Abstract
Background
Although the benefits of breastfeeding to six months are well-established, only about
half of Australian women succeed. The factors associated with successful breastfeeding
are rarely translated into effective interventions. A new educational and support
program, called the Milky Way program has been demonstrated to be effective in supporting
women to achieve prolonged breastfeeding. In the Milky Way program, breastfeeding
is considered an embodied performance which requires an engaged combination of body,
mind and spirit. This paper aims to explain how the two theories that informed the
program were used to better enable women's long term breastfeeding success.
Method
The theory of self-efficacy is first described as a way to develop women's cognitive
processes to organise and execute the course of actions to breastfeed for a longer
period of time. Birth territory theory is then presented. This theory discusses women
as embodied selves; an essential concept for breastfeeding success. Birth territory
theory also describes the effects of the holistic environment on the woman and explores
the effects of power that is used in the environment. This power can be used integratively
to strengthen the woman's breastfeeding confidence and success or, disintergratively
which reduces her confidence and undermines her success.
Conclusion
Strategies based on self-efficacy theory are helpful, but are not sufficient to promote
breastfeeding to six months. Health educators also need to foster the woman's connection
to, and trust in, her body and her baby's body to breastfeed spontaneously. Being
aware of environmental impacts on how the woman and baby breastfeed; and using one's
own power integratively is crucial to women being able to achieve prolonged breastfeeding.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: July 23, 2015
Accepted:
June 24,
2015
Received in revised form:
June 15,
2015
Received:
February 26,
2015
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
