“Increasing exposure through the media and making sure that it’s encouraged in cafes and things like that would take the individual responsibility away from the mums a little bit more.”
Leanne shares her academic journey and research interests, particularly focusing on perinatal mental health and infant feeding. She reflects on her initial naivety about breastfeeding, highlighting how her experiences as a midwifery service volunteer exposed her to the struggles of women facing breastfeeding difficulties.
This led her to investigate the emotional and societal challenges surrounding infant feeding, particularly breastfeeding.
Throughout the conversation, Leanne emphasises the need for nuanced, empathetic support for breastfeeding mothers and critiques the rigid, one-size-fits-all approach that often fails to address the complex realities women face.
"It seems to be this very sensitive balancing act between wanting to promote breastfeeding, which is healthy for baby and for mom... but by the same rule not doing that at the expense of women's health, autonomy, comfort, voice, safety."
00:00 Introduction to the Holding Time Podcast
00:27 Leanne's Academic Journey and Research Focus
01:15 Challenges and Insights in Breastfeeding Support
08:06 The Baby Friendly Initiative and Its Impact
13:55 Behavioral Change Theories in Health Research
19:26 Personal Experiences and Broader Implications
28:30 Future Directions and Concluding Thoughts
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