Breast is Best Discourse and Hegemonic Mothering

Cummins, Molly Wiant

doi:10.1080/1041794x.2020.1769173

Cited by 2 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…Regarding indirect pathways, pressure to breastfeed increased formula feeding exclusivity, which increased guilt and anxiety scores. Feeling greater pressure to breastfeed from one's social support network indoctrinates a moral imperative to exclusively breastfeed (Murphy, 1999 ; Smyth, 2020 ; Wiant Cummins, 2020 ). This uncompromising mentality, permeating breastfeeding promotion (Fallon et al, 2019 ), leaves women reluctant to supplement with formula milk when breastfeeding difficulties are faced, which may otherwise have enabled partial breastfeeding continuation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Impeding conversations about formula milk supplementation reaffirms stigma of its practice being suboptimal (Wiant Cummins, 2020).…”

Section: Recommendation Details Of Study Recommendationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Breastfeeding education, promotion and training resources frequently portray breastfeeding as ‘ natural ’ and indicative of ‘ good mothering ’ (Faircloth, 2017 ; Knaak, 2010 ). Creating such a moral imperative to breastfeed infers formula supplementation to be an inadequate alternative (Wiant Cummins, 2020 ), and increases risk of internalised moral sanctioning (Murphy, 1999 ; Smyth, 2020 ). For women who do not or cannot breastfeed, this leads to ideal‐actual discrepancy, which positively predicts post‐natal guilt, shame, depression and anxiety (Fallon, Groves, et al, 2016 ; Lee, 2021 ; Sonnenburg & Miller, 2021 ; Taylor & Wallace, 2012 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Psychosocial predictors of post‐natal anxiety and depression: Using Structural Equation Modelling to investigate the relationship between pressure to breastfeed, health care professional support, post‐natal guilt and shame, and post‐natal anxiety and depression within an infant feeding context

Jackson,

Fallon,

Harrold

et al. 2023

Maternal & Child Nutrition

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High perceived pressure to breastfeed and poor perceived quality of health care professional support have been associated with early breastfeeding cessation, guilt, and shame. This is problematic because guilt and shame significantly predict post‐natal anxiety and depression. No previous attempts have been made to provide quantitative evidence for relationships mapped between the post‐natal social context, infant feeding method and post‐natal emotional well‐being. The current study aimed to empirically investigate aforementioned pathways. Structural equation modelling was applied to survey data provided online by 876 mothers. Guilt and shame both significantly predicted anxiety and depression. Poor health care professional support and high pressure to breastfeed increased anxiety and depression, and these effects were explained by indirect pathways through increases in guilt and shame. Formula feeding exclusivity was negatively correlated with post‐natal anxiety symptoms. This finding may be explained by feelings of relief associated with observed infant weight gain and being able to share infant feeding responsibilities others e.g., with one's partner. This relationship was counterbalanced by an indirect pathway where greater formula feeding exclusivity positively predicted guilt, which increased post‐natal anxiety score. While guilt acted as mediator of infant feeding method to increase post‐natal depression and anxiety, shame acted independently of infant feeding method. These identified differences provide empirical support for the transferability of general definitions of guilt (i.e., as remorse for having committed a moral transgression) and shame (i.e., internalisation of transgressive remorse to the self), to an infant feeding context. Recommendations for health care practitioners and the maternal social support network are discussed.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Impeding conversations about formula milk supplementation reaffirms stigma of its practice being suboptimal (Wiant Cummins, 2020).…”

Section: Recommendation Details Of Study Recommendationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Psychosocial predictors of post‐natal anxiety and depression: Using Structural Equation Modelling to investigate the relationship between pressure to breastfeed, health care professional support, post‐natal guilt and shame, and post‐natal anxiety and depression within an infant feeding context

Jackson,

Fallon,

Harrold

et al. 2023

Maternal & Child Nutrition

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Its immunological qualities and ability to transfer maternal immunity to infants are the focus of increasing quantities of biomedical research (Palmeira & Carneiro‐Sampaio, 2016 ). Its singular nutritional qualities are habitually contrasted with the lesser qualities of infant formula, as part of the ‘breast is best’ public health campaigns (Bartlett, 2003 ; Wiant Cummins, 2020 ). It is the optimal nourishment for premature infants whose immature digestive tracts are prone to necrotising enterocolitis if fed non‐human milk (Bellodas Sanchez & Kadrofske, 2019 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mothers, milk and mourning: The meanings of breast milk after loss of an infant

Waldby

Noble‐Carr

Carroll

2022

Sociology Health & Illness

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Breast milk is a highly valued substance, immunologically and nutritionally, which also signifies maternal care and love for the infant. This intersection of biological and cultural qualities confers breast milk with complex meanings, which necessarily shape the experience of breastfeeding. Our research, investigating the experience of lactation after the loss of an infant, casts a novel light on these meanings. This article analyses the experience of 17 Australian bereaved mothers and 114 health professionals charged with their care. We find that while all the mothers found post‐loss lactation emotionally painful, many also found redemptive meaning in their milk‐production, as a bond with the lost child, as confirmation of their maternal competence and as a life giving substance that they could donate to other needy infants. These complex meanings and positive connotations were at odds with hospital cultures that regard post‐loss lactation as valueless and best dealt with through medical suppression, despite the more complex insights of individual health‐care professions.

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Breast is Best Discourse and Hegemonic Mothering

Cited by 2 publications

References 1 publication

Psychosocial predictors of post‐natal anxiety and depression: Using Structural Equation Modelling to investigate the relationship between pressure to breastfeed, health care professional support, post‐natal guilt and shame, and post‐natal anxiety and depression within an infant feeding context

Psychosocial predictors of post‐natal anxiety and depression: Using Structural Equation Modelling to investigate the relationship between pressure to breastfeed, health care professional support, post‐natal guilt and shame, and post‐natal anxiety and depression within an infant feeding context

Mothers, milk and mourning: The meanings of breast milk after loss of an infant

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