The Journal of Human Lactation podcast #4 discusses an article titled "Associations Between Breastfeeding, Maternal Emotional Availability, and Infant–Mother Attachment: The Role of Coparenting.”
This study explores the relationship between breastfeeding duration, maternal emotional availability, and infant–mother attachment, with a focus on the moderating role of coparenting quality. The authors found that breastfeeding positively influences maternal emotional availability and attachment, but this effect is only significant in families where coparenting quality is perceived as low.
In supportive coparenting relationships, breastfeeding duration did not have the same impact on attachment outcomes, suggesting that good coparenting serves as a protective factor.
We discuss how breastfeeding and coparenting interact to shape maternal-infant dynamics and speak about the need for future research on diverse definitions of breastfeeding, hormonal influences, and modern family structures.
Link to the article, full text available for 6 weeks after podcast publication: Associations Between Breastfeeding, Maternal Emotional Availability, and Infant–Mother Attachment: The Role of Coparenting
Authors: Christine Youngwon Kim, MS, Nicole P. Smith, BS, Douglas M. Teti, PhD
Full bios for all authors of the study available at JHL’s podcast page
Kim CY, Smith NP, Teti DM. Associations Between Breastfeeding, Maternal Emotional Availability, and Infant–Mother Attachment: The Role of Coparenting. Journal of Human Lactation. 2024;40(3):455-463. doi:10.1177/08903344241247207
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