Page 4510 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 31 October 2018
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women may not be able to breastfeed. Of course, all mothers should be supported in that decision if that is the decision they need to make. I reflect on the fact that we are all descended from people who were able to breastfeed. Up until about the 1900s, basically there was no alternative available apart from breastfeeding human babies. Breastfeeding was not always possible. There was a hell of lot of infant mortality too.
It is very important that breastfeeding is well supported and encouraged. But despite good support and encouragement, for some women it is not something that can happen. If you can breastfeed, it has been well demonstrated to reduce the incidence of postnatal depression, due partly to the hormones released in the bonding that comes with the experience. But people who have not been able to do it have noted their feeling of inadequacy arising from not being able to do what is largely a normal, natural and wonderful thing to do.
No matter what situation a mother and baby find themselves in, it is important to acknowledge the important and largely voluntary work of the Australian Breastfeeding Association, Post and Ante Natal Depression Support and Information—better known as PANDSI in the ACT—the Canberra and Region Multiple Birth Association and the other community associations that support parents, and in particular mothers, in their transition into parenthood not only with feeding but also with the other health and development issues, including social and emotional wellbeing. I also acknowledge the ACT government’s wonderful health services, such as the maternal and child health nurses and, of course, the QEII Family Centre that quite a few years ago moved out to Woden, in my electorate.
Breastfeeding is strongly supported locally and internationally by the World Health Organisation and UNICEF. The benefits of breastfeeding and breastmilk are well established. They include improved immunity, better nutrition, better appetite regulation and protection from obesity, through to better social and cognitive development. Yet the Australian national breastfeeding strategy consultation draft released earlier this year reports that while the majority of Australian women intend to breastfeed their babies and that 96 per cent initiate breastfeeding after birth, which is great, only a small proportion—between 15 per cent and 25 per cent—continue with exclusive breastfeeding to around six months.
Clearly, there is an issue here and we need to do more to encourage and support women to breastfeed. The draft strategy also shows that there are lower rates of breastfeeding for women who are first-time mothers and women who deliver via caesarean section. I applaud Mrs Jones for her dedication in her circumstances. I also note what she said about the fact that it was not her first baby; so she actually knew how to prepare in advance. Most of us would not even think about those issues before giving birth. You obviously hope that all will go well and that you will be successfully breastfeeding a very short period of time after giving birth. Luckily, for most women that does happen.
However, we are talking about a significant minority of women and babies for whom that natural process does not just happen. That includes preterm births and babies with low birth weights. Lower than average breastfeeding success rates are also identified for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and culturally and linguistically
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