For this blog, I chose the topic of Breastfeeding. I do not have children of my own yet so I have never experienced breastfeeding personally, but I am aware of the views of breastfeeding in the United States. I believe that breastfeeding is important for both mother and baby. Breastfeeding connects the mother and baby and helps the bond between them grow stronger. It is beneficial for the baby physically, emotionally, and mentally. I researched breastfeeding in Japan. After World War II, Japanese women were forced to give birth in hospitals, and their newborns were kept in a nursery and given formula. The concept of breastfeeding began to fade. Today, most Japanese women give birth in hospitals and are discharged to go home within a week. Instead of going to their own homes the woman goes to her parent's home and the woman's mother helps her with the baby. Because of the previous history of breastfeeding in Japan, the grandmother's do not know how to breastfeed and therefore cannot help her daughter learn to breastfeed. In the last 35 years, Japan has begun to support breastfeeding, and has Baby-Friendly hospitals and board certified lactation consultants. Learning about how a different culture views breastfeeding has been interesting. In the future, in the daycare that I plan to open I am going to offer breastfeeding resources and make it an environment that welcomes breastfeeding.
Payne, Cynthia D.,(2003). Japenese Culture and Breastfeeding. New Beginnings, 20,5. Retrieved from http://www.lalecheleague.org/nb/nbsepoct03p181.html
Hi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post this week. Great to hear how Japan is supporting breastfeeding by providing baby friendly hospitals and offering lactation consultants. After years out of baby business and getting back in to it a few years ago, I was fortunate to have a lactation consultant visit and check on me each day, that was so beneficial and her support really helped. I know it would be resourceful and help with your day care facility as well.
Good Post! It was very informative. I have one child that is 11 and i never breast fed him. Now that I have one on the way I am thinking about the possibilities of breastfeeding because I learned that it is more beneficial from the baby. Thank you for sharing your research on Japan. It helped me to understand the relationship between a few of my Japenese friends and their mother when they had their children. They had such a wonderful support group.
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