Hi, my name is Andrea Baker and I am a junior in the nursing
> program at the University of North Dakota. Over the last three
> weeks or so I have been on LACTNET, reading the posts and
> responses.
> My interest is breastfeeding among teenager mothers.
> I am seeking information on how often teenage mothers chose
> breastfeeding. I worked with a teenage mother this semester and
> she chose to bottle-feed. I wonder if she would have made another
> choice if there were an intervention from a lactation consultant.
> Do you agree that this is an issue that could be addressed more
> thoroughly? Most of the information I have come across deals with
> the teenager's present stage of development and how they perceive
> body image as more important than bonding with their newborn. Also
> the way social and physical factors play a role on their decision
> to nurse (O'Connor,1999).
> What I have found relates to the stage of adolescence they going
> through. Many teens rationalize having a baby as having someone to
> love them unconditionally; something they may not be getting out
> of a relationship they are experiencing at this time in their
> lives. They are still building their self-identity separate from
> family (Lindsay, 2000), and this may pose even greater
> challenges for them, than older moms. Breastfeeding may appear to
> be an impossible challenge for some of these teen moms.
> In the animal world if a mammal is mature enough to produce
> offspring, she will also be mature enough to produce milk to feed
> that offspring (Berg & Jaramillo, 2000). So it makes sense that a
> teen can breastfeed.
> My next thought goes toward teens that are trying to finish
> school. How can they manage breastfeeding, while being at school?
> It looks as if we need to focus on preparing them to believe in
> breastfeeding.But, no matter how much advance planning the young
> parent does, she will probably be surprised at how much effort and
> time is required of her, after the birth of her baby (Lindsay, 2000).
> I also wondered how much of your clientele are teenage mothers?
> Thank you in advance for all your help.
> [log in to unmask]
>
> Berg,T.,& Jaramillo,Y.(2000). Teens and breastfeeding
> at new futures school. International Journal of Childbirth
> Education, 15, 11-13.
>
> Lindsay,J.W.(2000).Teen parents: Straddling the worlds
> of adolescence and parenthood. International
Journal of Childbirth Education,15, 5-9.
>
> O'Connor,M.L.(1999). Black teenagers get less
> encouragement to nurse and breastfeed less than other young
> mothers. Family Planning Perspectives, 31, 46-48.
>
>
>
>
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