1. The Stigma Behind Breastfeeding
What prevents women from wanting to breastfeed their child?
How does this highlight sexism?
By: Meghan Montgomery

2. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for two years after birth. Yet, many U.S. women stop breastfeeding after 6 months, and many never breastfeed at all. Why?

3. The Benefits of Breastfeeding vs. Formula
Lower rates of infection in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts.
Helps prevent against Celiac Disease.
Helps prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Lowers the baby’s chances of being obese or getting diabetes.
For one month increases the baby’s cognitive abilities.
Fosters a relationship between the mother and child.
The Benefits of Breastfeeding vs. Formula
Many women have been falsely led to believe that breastfeeding has no real benefit. Research shows that this idea is untrue and can potentially affect the baby.

4. Common Barriers that Affect the Rate of Breastfeeding in the U. S
Common Barriers that Affect the Rate of Breastfeeding in the U.S. and Highlight Sexism

5. Lack of Knowledge, Age and Level of Education/SES
-Lack of Education: affects primarily Black women, there is a lack in information these mothers receive about post-natal care and breastfeeding, breastfeeding rates are 16% lower with black mothers compared to white mothers.
-Lack of Knowledge: many women lack proper knowledge about the positive aspects of breastfeeding
-Socio Economic Status: Early baby formula ads showed feeding a baby with formula as something “elite and sophisticated”, led mothers to think that breastfeeding was only for low income mothers.
-A Mother’s Age: older women are less likely to breastfeed

6. Poor Social Support and Lactation Problems
-Social Support: Women with friends who have breastfed are more likely to breastfeed their own child, father has a huge influence on whether a mother breastfeeds because they may worry about their own connection to the child.
-Only 43% of U.S. adults believe that women should have the right to breastfeed in public.
-Lactation Problems: many women face sore nipples, leaking milk, pain and redness, and engorged breasts. Lack of confidence in breastfeeding techniques or belief that there is an insufficient milk supply
-Lactation Consultants can remedy all of these problems, this
resource should be more advertised and widely used

7. Societal Norms, Embarrassment, Employment Barriers
-BIGGEST FACTOR THAT PREVENTS WOMEN FROM BREASTFEEDING: LACK OF ABILITY TO BREASTFEED IN PUBLIC.
-Societal Norms: bottle feeding is viewed as the “normal” way of feeding, American culture paints women’s breasts as sexual objects
-Embarrassment: closely related to disapproval of public breastfeeding, negative view of public breastfeeding attributed to unfamiliarity, societal body norms, sexist attitudes and hypersexualization of breasts, the shaming some women receive for this is enough to stop them from breastfeeding completely.
-Public Breastfeeding is often seen as indecent and perverse, can be punished in 21 states under public exposure laws.
-Employment Barriers: not having enough maternity leave, not having breastfeeding areas, lactation rooms at work are placed in closets and some women are forced to pump in the bathroom, employers do not work to support lactating women

8. Possible Aids to Encourage Breastfeeding
-Signs in the windows of public places that indicate a breastfeeding friendly premise
-More widespread dissemination of information about the positive effects of breastfeeding for both mother and baby.
-Easier access to lactation consultants.
-Breastfeeding Coalition Campaign

9. Breastfeeding in Social Media
“Negative portrayals by the media and in our own communities have a profound effect on the initiation and continuance of breastfeeding.” -NIH