Motherly®’s Post

#DidYouKnow that the lactation challenges faced by resident physicians were investigated in a national survey? This study sheds light on critical issues: only 21% of residents have access to usable lactation rooms, 60% lack a place to store breast milk, 73% feel their residency limits lactation, and 37% stop breastfeeding before their goal. Shockingly, 40% report feeling guilt from faculty and co-residents for breastfeeding. 😢 See the newest AMWA Position Paper titled "The Rights of Physicians and Future Physicians who are Lactating, Breastfeeding or Chestfeeding" to learn more about AMWA's stance on this important topic. These findings underscore the urgent need for change in supporting breastfeeding residents. Let's unite to raise awareness, advocate for better facilities, and cultivate an environment that empowers parents. 💪✨Join us in supporting the rights of physicians and future physicians who are lactating, breastfeeding, or chestfeeding. Together, we can break barriers and create a more inclusive and supportive healthcare environment. 💙 Learn more about our mission and how you can contribute via the link in our bio or bit.ly/amwa-getf. #BreastfeedingRights #SupportPhysicians #MedicalEquality #LactationSupport #PhysicianWellness #InclusiveHealthcare #ParentingInMedicine #BreakingBarriers #EqualityInMedicine #MedicineForAll #SupportBreastfeeding #PhysicianAdvocacy #FutureOfHealthcare #ResidencyLife #GenderEquityNow #EqualityForAll #MedicalEducation #TrailblazingWomen #BreastfeedingInMedicine #MedicalMoms #NursingRights #MaternalHealth #ParentingChallenges #PhysicianAdvocacy #EqualityInHealthcare #WorkplaceInclusion #BreakingTheStigma #WorkingMomsMatter #HealthcareChange #MedicalResearch #MomsInMedicine Source: "Lactation challenges of resident physicians - results of a national survey." BMC Pregnancy Childbirth.

At Presque our aim is to democratize the parenting experience for all.

It’s back on! Breastfeeding (including breastmilk via direct breast-feeding or breast pumping) is a vital part of enhancing the well-being of all babies, especially those who are sick in the #nicu. But the rates for breastfeeding in Black families are disproportionate: ➡️Black infants have the lowest breastfeeding initiation rates of any racial group in the United States, at 74.1% compared to the national average of 83.2%. ➡️In hospitals with higher percentages of Black residents, less than half of infants in the NICU receive mother’s own breast milk. ➡️In hospitals with higher percentages of Black residents, 38% report that no infants in the NICU receive donor breast milk. Black families are less likely to be asked if they want to breastfeed due to bias and there is also the lack of consistent lactation support and community in many areas. Join me and @nurse2nnp Tammi Boswell, a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, on this Wednesday, September 4, at 6:30 PM EST on Facebook for a LIVE discussion on breaking down barriers to empower Black families and enhance breastfeeding success in the NICU. We’ll explore the challenges, share strategies, and provide the support you need to thrive on this journey. Don’t miss it! Live on my Facebook. #EmpoweredBlackFamilies #BreastfeedingInTheNICU #NICUStrong #BlackBreastfeeding #nicuawarenessmonth #SupportAndSucceed #NICUMoms #BreakingBarriers #nicumom #nicubaby

NPWH is recognizing World Breastfeeding Week. This year’s theme is “Nourish, Sustain, Thrive. “ The National Association of Women’s Health Nurse Practitioners (NPWH) is raising awareness for disparities in breastfeeding – a crucial part of women’s healthcare. According to the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding, a lack of paid maternity leave is a major barrier to breastfeeding – especially for working mothers with lower incomes who are forced to return to work during their postpartum. Breastfed infants have a lower risk of developing many illnesses, including asthma, type 1 diabetes, ear infections, stomach bugs and sudden infant death syndrome. It also supports the birthing mother/individual to reduce the risk of postpartum depression and help mother recover faster from delivery. In addition, it is lower in cost and helps establish bonding between parent and child. Everyone deserves secure, quality breastfeeding and postpartum support. NPWH stands with women and backs the certified women’s health practitioners who provide it. By advocating for paid family and medical leave and advising new mothers to take postpartum leave to breastfeed if they’re able to, we can reconstruct the disparities surrounding lactation and build up standards for equitable care. Use your own voice to contact your local government and urge them to increase breastfeeding funding by visiting bit.ly/contactyourgovt. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/ejpw78iC. #WBW2024 #BreastfeedingSupportForAll #ClosingTheGap

Factors impacting on inequalities at the structural level include a lack of effective national policy on infant and young child feeding, urban- rural divide, socioeconomic status. During times of emergency, the influx of breastmilk substitutes (BMS) aggravated by a lack of a comprehensive infant feeding policy in emergencies disrupts breastfeeding. Learn more 👉 https://lnkd.in/eds-h-Z Here are the solutions and actions that you can advocate for to push back against these structural inequalities: 1. Ensure parents have access to free comprehensive and accurate information about breastfeeding through different channels throughout the antenatal, perinatal and postnatal period. 2. Include breastfeeding education in school curricula 3. Advocate for coordination of breastfeeding on a national level 4. Monitor and identify gaps in IYCF policies and programmes at national level using existing tools 5. Implement and monitor national Codes of marketing of breastmilk substitutes with sanctions when violations occur 6. Advocate for national Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) policy to be implemented in each country 7. Implement national policies that promote flexible and familyfriendly workplaces to support breastfeeding 8. Create emergency policies that are supportive of breastfeeding and sound IYCF practices

In some places, people are aware of the maternal health crisis and are proposing plans to combat poor perinatal outcomes. For example, Governor Kathy Hochul introduced a bill one month ago in NY with six measures to improve maternal and infant health outcomes in the perinatal period. The great news is that THREE of these measures will likely benefit breastfeeding rates as well because these factors are known to protect breastfeeding. These factors are: 1. Paid prenatal leave to enable folks to attend prenatal appointments. (Suboptimal prenatal care is associated with poor breastfeeding outcomes). 2. Expanding doula care. (Doula care is known to improve breastfeeding outcomes.) 3. A new initiative to reduce cesarean deliveries. (It is widely known that lactation can be negatively impacted by cesarean delivery in several ways. Reducing unnecessary cesareans will help to eliminate this and the potential downstream effects for anyone who can avoid a cesarean.) Thank you, Governor Hochul, for getting the ball rolling and helping to protect maternal health, infant health, and breastfeeding. Hopefully, other states will follow. To learn more about protecting breastfeeding, read Protecting Your Potential for Breastfeeding by Kelly M. Durbin, IBCLC. #lactation #breastfeeding #infanthealth #maternalhealth #protectbreastfeeding #ibclc #governorhochul

One of the most popular studies from the Journal of Perinatal Education sheds light on the invaluable role of birth and postpartum doulas in supporting breastfeeding initiation and duration. Here's what you need to know: 🔍 Despite receiving modest lactation-specific education, doulas significantly enhance the breastfeeding care provided by healthcare professionals. Their support is invaluable in promoting successful breastfeeding initiation both in hospital settings and beyond. 👶 Doulas offer crucial prenatal and intrapartum support, empowering mothers to begin their breastfeeding journey with confidence and support. 🤝 Their unique role reinforces the vital connection between maternal and infant health, highlighting the holistic approach necessary for optimal outcomes. ⏳ While more research is needed to understand the full extent of doulas' impact on breastfeeding duration, their undeniable influence on initiation is clear. Read the study: https://bit.ly/3SLoLjP #DoulaSupport #BreastfeedingJourney #MaternalHealth

Virtual breastfeeding support has been proven to help families meet their breastfeeding goals. In fact, 87% of SimpliFed patients are still breastfeeding after 3 months as compared to the national average of 47%. However, Black women are still much less likely to meet breastfeeding goals due to racial barriers outside their control. This #blackmaternalhealthweek learn how virtual lactation support can help improve outcomes for Black families. https://lnkd.in/gvZkRxYQ #BMHW24

We are proud to release a new module within the Safe Delivery App to support healthcare professionals in low-resource settings in providing quality care for mothers and newborns in the first six weeks after birth.  Among other critical topics, the new module on postnatal care includes guidance on how to provide breastfeeding counselling, recognize danger signs for complications, and support the parents in providing newborn care. The postnatal period is a critical time to support healthy development of the baby as well as the mother’s overall mental and physical recovery and wellbeing. However, according to WHO more than 3 in 10 women do not receive postnatal care after giving birth and in low-resource areas, the number of women not receiving postnatal care are often even higher.  With the new module on postnatal care, we continue to broaden the scope of the Safe Delivery App from basic emergency obstetric and newborn care to also including preventive services. So far, the App and the accompanying programme has breached +400,000 healthcare professionals across more than 70 countries. Read the press release here: https://bit.ly/4c9N2Ji

A Northwestern Medicine study shows the positive impact Paid Family and Medical Leave programs have on the health and wellbeing of mothers and newborns. States with comprehensive leave policies see longer breastfeeding and fewer postpartum depression symptoms in new mothers, nurturing both mental and physical wellbeing. Discover how Paid Family Leave helps create strong foundations for new families. Read the full article here: https://ow.ly/EyIX50Qwt4U #StrengtheningFamilies #Parenthood #PaidFamilyLeave