Breastfeeding is a complex process. Medical experts define it as something natural, which is reinforced by the public discourse. According to the currently applicable medical discourse, breastfeeding is the best way to feed a new-born, as it is the only way for the mother to take enough care of their child. Bottle-feeding is understood and interpreted as an emergency solution. All infant-feeding methods and related aspects are associated with and focused on the mother. If the mother’s practice does not comply with the public view on breastfeeding, she may feel unpleasant, but her well-being and actions in this case are not known and not publicly discussed.
Public discourse is a volatile category, and public discourse arguments affect the mother and, consequently, their child. Because mothers view breastfeeding as an ideal method of infant-feeding, they persist on doing it, but as a result, children’s needs may not be met. In addition to the said (currently applicable) medical public discourse, there are other discourses that address breastfeeding as a limiting factor for women and support bottle-feeding.
The decision on the infant-feeding method depends on numerous factors. According to research, breastfeeding is a skill that women acquire. Mothers who are unable or unwilling to breastfeed for a variety of reasons may find themselves in distress because of the prevailing discourse. For this reason, support and assistance in dealing with problems are very important.
This master’s thesis analyses breastfeeding experience of mothers who perceived their breastfeeding as unsuccessful. The theoretical part first describes the history of breastfeeding, as the current attitude towards breastfeeding stems from it, the extent of support provided to mothers and public view on breastfeeding. The following chapters study other views on breastfeeding: sociological, with different opinions about breastfeeding, economic, ecologic and religious.
The empirical part presents results of eleven interviews conducted with mothers who perceived their breastfeeding experience as unsuccessful. Their common message is that they perceive themselves as bad mothers for not having breastfed their child even though it was not their fault. They define their experience as unsuccessful even though each of them had spent a lot of time learning, expending considerable effort, trying to find a way to take care of the child, self-sacrificing and putting in hard work for the benefit of the child at their own expense. Based on the interviews, we can deduct that the mothers trust medicine, which in turn does not offer correct information in this field, so the mothers have to look for information (the quality of which is questionable) online and in Facebook groups.
This thesis describes an area where social pedagogues can open the space for discussion and the possibility to accept the different without identifying the better or the worse. We can also help mothers cope with their feelings in the event of new motherhood and its challenges.
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