Breastfeeding and Lactation Management, Essay Example

I have had the privilege of having very close family members throughout their breastfeeding period, i.e. the first one to two years. Their experience was largely one of mixed emotions and opinions. While they enjoyed the breastfeeding time with their infant, as it developed the relationship between mother and infant, there are instances where the experience was unpleasant and somewhat painful. The experiences with close family members have strongly influenced and cemented my position, one of pro-exclusive breastfeeding for the first 12 to 24 months after birth.

The information from the two papers is crucial in setting the threshold for breastfeeding, proposed and supported by the health ministry. This information can be employed in developing a lactation management program for post-natal care. Within the perinatal unit, nurses can use this information in implementing an educational program to enhance their knowledge and skills for lactation management as compared to pre-test knowledge assist with increasing exclusive breastfeeding rates of postpartum mothers during their stay in hospital.

In the article “Breastfeeding during the first year promotes satiety responsiveness in children aged 18–24 months” authors Brown and Lee highlight the benefits of breastfeeding newborns in the first year. During this time, newborns receive exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, after which, weaning is achieved through different techniques such as using pacifiers (Brown and Lee). The study found that children who received exclusive breastfeeding within the first 6 months after birth and gradual weaning within the first year were found to have better satiety responsiveness (Brown and Lee).

This article is crucial in setting the foundation of a possible lactation management program. The article also shed light on the inherent benefits exclusive breastfeeding within the first 6 months. This has significantly developed my understanding of the importance of the process of breastfeeding, especially within the first year.

In conclusion, there is an inherent need for the development of an education program to improve the rate of lactation for newborns within the first month of birth. The perinatal unit nurses are crucial for ensuring an effective mother-child relationship. They achieve this by providing essential information on the best practices to enhance infant survival and growth within the first month of live birth.

Works Cited

Brown, Amy and Michelle Lee. “Breastfeeding during the first year promotes satiety responsiveness in children aged 18–24 months.” Pediatric Obesity 7.5 (2012): 382-390. Print.