Why Breastfeeding Grief And Trauma Matter

Recognising the emotional impact not breastfeeding can have on women and helping them heal.

When breastfeeding does not go as hoped, mothers often have feelings of loss, sadness, anger, fear, failure, guilt and self-blame. Mothers then say they are heart-broken, crushed, and even devastated. These painful emotions double a mother's risk for postpartum depression. Yet, our healthcare system does not have guidelines in place to help mothers prevent the escalating emotions of Breastfeeding Grief. We have no "plan B" which guides mothers to promote optimal bonding when their breastfeeding goals are not met. And our mental health experts do not understand how to guide mothers in their emotional healing, so mothers can fully enjoy their baby with renewed confidence. Hilary Jacobson, author of "Mother Food: A Breastfeeding Diet Guide with Lactogenic Foods and Herbs" is a holistic breastfeeding specialist and clinical hypnotherapist. Her easy-to-read book "Healing Breastfeeding Grief" contains the essential information mothers need to navigate their way back into a positive sense of self, and an intimate connection and bond with their baby.

The loss of a baby, however it occurs, can be heartbreaking and painful and leave parents in need of support as they grieve. While awareness about baby loss is increasing, the suffering and sadness, isolation and loneliness parents feel is often invisible and it can be hard for them to reach out, and for those around them to know how best to support them. Why Baby Loss Matters explores what happens when families experience baby loss or the end of a pregnancy, drawing on the first-hand experiences of parents who have navigated life and the fourth trimester without their baby, and the vital work of charities and services which offer support. By examining different approaches to coping with the loss of a baby and keeping memories alive, the book offers insight into the ways that families have found the support and peace that they need to continue living after saying goodbye.

Health visitors play a crucial role in supporting mothers who choose to breastfeed and their families. This accessible text enables readers to practise confidently in this vital area, focusing on underpinning knowledge and parent-centred counselling skills, and understanding cultural contexts. Breastfeeding a child improves the lifelong health of a population, and promoting breastfeeding is an important area of public health practice. Breastfeeding for Public Health incorporates the voices of health visitors, mothers and fathers to give insight into common practical challenges faced and suggestions for overcoming or working around them. Presenting up-to-date research, it explores the practical skills needed by health visitors to support mothers with breastfeeding; how to develop the communication skills and self-awareness necessary to build successful and trusting relationships with women and their families; why breastfeeding is so important for babies' and mothers' health and psychological attachment, closeness and long-term mental health; what we know about the content of breastmilk and the positive effect it has on the baby’s gut microbiome, which in turn benefits the infant’s long-term health and helps to protect against non-communicable diseases; the role of the father and grandparents in successfully initiating and sustaining breastfeeding; and how cultural awareness and sensitivity can influence practice for the better. Written by an experienced volunteer and practitioner with decades of experience as a health visitor and breastfeeding counsellor, this text is ideal for students taking Specialist Community and Public Health Nursing courses. It is also an important reference for practising health visitors.

Supporting Sucking Skills in Breastfeeding Infants, Fourth Edition is an essential resource for healthcare professionals working with new breastfeeding families and infants. Using a multidisciplinary approach, it incorporates the latest research on infant sucking and clinical strategies to assist infants with breastfeeding. With an emphasis on skills, it focuses on normal sucking function in addition to difficulties based in anatomical, cardiorespiratory, neurological, or prematurity issues. The Fourth Edition has been extensively updated with new photos throughout and additional information on breastfeeding modifications for infants with structural issues, including micrognathia, orofacial clefts, and torticollis. The contributing authors also reflect on the latest breastfeeding research, including the mechanics of sucking, the normal anatomy of the floor of the mouth, the role of tongue tie in feeding difficulty, as well as strategies to support infants with neurological conditions.

Mayes’ Midwifery is a core text for students in the UK, known and loved for its in-depth approach and its close alignment with curricula and practice in this country. The sixteenth edition has been fully updated by leading midwifery educators Sue Macdonald and Gail Johnson, and input from several new expert contributors ensures this book remains at the cutting edge. The text covers all the main aspects of midwifery in detail, including the various stages of pregnancy, possible complexities around childbirth, and psychological and social considerations related to women’s health. It provides the most recent evidence along with detailed anatomy and physiology information, and how these translate into practice. Packed full of case studies, reflective activities and images, and accompanied by an ancillary website with 600 multiple choice questions and downloadable images, Mayes’ Midwifery makes learning easy for nursing students entering the profession as well as midwives returning to practice and qualified midwives working in different settings in the UK and overseas. Expert contributors include midwifery academics and clinicians, researchers, physiotherapists, neonatal nurse specialists, social scientists and legal experts Learning outcomes and key points to support structured study Reflective activities to apply theory to practice Figures, tables and breakout boxes help navigation and revision Associated online resources with over 600 MCQs, reflective activities, case studies, downloadable image bank to help with essay and assignment preparation Further reading to deepen knowledge and understanding New chapters addressing the issues around being a student midwife and entering the profession More detail about FGM and its legal implications, as well as transgender/binary individuals in pregnancy and childbirth New information on infection and control following from the COVID-19 pandemic Enhanced artwork program

2023 Prose Award Finalist Breastfeeding Doesn’t Need to Suck shows mothers how to navigate their breastfeeding journey while also caring for their mental health. Breastfeeding Doesn’t Need to Suck contains information that you will not find in other breastfeeding books, such as a thorough discussion of breastfeeding’s impact on sleep, safe (and unsafe) bedsharing, and how where babies sleep impacts their mothers’ mental health. This book describes what effective help looks like and gives specific suggestions for partners, grandmothers, and friends who want to help. Mothers will also learn how to navigate healthcare systems that can often undermine breastfeeding and mental health. Postpartum is hard, no matter how you feed your baby. Yet formula companies tell mothers that all of their problems will be solved if only they would switch. It’s not true; these issues will still be there even if mothers stop breastfeeding. These are the five “I”s of new motherhood: idleness, isolation, incompetence, identity, and intensity. If mothers are unprepared for these feelings, they can undermine both her breastfeeding and her mental health. Breastfeeding Doesn’t Need to Suck provides information on common breastfeeding problems, such as nipple pain and low milk supply, while also keeping mothers’ mental health in mind. Breastfeeding, when it’s going well, protects mothers’ mental health. Conversely, breastfeeding problems increase the risk of depression and anxiety. Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett is both a psychologist and an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, with more than 30 years’ experience in both lactation and mental health. Breastfeeding Doesn’t Need to Suck is an evidence-based guide full of practical advice with the goal of helping mothers and babies navigate postpartum and come through it happy, healthy, and securely attached.

This comprehensive and accessible guide provides birth workers and lactation professionals with the skills to help families navigate the emotional and physical challenges of weaning. Using a compassionate, person-centred approach that prioritises the needs of both mother and child, this pioneering resource details the emotional impact of weaning and offers practical guidance and expert advice suitable for professionals and parents alike in order to facilitate complex decision-making processes and set healthy boundaries. Enriched with the voices of parents talking about their individual weaning experiences, this is a much-needed, empathetic approach to the complex journey of weaning.