Breastfeeding Policy in Australia

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

BREASTFEEDING POLICY IN AUSTRALIA 2
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

BREASTFEEDING POLICY IN AUSTRALIA 3
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

BREASTFEEDING POLICY IN AUSTRALIA 4
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