et al., 2015). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends initiation of breastfeeding within an hour of birth, exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life, and continued breastfeeding to at least 2 years of age (Wood, Woods, Blackburn, & Sanders, 2016). While nearly all mothers began breastfeeding their newborns, about half of them stop after trying the first few weeks due to many barriers. For instance, new mothers are worried about their babies’ ability to latch on by the third day of postpartum, while 44% are concerned with breastfeeding pain, and 40% about their capacity to produce enough milk to nourish their infants (Sifferlin, 2013). With lack of knowledge, …show more content…
Expending the effort necessary to provide breastfeeding education is worthwhile on many different levels (Dodt et al., 2015). It encourages mothers to initiate and continue breastfeeding. A study presented that prenatal breastfeeding education by trained lactation experts was associated with significantly increased breastfeeding rates at six months postpartum (Rosen, Krueger, Carney, & Graham, 2008). New mothers are encouraged to attend classes throughout antepartum to gain knowledge on breastfeeding. There is a positive relationship between attending antepartum education (AE) sessions and continuation of breastfeeding for the first month (Artieta-Pinedo, et al., 2013). AE prepares women to cope with physical changes and problems associated with beginning breastfeeding (sore/cracked nipples, engorgement, mastitis, etc.) that may cause mothers to stop breastfeeding in the first few weeks after delivery (Artieta-Pinedo, et al.,