Prenatal education or the lack thereof: how it can make or break your breastfeeding experience in Johor
When you found out you were expecting, what was one of the first things you did (after telling your loved ones, of course)?
I bet you it was making an appointment with an obstetrician! In Johor Malaysia, pregnant people are usually seen by an OBGYN. They are the experts on monitoring mother and fetus, and are trained in recognizing rare but serious complications in pregnancy. They do so through an array of tools like measuring your blood pressure, checking your weight gain, scanning your abdomen and others.
But in many other places of the world, this responsibility is taken care of by midwives. Midwives are trained to take care of healthy mothers and babies. They will monitor your and your growing fetus’ health throughout pregnancy with many of the same tools as doctors do. Some midwives even specialise in ultrasound diagnostics. If a risk flags up, they will then refer the mother on to the experts in high risk care, namely obstetricians.
Why is this important? Because through midwifery care, you do not only receive the medical supervision a doctor would also offer. A midwife also provides prenatal education and postpartum support. During a visit with your obstetrician, the focus is usually on the medical aspect of the pregnancy. Very little attention is given to the mental and emotional preparation for birth, and women are expected to take the initiative themselves to find the info they need.
Many expecting women aren’t even aware of the fact that preparing for childbirth and postpartum is in their benefit. Their experience might be negative due to events that easily could have been avoided. Many women end up feeling unsupported. Postpartum depression levels are at an all-time high (one in 5 will experience PPD), and breastfeeding rates plummet. It does not have to be this way.
Research has shown us that women who received antenatal (during pregnancy) education:
have a higher change of exclusively breastfeeding
will breastfeed for longer postpartum
will have a more positive attitude towards breastfeeding
will have lower risk of nipple damage
will feel more confident in their breastfeeding techniques
So in summary, joining classes during pregnancy to educate you on breastfeeding has positive impacts on the initiation, duration, and comfort of your breastfeeding journey.
If you do not live in a place with subsidised midwifery care, like Johor, it might sound daunting to find someone who can teach you all about breastfeeding in a holistic, evidence-based way! Not to fear, as we offer our Holistic Breastfeeding Preparation for expecting couples! If you are unsure if this is the right fit for you, why not join us for a sneak peak on 22 April for a FREE Intro to Breastfeeding Online session? Click here to register for this FREE event!
Sources:
Kehinde, J., O'Donnell, C., & Grealish, A. (2023). The effectiveness of prenatal breastfeeding education on breastfeeding uptake postpartum: A systematic review. Midwifery, 118, 103579. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2022.103579University of Limerick+1Europe PMC+
Zhao, J., Zhao, Y., & Du, M. (2022). Effects of prenatal professional breastfeeding education for the family. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 5510. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-09586-y
Galipeau, R., Baillot, A., Trottier, A., & Lemire, L. (2018). Effectiveness of a prenatal education program on breastfeeding self-efficacy and breastfeeding duration: A prospective cohort study. Journal of Human Lactation, 34(3), 586–595. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334418766698
Lin, S. S., Chien, L. Y., Tai, C. J., & Lee, C. F. (2008). Effectiveness of a prenatal education programme on breastfeeding outcomes in Taiwan. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 17(3), 296–303. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2006.01927.xPubMed
Pitts, A., Faucher, M. A., & Spencer, R. (2015). Incorporating breastfeeding education into prenatal care. Breastfeeding Medicine, 10(2), 118–123. https://doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2014.0034PubMed+1Europe PMC+1
