3 results
Cultures of breastfeeding: reflections for policy and practice
- Edited by Sally Dowling, University of the West of England, David Pontin, University of South Wales, Kate Boyer, Cardiff University
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- Book:
- Social Experiences of Breastfeeding
- Published by:
- Bristol University Press
- Published online:
- 22 April 2022
- Print publication:
- 05 September 2018, pp 163-168
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- Chapter
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Summary
As an infant feeding specialist in midwifery practice and a university senior lecturer in midwifery, we have had some very interesting discussions about the work presented in this group of chapters. It has become clear to us that what midwifery students learn is heavily influenced by the practice they observe while on clinical placements. This may seem obvious, but from our perspective the pressures that higher education and the NHS face in the current climate of austerity in the UK have resulted in a squeeze on opportunities for dialogue, feedback and reflection between the two sectors, and we feel that this has a potential impact on the quality of student learning.
Brown's chapter (Chapter Seven) explores the challenges of modern parenting in the UK and how these can impact on a mother's infant feeding journey. Brown has an accessible writing style that provides a useful summary of the context in which professional support for infant feeding is provided. This chapter is thought-provoking and valuable to all who seek to understand the complexity of infant feeding in its social context. Our understanding of the impact of prenatal and very early childhood experiences on infant, child and adult wellbeing has developed rapidly over recent years. We have identified the need to consider what student midwives are learning in this area and how to ensure that practising midwives are updated, in order that new knowledge is embedded into practice. We feel that we should be creating opportunities for student midwives to observe a variety of the healthcare professionals that support pregnant women and new mothers, particularly health visitors (UK public health nurses) who provide a mandated service (NHS England, 2016) starting at 28 weeks of pregnancy and continuing into the early postnatal period and beyond for all mothers in England (with similar services provided in other parts of the UK). We feel there is a need for multi-professional education, so that students can develop an enhanced knowledge in relation to breastfeeding, parenting, infant sleep and behaviour.
Brown's discussion on the transition to motherhood led us to reflect on how student midwives learn about this process.
Breastfeeding and emotions: reflections for policy and practice
- Edited by Sally Dowling, University of the West of England, David Pontin, University of South Wales, Kate Boyer, Cardiff University
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- Book:
- Social Experiences of Breastfeeding
- Published by:
- Bristol University Press
- Published online:
- 22 April 2022
- Print publication:
- 05 September 2018, pp 87-94
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- Chapter
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Summary
Introduction
We found a wealth of rich material in these chapters, enough to fuel many conversations and stimulate much reflection. Faced with the constraints of bringing all of this together for one short reflective chapter, we decided to focus on the aspects of the chapters which are the most relevant to the public health outcomes that are the focus of our professional roles, namely, breastfeeding prevalence at six weeks and supporting good perinatal mental health. In particular, we were drawn to the issues of guilt and shame, especially when breastfeeding does not go well, that were discussed by Dawn Leeming and Lisa Smyth (Chapters One and Two). We met to discuss the chapters, and both found that Dawn's insights drawn from the psychological literature helped us make sense of our experience in practice. We’ve shared some of our conversations below:
Sally T: The distinction Dawn makes between shame and guilt was new to me. I had not given it much consideration before hearing her lecture.
Sally J: This distinction was also new to me. Dawn presents a convincing argument for developing awareness of and sensitivity to those who experience internalised and sometimes intense feelings of shame. However, she balances this with a helpful warning about the dangers of not ‘overstating’ the ‘possibility of shame’. It's important not to overgeneralise, particularly when considering population health.
We were both interested in the ideas Dawn identified from the research on how to help new mothers avoid and resist feeling shame. This became a focus of discussion.
Realistic breastfeeding promotion and education
Sally J: The tide is definitely shifting away from public health campaigns that have ‘breast is best’ type messages at the centre, but rather promoting services that support women, some of whom may not find it easy to establish breastfeeding. One local campaign, promoting the message of ‘go with the flow’ was directly inspired by the breastfeeding seminar series. It was intended to challenge the idea of getting your baby into a routine, an idea that in some bestselling books on parenting is synonymous with ‘good mothering’, and to promote responsive feeding and sensitive, attuned baby-led parenting.
Series context: reflection on experiences of attending the seminar series
- Edited by Sally Dowling, University of the West of England, David Pontin, University of South Wales, Kate Boyer, Cardiff University
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- Book:
- Social Experiences of Breastfeeding
- Published by:
- Bristol University Press
- Published online:
- 22 April 2022
- Print publication:
- 05 September 2018, pp 245-250
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- Chapter
- Export citation
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Summary
Attending the seminar series was a unique experience in which a range of participants from the fields of academia, practice and policy were brought together with the intention of creating the opportunity for ‘collaborative knowledge creation’. I was interested to explore the extent to which the vehicle of the seminar series fulfilled this ambition and how the seminars were experienced by the range of attendees. In this short chapter I will share what I have discovered.
First, let's consider why bringing people together from different perspectives might be worthwhile. What do we imagine the value of collaborative knowledge creation would be? Since the early 1990s, an evidence-based medical approach to healthcare provision has been advocating for the greater use of research in clinical practice (De Brun, 2013). Evidence-based practice is seen as a marker of good-quality, effective health services, and is increasingly valued in the voluntary world too (Breastfeeding Network, 2016; NCT, 2017).
Alongside this, there has been a parallel move towards evidence-based policy (Parliament UK, 2011) which supports giving significant weight to research evidence as policies are shaped. In addition, academics who carry out this research are increasingly aware of the importance of being able to demonstrate ‘user value’, and the impact of research on the economy and society, which in the UK is reported via the Research Excellence Framework (Research Excellence Framework, 2014). However, embedding research into practice and policy in a meaningful way presents many challenges. As practitioners the evidence about the things that challenge us is not necessarily available to us and it sometimes seems that nobody is studying the things we have questions about. Policy makers are not always aware of the research that could inform policy. Researchers don't always understand what practitioners or policy makers struggle with, or do not have funding to study these areas. Buse et al (2005) use the concept of two communities (university researchers and government officials) to describe this set of challenges. This seminar series started from the premise of three communities: academics, policy makers and practitioners. There appears to be a consensus that there is a need for more dialogue and closer working.