Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 478 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (881 download)
Book Synopsis A Critical Ethnographic Study of the Cultural Values, Beliefs, and Practices of Recently Immigrated Mexican Primiparas Regarding Infant Feeding with a Focus on Exclusive Breastfeeding by :
Download or read book A Critical Ethnographic Study of the Cultural Values, Beliefs, and Practices of Recently Immigrated Mexican Primiparas Regarding Infant Feeding with a Focus on Exclusive Breastfeeding written by and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 478 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Exclusive breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for infants, providing numerous health benefits. The Hispanic population in the United States has a high breastfeeding initiation rate; however, they also have a high formula supplementation rate by the time the infant reaches three months of age. Recently immigrated primiparas represent an especially vulnerable group since they have limited support systems, have never breastfed, and are experiencing the transitions of immigration and motherhood simultaneously. The aims of this critical ethnographic study were 1) to describe the cultural values, beliefs, and practices of recently immigrated Mexican primiparas surrounding exclusive breastfeeding during the first three months of life; 2) to explore if and how culture, gender, and issues of power and marginalization affect recently immigrated Mexican primiparas' attitudes, beliefs, and practices regarding exclusive breastfeeding; and 3) to gain an understanding of how recently immigrated Mexican primiparas respond to nurses' and healthcare providers' "authoritative knowledge" regarding exclusive breastfeeding, to determine how they sort through this information, and if and how they integrate this information to create new unique understandings of exclusive breastfeeding. The study's findings are drawn from one year of participant observations conducted in a Women, Infants, Children (WIC) program office, as well as a four-month series of three longitudinal interviews with eleven women, and partial interview sets with two women. Findings revealed that WIC has created a culture of exclusive breastfeeding and that WIC is a major source of information for women regarding breastfeeding. Exclusive breastfeeding is a natural choice for Mexican immigrant women and is considered "women's work." As a result of the immigrant transition, women's support systems were altered and they often experienced isolation during the transition to motherhood and the role of providing for their baby by exclusively breastfeeding. Women experienced additional challenges in their goal to exclusively breastfeed as they negotiated issues of modesty as well as returning to work. However, women asserted agency regarding breastfeeding decisions based on the values of providing the best for their baby and the maternal-infant bond, and they valued biomedical information in their decision-making processes."--Abstract.