The importance of breastfeeding for both the mother and the baby should be emphasized more. Breast milk gives the baby essential growth nutrients, hormones, and disease-fighting antibodies. Since breast milk is easy to digest, babies get these nutrients quickly which can help the development of essential organs including the brain.
On the part of the mother, breastfeeding can help to shed the weight gained during the pregnancy journey and snap back to pre-pregnancy weight faster. Studies have shown that breastfeeding can lower the risk of various diseases for the mother including ovarian cancer, breast cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and others.
Although pregnant Black women are often taught these benefits during antenatal classes, many nursing mothers find it hard to initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies beyond six months, which deprives them of these benefits. There is a mammoth of reasons hindering successful breastfeeding. However, studies have shown that the support of a partner can be a game-changer to successful breastfeeding.
What are the barriers to breastfeeding?
The rates of breastfeeding initiation and continuation are lower in Black women compared to every other racial group. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, breastfeeding initiation among Black women is 69.4% while those of white women is around 85.9%. Also, only around 44.7% of Black women continue to breastfeed after 6 months which is far lower than 62% of white women.
Economic pressures, inadequate lactation, structural barriers, systemic racism, and lack of partner support have been identified as the leading factors hindering successful breastfeeding among Black women. Although many countries have laws that protect the rights of women to breastfeed in the workplace, structural barriers often alienate that option.
Economic pressures
Black women have a higher labor participation (60.2%) compared to women of other races. Furthermore, around 70.7% of Black mothers are sole breadwinners. Even when they are not the sole breadwinner, 14.7% are co-breadwinners. Therefore, economic pressures force most of them to return to work soon after birth.
Systemic racism
Black women often settle for jobs with less post-partum benefits and flexibility because of systemic racism. A job without paid antenatal leave makes longer continuation of breastfeeding harder or not possible at all if the organization lacks dedicated breastfeeding rooms—since some women may find public breastfeeding embarrassing.
Lack of partner support
According to a publication by La Leche League International, a partner’s support is the most important factor for breastfeeding success. One study found that breastfeeding mothers were 1.8 times more likely to initiate breastfeeding when fathers got involved.
5 ways a partner can support breastfeeding mothers
The support of a partner can either help a new mother to initiate or prolong their breastfeeding duration. Every burden taken off the shoulders of the mother can be an incentive towards successful breastfeeding. Unsure of how to support your breastfeeding partner? Below are five ways to lend a helping hand.
1. Assist with household chores
In some Black homes, it is an unwritten rule that the man only provides money and other necessities for the home while the woman handles all the household chores from cleaning to cooking, and laundry. Therefore, some men rarely contribute in household chores. However, when men assist with household chores, it gives the mother more time to breastfeed the baby.
2. Positive reinforcement
New mothers may struggle with breastfeeding, just like learning a new skill. Words of encouragement and reassurance can provide a massive moral boost that will help her go through the challenges without feeling defeated. Also, communicating with her will make the process less lonely.
3. Remind her to eat and drink
Staying hydrated is vital to health and to produce breast milk. Postpartum depression and the nagging cries of newborns can take a toll on breastfeeding mothers who may forget to eat or hydrate as often as necessary. Although breastfeeding mothers are not required to make drastic dietary changes, starvation and dehydration can have negative health consequences.
4. Assisting with taking care of the baby
Take the initiative to change the baby’s diapers, taking the baby for a stroll under clement weather, volunteering to feed the baby (if the mother pumps milk into feeding bottles), and cuddling the baby to sleep will give the breastfeeding mother time to rejuvenate and get ready for the next breastfeeding session.
Commenting on subreddit Breastfeeding forum, a user with the handle u/Odd_Aspect_eh said, “I make sure that every session I ca be there for, I will, especially when my wife pumps. Almost immediately, I will clean the pumps so [they’re] ready for the next session, and take our baby to feed. If she’s breastfeeding, I’ll make sure that her snack reservoir is stocked up, and that she has plenty of fluids stocked up as well.”
5. Massage therapy
During breastfeeding, women must sit in one position for a long time. This can hurt their back and other parts of their bodies. Massaging the aching areas can help her relax and make the next breastfeeding session less stressful.
If your partner is struggling with breastfeeding four to six weeks postpartum, consider getting specialist support like the NCT Practitioner Breastfeeding Support Services or WIC Breastfeeding Support.
One of the ways you can learn more about breastfeeding is by finding time to attend breastfeeding classes with your partner. Before the coming of the baby, the partner should research extensively about breastfeeding and how to lend a helping hand. The more you know about breastfeeding, the more you think of ways to support your breastfeeding partners.
For more reading
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK52688
https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/features/breastfeeding-benefits.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK52681
https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat05.pdf
US Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding. Washington, DC, USA: Office of the Surgeon General. 2011.
https://wicbreastfeeding.fns.usda.gov/how-dads-can-support-their-breastfeeding-partner
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