Presentation Information

Breastfeeding and the Maternal Brain: Lessons From Our Ancestral Past

• Speaker: Miranda Buck , RN, BA, MPhil, IBCLC, PhD
• Presentation Type:
• Duration: 60 Mins
• Credits:

Abstract:

Helping new families make sense of how breastfeeding is established, and what a baby's behaviours mean, is one of the primary roles of Lactation Consultants. Looking back at what life was like for our ancestors can explain what needs to happen to get breastfeeding off to a good start. Recent neurophysiological research has shed light on profound and enduring adaptations of the maternal brain following childbirth. Both the method of birth and infant feeding interact with how a mother's brain adapts to post natal life. Breastfeeding is ancient and the adaptations humans evolved to ensure our survival don't always interact well with modern lives. This talk explores how we can prevent and solve breastfeeding problems by considering how early humans survived.