Breastfeeding Policy in Australia

This document discusses the breastfeeding policy in Australia and its impact on infants and mothers. It explores the benefits of breastfeeding and the challenges faced in achieving breastfeeding goals. The document also highlights the economic, social, and legal frameworks that influence breastfeeding in Australia. The aim and objectives of breastfeeding policy are also discussed, along with the role of the Australian Breastfeeding Association. Overall, this document provides valuable insights into the importance of breastfeeding and the need for supportive policies.

Running Head: BREASTFEEDING POLICY IN AUSTRALIA 1
Breastfeeding Policy in Australia
Student’s Name
Institution

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TABLE OF CONTENT.
1.0 Introduction..............................................................................................................................2
2.0 Policy Analysis.........................................................................................................................5
2.1 Understanding Breastfeeding..............................................................................................5
2.2 Evidence................................................................................................................................6
3.0 Economic, Social and Legal Frameworks.............................................................................7
3.1 Aim:.......................................................................................................................................8
3.2 Objectives:............................................................................................................................8
4.0 International Policy.................................................................................................................9
5.0 Decision Parameters..............................................................................................................10
5.1 Resources............................................................................................................................10
6.0 Alternatives............................................................................................................................11
6.1 To Do Away With the Infant Formula Milk Sample in the Hospitals..........................11
6.1.1 Breastfeeding Education to Midwives.......................................................................11
6.1.2 Lactation Consultants.................................................................................................11
7.0 Lobby Group..........................................................................................................................12
7.1 Women's Electoral Lobby Australia................................................................................12
8.0 Conclusion..............................................................................................................................12

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1.0 Introduction.
Breastfeeding refers to the action of feeding a baby with milk from breast and can also be
defined as the feeding process of the baby milk from women milk. Some importance of
breastfeeding to the infants and mothers are well documented. It’s recommended that women
should breastfeed infants from the first hour of baby’s life to the sixth month. The milk contains
important nutrients that help the baby to fight off bacteria hence breastfeeding is essential to the
baby and the mother (Keesstra, 2016). Breastfeeding also results in environmental and economic
returns to society apart from benefiting the individual infant's and mothers.
The breastfeeding initiation rates in Australia continuous to improve from a rate of 71%
to 81%.Meanwhile, the rates of breastfeeding duration and exclusive are stills below the targets
of Health people 2020 and the recommendations of the World Health Organization. Most of the
families in Australia especially those from low-income households, low color communities, and
the rural region face difficulties in achieving breastfeeding goals. Even though 80% of expectant
women hope to breastfeed, 60% of them fail to reach the breastfeeding goals they wish for
(Keesstra, 2016), and this disparity lowers the need to exercise the collective societal
responsibility in the elimination of barriers to breastfeeding such as the economic barriers,
sociopolitical factors, and difficulties in accessing the health care.
It is essential to breastfeed the infant since it is attached to various benefits to both the
mother and infant since breast milk provides the baby with ideal nutrition to improve their
health. This breast milk has a mix of vitamins, fats, and also the proteins and all that the baby
requires to grow healthily. These come in an easily digestible way as compared to the infant
formula (Hull, 2017). The breast milk is as crucial to the infant as it provides the antibodies that
help the infant body to fight the bacteria and viruses. Those babies who are breastfed for six

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good months without the use of any formula have few respiratory sicknesses, infections in their
ears and the bouts of diarrhea and may not be hospitalized in many instances. Also, the babies
who are well breastfed are likely to have a higher IQ later as they grow (Authaus, 2013). The
physical closeness of the baby and the eye contact make the bond stronger where the baby feels
more secure. It also ensures that the baby gets the right weight and do not become overweight
and also it lowers the risk of the infant being infected with asthma or even allergies.
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of the infant getting diabetes, being obese or even being infected
with cancers; thus it plays a significant role in the prevention of infant death (Daly, 2014).
Breastfeeding also has benefits to the mother where it burns the more fats that help the mother to
loss expectancy weight faster (Authaus, 2013). By releasing the hormone oxytocin, it helps the
women uterus get back to standard size after giving Barth, or the pre-expectancy size hence
reducing uterine bleeding after giving birth. It also helps in lowering the risk of the mother
getting breast cancer, ovarian cancer and also osteoporosis. Breastfeeding saves money and time
since the mother doesn't have to buy and measure the formula, sterilizing the nipples or even
warming the bottles (Hull, 2017). This also gives the mother regular time for relaxing and
bonding with the baby.
The reason for choosing this policy is because breastfeeding policies are so promising in
addressing the disparities in support of breastfeeding. Adoption and the implementing strategies
which support breastfeeding in clinics which goes even to the families in their prenatal and
postnatal care period has been given less attention and focus despite the increased efforts in
improving the practices in maternity care (Authaus, 2013). We are therefore investigating how
the development process of evidence-based breastfeeding policies are supported or affected in
clinics in Australia. Some of the factors hindering the adoption and implementation of the system

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of breastfeeding include the negative perception of breastfeeding policies (Hull, 2017), small
networks for sharing knowledge and devoted resources being limited.
There are elements that facilities the implementation and adoption of breastfeeding
policies and they include: having a positive perception on systems of breastfeeding, adequate
training of the staff and incentives and mandates that externally motivate the mothers (Authaus,
2013). The evaluation of adoption and implementation of Breastfeeding policies in depth offers
valuable insight into the factors that facilitate or hinders the development of these policies. The
clinics are likely to benefit from getting more policy process research, adequate technical and
financial support and also be included in the breastfeeding initiatives since they play an
important role in continuum breastfeeding of care (Hull, 2017). Breastfeeding has an influence in
organizational norms in any healthcare, and it creates a consistent messaging among the
providers and also helps in promoting the relevant knowledge and staff training. These practices
will help families attain their breastfeeding goals by creating a supportive environment for them.
There is still continuous growth of the evidence supporting those policies and other quality care
(Hull, 2017). Those mothers who give birth in hospitals that support at least six steps
implemented are likely to be breastfeeding even at six weeks postpartum.
2.0 Policy Analysis.
2.1 Understanding Breastfeeding.
It is also noted that most of the women want to breastfeed where this has got initiated
with about 80% in the hospitals. However, it also noted that after the initiation of breastfeeding,
many women do not continue to breastfeed their infants for some weeks. Their breastfeeding
decisions are determined by the various factors: psychological, social, demographic and cultural
factors and identifying the important one is very difficult and the mother s will not emphasis on

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each of those factors (Keesstra, 2016). The Center for Public Health Nutrition developed a
framework illustrating the individuals, social and groups level of influence on breastfeeding. It
demonstrates that many factors can influence breastfeeding where the group and societal levels
influence may positively or negatively interact with individual factors such as maternal skills and
knowledge (Hull, 2017).
For the environmental factor, it may influence breastfeeding such that when a mother is
very much willing to breastfeed the infant and plan for it but only to be hindered by the non-
supportive environment in hospitals, thus she decides to stop breastfeeding the baby at an early
stage. Also, lack of support at home or in the society may influence breastfeeding of the baby
even after being discharged from the hospital to continue with breastfeeding at home (Authaus,
2013). Loss of knowledge on breastfeeding leads to a community and a health system where
breastfeeding is not considered as default nutrition sources for the baby. Many women have
babies but have never seen a baby being breastfeed, and this translates to women in Australia
missing knowledge and the confidence that would have helped them see breastfeeding as a usual
way of feeding their babies (Hull, 2017).
2.2 Evidence.
The researchers' location and the policy analysts in the community has a significant
impact on the Australian social policy process relating to how the participation is constrained and
enabled. Various key issues could limit advocacy and the social Justice aspirations for the
community sector (Authaus, 2013). The first one is on demand for the evidence-based policy
which is essential for the community sector to increase the capacity of its research and it is a
crucial driver for the establishment and expansion of research activities. Breastfeeding is
encountered by so many barriers and it’s therefore influenced by social, cultural factors, the

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attitude of the employer and the support given to women breastfeeding at the place of work or
home. It can also be influenced by a short stay in hospitals, skills, and knowledge to support
breastfeeding and health care providers (Edwards, 2014).When a woman stays in hospital for a
short period, the initiation process on breastfeeding may not have been completed and this will
affect the breastfeeding process when they go home. There is need for the women to stay in
hospital until the initiation of breastfeeding is fully done so that to ensure they continue to
breastfeed the babies even after they left hospitals. Lack of skills and knowledge of how to
breastfeed is another barrier that leads to women failing to breastfeed their kids until the end of
the period recommended. There is need for the women to be guided and be given skills on how
to breastfeed and benefits that comes along with the process to them and the babies. Teaching the
women who are breastfeeding plays a crucial role in ensuring that majority of the kids are well
fed and this protects them from various diseases likely to attack babies.
3.0 Economic, Social and Legal Frameworks.
In the economic framework, it may influence the achievement of breastfeeding goals
where mother breastfeeding needs to eat a balanced diet that will ensure they get enough breast
milk. Financial constraints hinder this since they lack money to buy fair diet food and at some
point, the end up stopping breastfeeding the baby due to lack of breast milk. This becomes a
challenge to those women breastfeeding and lack money; hence the Australian government
should come up with an initiative where those women breastfeeding are given balance diet when
they are in hospitals and also when they are discharged. This will enable them to continue
breastfeeding their babies until the required period is over hence reducing the risk of the baby
getting sick of having poor health (Smithers, 2015).

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Social factors also affect breastfeeding by mothers where most of them feel that they
don't have to feed the baby at public. These may be due to many women with kids have not seen
other breastfeeding thus the lack the knowledge and skills on the importance of breastfeeding the
baby (Edwards, 2014). Some are ashamed of breastfeeding their babies and end up stopping the
baby at an early stage thus making the baby vulnerable to diseases and other problems. The
Australian government should start a campaign to educate the mothers with newborn babies and
all those breastfeeding the importance of breastfeeding and monitor how it is done in hospitals.
This will significantly assist in achieving breastfeeding goals and ensuring the health of the
infant and the mothers is in better condition (Sepideh, 2014).
The legal framework influencing Breastfeeding in Australia involves breastfeeding in
public. It the right of the baby to be feed and the mother also have the right to breastfeed the
infant at any place. In society today, most of the people crisis and confront the mother who
breastfeeds in public with the use of illegal rules (Smith & Baker, 2016). This critical comment
affects those breastfeeding, and they get a feeling that they are doing the wrong thing yet they are
not. Others end up even stopping the process and cannot also feed their babies in public. Some of
this controversy of breastfeeding in public may at some point imply that it’s an unnatural act or
even illegal. The main aim and objectives of breastfeeding include:
3.1 Aim:
Breastfeeding aims at contributing to the social and cultural change through promotion on
an environment where breastfeeding is seen as a healthy way of feeding the baby at any place at
any given time.

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3.2 Objectives:
1. Providing better training to the staff and educating them to be able to promote, protect and
support breastfeeding.
2. Supporting the informed choices relating to the feeding of infants.
3. Using the resources that help see breastfeeding as a cultural norm.
4. Providing a welcoming atmosphere for Breastfeeding in families and to also encourage
breastfeeding in public places.
5. Contributing to the promotion of the social, attitude changes relating to breastfeeding.
6. Developing public acceptability and also promoting breastfeeding to enable people to
understand the importance of breastfeeding.
Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) is an organization with over 1100 women
who are volunteer counselors and educators who help in breastfeeding education. It's one of the
recognized bodies to offers information about breastfeeding to the women with the newborn kids
in Australia. It also plays an essential role in advocating for education to the entire community
on the benefits of breastfeeding to mothers and infants (Daly, 2014).
4.0 International Policy.
World Health Organization and UNICEF recommended for the promotion, supporting
and protecting breastfeeding. They define the strategy for feeding g the infants and the young
children, and they describe the maximum feeding of infant as an exclusive breastfeeding from
the period of birth to six months. They also advocate for continued breastfeeding up to the

BREASTFEEDING POLICY IN AUSTRALIA 10
second year and after that introduction of appropriate weaning food in the 6th month (Edwards,
2014).
Baby Friendly Initiative (BFHI) is a primary strategy intended to support breastfeeding
goals. It has been a worldwide campaign providing the directions to most of the healthcare
facilities to always advocate for breastfeeding in maternity health services. Most of those health
facilities that adopt BFHI look for recognition on the basis of compliance with well-defined
practices outlines by the ten steps to ensure successful breastfeeding (Gallegos, 2015). These
global strategies for feeding the infants include BFHI promotion and recommending tools
development and the concepts to help expand the BFHI to the entire community and making a
health care system that is baby friendly such as the clinics, health organizations. By the year
2011, most of the health facilities in the world had received the BFHI accreditation. This policy
advocates for increased training to the midwives and also the nurses to be able to support the
mother to maintain and initiate breastfeeding. This will also help in the implementation of the
BFHI in all health services (Salmon, 2015). There is a need to connect the maternity hospitals
with BFHI accreditation to help promote breastfeeding and educate women the need for
continued breastfeeding. It leads to the release of the NSW breastfeeding policy by the Health
Department with the three similar aims. This policy also advocated for the significant role of the
midwives and nurses to effectively deriver those aims. This policy also includes the following
initiatives to help promote breastfeeding goals in accordance with WHO benchmarks (Tang,
2014).
 Health professionalism training and education.
 Friendly environments for Breastfeeding such as workplace.
 Support breastfeeding in health care facilities.

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 Referral pathways, supporting networks and continuity of care.
 Quality assurance, evidence exploring and effective cost relating to the establishment and
operating the milk banks.
5.0 Decision Parameters.
5.1 Resources.
The government should make the necessary resource available to promote the programs
supporting and promoting breastfeeding .this program will help the women understand the
essence of breastfeeding the infants when they give birth and even after being discharged to go
home until the end of the six months. These will help them know the benefits they get
breastfeeding their infant and also the benefits to the infants (Cox, 2014).
6.0 Alternatives.
6.1 To Do Away With the Infant Formula Milk Sample in the Hospitals.
There was an agreement between the manufacturer of infant formula milk and the
Australian government which reflected on the countries commitment to WHO's code for the sale
of breast milk substitutes (Daly, 2014). This agreement by the name MAIF is voluntary and self-
regulatory which has no legal binding. According to the sixth step of BFHI, the newborn infants
should not be given food or drinks but the breast milk only. To achieve the breastfeeding goals,
there is a need for the government to remove the infant formula milk to ensure that the mother
breastfeeds their babies for the required period (Helps, 2015).
6.1.1 Breastfeeding Education to Midwives.
The education on breastfeeding and professionals has been playing a significant role in
guidelines provision on promoting and supporting breastfeeding. The encouragement offered by

BREASTFEEDING POLICY IN AUSTRALIA 12
health professionals highly determines the success and attainment of breastfeeding goals. There
is a need for the Australian government to encourage and facilitate training and educating the
midwives on how to promote breastfeeding among the mothers to help achieve the breastfeeding
goals in Australia (Xiang, 2016).
6.1.2 Lactation Consultants.
The behaviors characterize the mother to mother support for Breastfeeding in the
previous generations, and it is therefore made obsolete by systems supporting breastfeeding as
one of the expert skills that are passed on by the professions using appropriate credentials (Holla-
Bhar, 2015). The increase in the lactation Consultants in Australia is associated with the
perception that breastfeeding is so challenging and becomes impossible for some women unless
being assisted by profession. The other negativity of Lactation Consultants in most hospitals or
after discharge is that it leads to deskilling and undervaluing of the midwives or the nurses who
usually don't have the Lactation Consultants qualifications (Eastwood, 2016).
7.0 Lobby Group.
7.1 Women's Electoral Lobby Australia.
The Committee shall inquire into and report on how the Commonwealth government can
take a lead role to improve the health of the Australian population through support for
breastfeeding. The Committee shall give particular consideration to the extent of health benefits
of breastfeeding, evaluating the effects of selling of the substitutes of breast milk on
breastfeeding rates in the indigenous communities and set up initiatives to encourage
breastfeeding in the country. It’s also responsible for examining how effective the current
measures are in promoting breastfeeding and the effects of breastfeeding on long term
sustainability of the health system in Australia.

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8.0 Conclusion.
Australia is highly supporting the global target in trying to increase the exclusive
breastfeeding of the infants to the period up to 6 months. Various initiatives have been
implemented to help to promote and support breastfeeding. This has culminated in a more
significant population and assisted in achieving health goals. The majority of the Australian
women initiate breastfeeding, but only a relative number of them can sustain the exclusive
breastfeeding up to the 6th month. It has recently been highlighted that there is a need for an
enabling policy environment such as the labor laws and maternity leave as well as increasing
focus on the community postpartum care. Generally, the future policies and programs that put
more emphasis on supporting sustained breastfeeding and the strategies which can reach the
women in fees days after they left the hospital. There is a need for increased investment in the
structured programs at the community level which have the multifaceted approaches that target
to reform the organizational service delivery and the level of individual behavior. The continued
breastfeeding by the women is highly influenced by various factors such as: the partner, family,
and professional support after they left the hospitals and therefore, efforts are needed to
encourage the women and also those who are close to them.
Another group of women who at the risk of not initiating breastfeeding and sustaining it
are the young women, those women who come from socially disadvantaged backgrounds,
women who smoke and the Aboriginal women. They need a targeted strategy and support when
they are being moved from hospitals to their homes so that they get to understand the benefits of
breastfeeding to their babies and themselves. More strategies need to be implemented in the
health system to help in promoting and supporting breastfeeding and the sole goal of
breastfeeding of the infants until they get to 6 months. It can also be concluded that there is need

BREASTFEEDING POLICY IN AUSTRALIA 14
to always offer massive training to the breastfeeding women and midwives to achieve
breastfeeding goals. These trainings are expected to emphasis on the health benefits to both the
baby and the mother associated six month breastfeeding. The government should facilitate the
education trainings for breastfeeding women and the midwives in hospitals. Women can also be
educated on breastfeeding benefits in newspapers, radio and other media to ensure that they
breastfeed the babies for the required period of six months.

BREASTFEEDING POLICY IN AUSTRALIA 15
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