Breastfeeding

Interest and understanding of mindfulness have developed in the context of postpartum and breastfeeding in recent years. Authors agree that breastfeeding is more than a biological act. They adopt a critical lens to the idea of mindfulness and breastfeeding and pose several questions: what does it mean to breastfeed mindfully? Is mindfulness a potential solution to the barriers to breastfeeding such as trauma, pain, social and economic demands, etc.? Are we asking too much of women? In this chapter, the authors present a literature review exploring the impact of mindfulness on the physiology of lactation. They explore present studies from descriptive and clinical trials in this area and identify gaps in the research and critique the research agenda. From this review, inferences are drawn around whether mindfulness is another self-help strategy or another intervention that could serve to make women feel less than adequate. The chapter provides valuable insights into mind-body connections and the physiology of breastfeeding and considers practice-based implications. They suggest strategies for health professionals to promote mindful breastfeeding and also consider whether there are consequences for unmindful breastfeeding. Although mindfulness is a helpful addition to breastfeeding, they call for caution in the promotion of perfection in breastfeeding, this is neither required nor desirable for lactation or parenting – indeed some parents may not want to breastfeed and we must honour their choices and experiences too.