Sometimes new mothers may be too scared, too worried, or too overwhelmed by social pressures to breastfeed their newborn children. Social pressures can sometimes prioritise the baby’s health at the expense of the mother’s.
With all the pressures on new mothers in the early days of their baby’s lives, many may have been driven away from breastfeeding in recent years. However, some mothers are returning to it and trying their best to breastfeed their infants, realising that it is about more than just nutrition.
Breastfeeding helps with the formation of the newborn child’s microbiome, boosting the immune system, and protecting the infant through other mechanisms of the body. It can also provide psychological comfort and emotional empowerment for both mother and baby as it has been shown that it can strengthen the mother-child bond significantly.
As the first-time mother myself of baby Jasmine, now three months old, I have found that breastfeeding is worth all the sleepless nights, all the nipple pain, all the struggles, and the pull and push of the baby at the breasts. It can lead to a moment of realisation when you are hugging the baby, looking at her closely, and feeling her senses developing in front of your eyes.
It is part of the natural bonding that God has given to your body to ensure your baby’s love, security, and safety.
Breastfeeding calms the baby when he or she is crying, cradles the newborn, and can help the baby fall asleep. Studies show that mothers who breastfeed also get more sleep than formula-feeding mothers. Breast milk contains a hormone called prolactin which helps the body to sleep. It also helps reduce the mother’s stress in the postpartum period.
Even so, many mothers still decide to give up breastfeeding in the early days, believing that bottle feeding is easier and less tiring. They might also give it up if the baby shows any signs of losing weight or unhealthiness.
“Sometimes we overload mothers, saying that you should do this for your baby as if the main importance is the baby and neglecting the mother’s needs and requirements,” said Mennaallat Kellaway, an international breastfeeding consultant. “Whether you breastfeed or bottle feed, you are still the mother.”
Kellaway said that new mothers can try out multiple positions that can make them more comfortable while breastfeeding. There is also the need to support the mother physically and psychologically by providing every assistance she needs. “Some mothers come with multiple breast-feeding problems, while others seek emotional advice,” she commented.
Another advantage of breastfeeding, Kellaway said, is that mothers can lose weight after giving birth because breastfeeding consumes energy. Moreover, breastfeeding protects the baby from allergies and diseases, and it can also protect mothers from certain types of cancers and reduce the risk of chronic diseases like type-2 diabetes and heart diseases.
The decision to breastfeed is usually taken from the time the woman is pregnant. A new mother often delivers with this decision in the mind. “You should plan it beforehand, as the bond is really important,” Kellaway said.
Whether a new mother decides to breastfeed or not, there are three essentials that have to be taken care of right after delivery, according to Kellaway. First, skin-to-skin contact between mother and child is really important in the first few months even if bottle-feeding. “Do not let anyone give the bottle to your infant. It should be carefully given by you, so that you can create this bond between you and your infant,” Kellaway said.
Second, the closeness between a new mother and her baby makes the baby see and feel the mother’s presence. Third, the “bond is also triggered by hugging the baby, which is essential for growth and mental health,” she added.
As US author and family therapist Virginia Satir has said “we need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.” The bond between mother and child is created and reinforced by hugging, helping the baby to feel secure and in peace as he or she lies in the arms of the mother. This bond also reduces the mother’s stress and anxiety.
Despite such factors, all too often new mothers may be driven away from breastfeeding. “Our society puts a lot of pressure on mothers in a way that discourages mothers from breastfeeding, always putting pressure on them and making them anxious and full of worries,” Kellaway said in an interview with Al-Ahram Weekly.
“The social circle around the mother is central for her to progress and to go on with living. That circle must support her, encourage her, and motivate her. It is not only a matter of supporting her while she carries the baby, but also of caring for her with love and wisdom,” she added.
The rapid pace of modern life may also have made breastfeeding difficult for many working mothers in Egypt, especially when society may already push new mothers away from breastfeeding. It can be difficult for working mothers to continue breastfeeding, which is why Kellaway insists that they should prepare for it beforehand.
Kellaway suggests that mothers should start storing their milk for their baby in a refrigerator. “Imagine your breast as a factory; the more your demand, the more the supply,” she added. Even so, Kellaway believes that even if a new mother is breastfeeding her baby consistently, it is still acceptable to add formula milk. “It is not an all or nothing situation,” she said.
Some cultures may blame new mothers for not breastfeeding, and there are many misconceptions in society that overburden mothers. Some families may blame new mothers for not eating properly and therefore not producing enough milk. “One of the enemies of prolactin is cortisol, a hormone which reduces the amount of milk that is produced as a result of stress and pressure,” Kellaway added.
If a mother is in a good environment and can enjoy skin-to-skin contact with her baby, the levels of prolactin will increase. Aunts, grandmothers, sisters, husbands and others can all contribute to creating an environment for the new mother that will help her to breastfeed successfully and make it a family experience.
Nesma Mustafa, a lecturer at the Faculty of Tourism in Alexandria, said she made the decision when she was pregnant to breastfeed after delivery. Even though Mariam, her newborn, was admitted to the hospital nursery for moderate jaundice, Mustafa was keen to go there several times a day to breastfeed Mariam and make skin-to-skin contact.
“From the first eye contact, I wanted my baby to feel her mother’s presence and not to lose the experience of breastfeeding even if my milk was low. My focus was giving her the best nourishment in her early days,” Mustafa said. “Even though Mariam might have formula milk in the hospital, breastfeeding was a priority for me.”
Mustafa also uses formula milk and a pumping unit to increase her milk. “These units are very useful for mothers nowadays,” she said. “When I return to work, I am planning to store my milk for my baby when I am working,” she added.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 24 October, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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