System challenges in the fields of clinical breastfeeding and lactation support (breastfeeding medicine, lactation consultancy)
Rethinking clinical breastfeeding and lactation support
Video 1
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Advances in the field of breastfeeding medicine and lactation consultancy over the past two decades
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What women tell us are the obstacles to breastfeeding success and enjoyment
If we look objectively at the research, the marketing practices of commercial milk formula companies no longer explain why women introduce formula in high income countries.
If breastfeeding is painfree and adequately supports infant growth, the research tells us that parents in high income countries want to give their baby breast milk.
However, clinical breastfeeding support remains a research frontier, due to historical devaluing of this field of women's health. (There's been a global investment in human milk research, informing us of its benefits - but not into clinical interventions.) Until health professionals have research-based clinical skills which are effective in preventing or resolving the problems women face when they try to breastfeed, commercial milk formula companies will continue to benefit.
Below is a talk I gave to The NDC Institute, shortly after I'd given the same talk at the 2025 Convergence of Rebellious Midwives conference, which I refer back to.
Video 2
What are the main obstacles to infants receiving breast milk in high income countries?
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Inadequate investment by government in provision of human milk banks
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Relative lack of research-based interventions for clinical breastfeeding and lactation problems
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Overmedicalisation, paramedicalisation, overtreatment.
In high income countries, these obstacles are the key reasons why infants aren't receiving human milk or are not exclusively human milk fed - again, not the marketing practices of commercial milk formula companies.
Recommended resources
Groundbreaking research is 'cancelled' by single-issue breastfeeding non-profits