Rosenbauer 1

Madison Rosenbauer

Dean Leonard

English 1201.511

12 March 2020

Literature Review

One of the most important decisions new mothers have to make is whether the best way

to start feeding their child is breastfeeding or being formula fed. What are the advantages of

breastfeeding over formula for the mother and infant? Is breastfeeding feasible for a working

mother? New mothers usually research the topic of feeding their child long before the newborn

arrives. However, many new parents faced with this decision often have trouble deciding which

method they should go with and just feed the way family and friends around them have chosen

because some families believe one way is better or don’t know the benefits of feeding by breast.

The other issue mothers often face is when they go back to work and wonder how breastfeeding

and working are going to work.

One of the main key points in the articles I found is that breastfed babies are healthier. It

is the best route because it reduces morbidity, improves growth and short-term as well as long-

term wellbeing. The American Academy of pediatrics (AAP) and Women’s Health Organization

(WHO) suggests that infants are to be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of their lives.

Along with health benefits there are several other bonus benefits such as, financial benefits, time

efficiency, and builds a strong bond between the mother and child. Public health efforts today

tend to emphasize reduction in the use of formula during the birth hospitalisation in order to

improve breastfeeding rates and duration. Another study shows one of the problems with
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breastfeeding mothers is that one of the most common reasons mothers stop breastfeeding in the

early newborn stage is anxiety over insufficient milk supply.

Despite the well known benefits breast milk provides for mother and child, the rapid

growth of instant formula played a significant role in breastfeeding mothers and the decline of

wet nurses in the nineteenth century. A wet nurse is a woman that breastfeeds an infant that is

not her own. Although the history of wet nursing continues to the present day, it began to decline

in the 1700s, but then again increased in institutions in the late nineteenth century. According to

The Journal of Perinatal Education, the use of artificial feeding substances grew rapidly and was

significantly influenced by advertising campaigns. They state that this had a profound negative

effect on breastfeeding trends. The decline of breastfeeding promoted many movements across

the United States that encouraged and supported mothers to breastfeed. The movements also

generated negative publicity for formula manufacturers.

In the article Barriers and Facilitators for Breastfeeding Among Working Women in the

United States, it states “mothers who work full time tend to breastfeed for shorter intervals than

those who work part time or are unemployed.” I believe that it also has a lot to do with the

behaviors of mothers and if they successfully want to breastfeed and work at the same time.

Women who develop and strategie on how to balance breastfeeding and work often seem to be

easier for them. Mothers reported in the article that time management, planning ahead,

anticipating breastfeeding, or pumping breaks, being flexible and organizing their work load

helped merge breastfeeding and work. Also, a big part of returning to work is talking with your

boss or supervisor prior to returning to work and letting them know that pumping will need to be

done, which helps the mother feel more confident and comfortable returning to work.

Works Cited
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Stevens, Emily E, et al. “A History of Infant Feeding.” Journal of Perinatal Education, vol. 18,

no. 2, Jan. 2009, pp. 32–39., doi:10.1624/105812409x426314.

Johnston, Marina L., and Noreen Esposito. “Barriers and Facilitators for Breastfeeding Among

Working Women in the United States.” Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal

Nursing, vol. 36, no. 1, 2007, pp. 9–20., doi:10.1111/j.1552-6909.2006.00109.x.

Witters-Green, Ruth. “Increasing Breastfeeding Rates in Working Mothers.” Families, Systems,

& Health, vol. 21, no. 4, 2003, pp. 415–434., doi:10.1037/h0089617.

Miracle, D, and V Fredland. “Provider Encouragement of Breastfeeding: Efficacy and Ethics.”

Journal of Midwifery & Womens Health, vol. 52, no. 6, 2007, pp. 545–548.,

doi:10.1016/j.jmwh.2007.08.013.