Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, Ph.D., IBCLC, FAPA

Public health officials have been sounding the alarm about the “obesity epidemic,” not only in the U.S., but in industrialized nations around the world. In response, breastfeeding is offered as an important preventative measure for both maternal and childhood obesity. Unfortunately, strategies designed to improve breastfeeding rates among women with higher BMIs often backfire and become self-fulfilling prophecies by discouraging heavier women from breastfeeding. Despite these limitations, breastfeeding has an important role to play in obesity prevention. This presentation provides an overview of current research on surprising causes of obesity, such as sleep disorders, psychological trauma, and discrimination and outlines the limitations of current approaches. This session also describes research on the impact of BMI on breastfeeding, and provides practical steps for working with mothers with higher BMIs. 

Healthcare providers and public health officials are increasingly telling mothers not to sleep with their babies. How is this impacting mothers’ behavior? This presentation will show U.S. data from the Survey of Mothers’ Sleep and Fatigue. The survey data provides information on where babies start and finish the night, what mothers are telling their friends, family and healthcare providers, and how they feel about their sleep arrangements. It also addresses the issue of whether the policy of asking mothers to never share a bed with their babies is having an unintended effect. Our findings show that 44% of mothers, in an effort to avoid bed sharing, are sometimes falling asleep with their babies on couches, sofas, and recliners--sleep surfaces that all sleep experts agree are dangerous for babies. This presentation will also consider the policy implications of the AAP 2011 statement of safe infant sleep, and current findings and advice given to new parents.

New mothers are often advised to avoid nighttime breastfeeding in order to prevent postpartum depression. While this advice is well-intended, no one knows if it even works. And it can be quite problematic for breastfeeding mothers to maintain. Using data from the Survey of Mothers’ Sleep and Fatigue, we examine the relationship between feeding method, depression, and maternal fatigue. Consistent with recent studies, our findings reveal that breastfeeding mothers report less fatigue, more and better quality sleep, and lower rates of depression than their formula- or mixed-feeding counterparts. Advising tired new mothers to supplement may well increase their risk of depression. This presentation also summarizes some strategies that can be used to support exhausted new mothers.

Can events from childhood influence a woman’s current mothering experience? Yes, they can. But they don’t have to be the blueprint for the rest of her life. Adverse Childhood Experiences can influence women through five possible pathways: physiological, behavioral, cognitive, social, and emotional. This session provides an overview of the latest research on the effects of childhood abuse; its impact on breastfeeding; how it can affect a woman’s body, mind and spirit; and what she can do to cope.

The negative effects of postpartum depression, on both mother and baby, are too serious to ignore. Fortunately, there are a number of treatments for depression with empirically demonstrated efficacy, including a wide range of non-pharmacologic treatments. Almost all are compatible with breastfeeding. This session summarizes research findings on omega-3s, exercise, bright light therapy, cognitive and interpersonal psychotherapy, St. John’s wort, and antidepressant medications. It also describes the implications of each for breastfeeding.