728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
Get Pregnancy Information
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Breastfeeding Advocacy › The Next Generation

The Next Generation

Passing on the Importance of Breastfeeding

By Teri Brown

Pages:  1  2  3  

Dr. Feldman-Winter says that in studies looking at attitudes and knowledge about breastfeeding among adolescents, it is clear that breastfeeding is a socially learned behavior. Teens who were breastfed themselves have more positive attitudes about breastfeeding than teens thatwere notbreastfed. Teens who have seen breastfeeding, even if they didn't breastfeed themselves, are also more positive in their attitudes about breastfeeding.

"One common negative feeling about breastfeeding shared by adolescents is that breastfeeding should be private and not done in public or in the presence of males," says Dr. Feldman-Winter. "They also [believe] that breastfeeding causes embarrassment. More exposure to breastfeeding, especially in the family context, leads to more positive attitudes and less embarrassment."

Positively Speaking
How we present our attitudes toward breastfeeding is important. By sharing a positive attitude with those around them, women can do their part to pass breastfeeding on to the next generation. "Mothers should discuss breastfeeding as part of the normal daily routine, as though it is not 'different' but rather expected as the optimal form of infant feeding," says Dr. Feldman-Winter. "A mother can say, 'Of course I'm breastfeeding her; it is the best way to keep her healthy.'"

Conversations like this give young people the impression that breastfeeding is not only natural but the best way to nourish a baby. It is also important to share breastfeeding know-how with others. "Breastfeeding knowledge is another important component of infant feeding decisions," says Dr. Feldman-Winter. "Studies have shown that improving knowledge about how to breastfeed leads to more chance of breastfeeding and meeting the intended duration of breastfeeding. If a mother is breastfeeding and shares her experience with her children, they will naturally become more knowledgeable."

Pages:  1  2  3  


Want to see more?