Breast_Is_the_Best__What_If_That's_Not_an_Option_

Breast is the Best: What if that’s Not an Option' There is plenty of information in circulation that addresses the debate between a mother breastfeeding and the use of formula. For some new mothers, even mothers’ having a child other than their first, breastfeeding is truly not a feasible possibility. There are several variables that can affect whether or not a mother has the choice of whether or not to nurse their child. Some of the factors could be due to physical or emotional issues with the mother or it could be an issue with the child. One of the potential ailments that could keep a woman from breastfeeding is surgery on her breast. There are multiple types of operations that could affect the ability to breastfeed, such as a breast reduction or breast implants. The problem occurs when an injury occurs to the supply of nerves that connect to an individual’s back. (Ministry) Conversely the same affliction is possible when the operation is performed on the person’s back with the same chance of injury to the nerves leading to the breast. Another condition that could lead to the inability to nurse is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. The result of this condition is the mother having a low supply of breast milk. Low supply issues can also be caused by other hormone deficient situations such as thyroid disease. (Ministry) Sometimes the physical ailments don’t render the woman unable to breastfeed, but may limit whether or not she is advised to breastfeed. An example of this would be a mother that is HIV positive. Another case would be if a mother is undergoing chemotherapy or receiving radiation. In the case of chemotherapy and radiation, it is viewed as more a potentially temporary situation that may allow the individual to breastfeed in the future. One very important factor that would cause a doctor to advocate against breastfeeding is using drugs of addiction, such as a prescription given for depression. In this situation the drug can be passed to the child through the breast milk which could be fatal to the newborn. There are also complications that can arise with the newborn that will prevent the baby from being able to breastfeed. One condition that can be a common setback is thrush. Thrush is a yeast infection that can produce painful white patches in the infant’s mouth which generally leads to the infant refusing to breastfeed. (Kaneshiro) Another obstacle to being able to nurse your newborn is the child’s inability to latch on to his mother’s breast. There are situations where it could be the fault of the mother and other times where it could be inability on behalf of the infant. One of the most common issues is improper positioning of the baby by the mother. The newborn may be at an angle that prevents them from being able to gather enough of the breast into their mouth. Another instance may be that the mother is sitting in an undesirable position which causes the child to be uncomfortable. There are also cases where an individual is doing all the things necessary to give their baby an optimum setting to nurse, but the newborn hasn’t learned the necessary skills to breastfeed properly. (Sirot) While breastfeeding your newborn child can easily be described as ideal form of feeding; it may not always be as simple as give birth and then breastfeed. Inability to breastfeed does not equate to an inability to be a parent. Remembering that you’re not the only person in this situation is the key to overcoming this problem. Works Cited Kaneshiro M.D., Neil K., and David Zieve M.D. "Overcoming breastfeeding problems: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia." National Library of Medicine - National Institutes of Health. 2 Aug. 2009. Web. 7 Feb. 2010. . Sirot, Amy. "Nursing Roadblocks: Latching Problems." Parents - Pregnancy, Babies, Baby Names, Pregnancy Calendar, Ovulation, Birth & More. American Baby, Dec. 2004. Web. 7 Feb. 2010. . "When not to breastfeed - Questions and Answers - Breastfeeding." Ministry of Health, New Zealand. 31 July 2008. Web. 6 Feb. 2010. .