Breastfeeding and Health

Breastfeeding, either by the mother or other women, has been the main way of feeding infants for most of human history. Only recently has bottle feeding become an option to feed newborns. Further, in the last decades, women's decisions regarding maternity, birth control, and nursing have evolved without precedent. Social norms, including gender norms, have had a key role in these changes and the decision to breastfeed.Breastfeeding not only has a nutritional function but is a fundamental area of socialization. In this chapter we cover what breastfeeding means from a biological and cultural perspective; how breastfeeding, being exclusive to women, is influenced by gender (ie, by the conformity that women have with feminine gender stereotypes); how gender and health are important during pregnancy; and how they relate to decision making on feeding methods. Lastly, we propose some guidelines for the psychological intervention in the health context.