Guidelines Dietary - Eat For Health

• Other benefits for mothers: Additional maternal benefits may include:––promotion of maternal recovery from childbirth through accelerated uterine involution and reduced riskof haemorrhage (thus reducing maternal mortality) 912––accelerated weight loss and return to pre-pregnancy body weight 879,896––reduced risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer 905––reduced risk of ovarian cancer 905––improved bone mineralisation and thereby decreased risk of post-menopausal hip fracture. 913,9144.3 Practical considerations: encourage, support andpromote breastfeedingInformation relevant to infants and pregnant and breastfeeding women can be found in other chapters of theseGuidelines under the ‘Practical considerations’ sub-headings. Further information can also be found in the InfantFeeding Guidelines. 3514.3.1 Breastfeeding initiation and durationIt is estimated that in Australia, 96% of mothers initiate breastfeeding and approximately 50% continue to offersome breast milk at 6 months. 887,915,916 Few infants are exclusively breastfed until 6 months. 33 However, reliablenational data on breastfeeding duration rates are difficult to obtain for several reasons, including inconsistentuse of definitions of breastfeeding and different methods in studies. 877,917Early interactionMothers should have skin-to-skin contact with their babies soon after birth and for as long as they wish, wherepossible. 888 Most mothers remain close to their infants and ‘rooming-in’ 24 hours a day is the usual practicein most Australian hospitals to facilitate frequent mother and child contact. 918 Additional infant feeds are rarelyneeded and may interfere with establishment of breastfeeding.Young mothersBreastfeeding initiation and duration rates are below recommended levels among adolescent mothers. 33 Specificbreastfeeding education programs in the US, United Kingdom (UK) and Australia have been somewhat effective inincreasing breastfeeding initiation in adolescent mothers. 919,920 Adolescent mothers identify emotional and networksupport as well as self-esteem as being crucial to breastfeeding success. 919Women and paid workThe workplace and parental leave environment has an important impact on breastfeeding rates. The relationshipbetween returning to work and breastfeeding for mothers in Australia is complex, with other interplaying factors,such as maternal and family characteristics, having an impact on the decision to breastfeed. 873 There is probableevidence that intention to work or return to paid employment is negatively associated with both the initiationand duration of breastfeeding. 921,922 Women who are not employed full-time, 922 are self-employed or have flexibleworking hours are more likely to breastfeed for 6 months. Using only parental childcare has a positive associationwith continuation of breastfeeding. 921 Where mothers are separated from their infants, they may continuebreastfeeding whenever they are together. Continuation of any breastfeeding is of benefit to mother and infant.Guideline 4Encourage, support and promote breastfeedingNational Health and Medical Research Council93