Maori Women's Experiences of Breastfeeding

Abstract

Information regarding the reproductive health of Maori women is currently very limited. This study seeks to contribute to the establishment of a sound knowledge base in this important health area by examining Maori women's breastfeeding experiences in two ways. The first is by attempting to redress the present severe lack of information sources available in this area by documenting the needs and concerns of Maori women as they themselves have identified them in the area of breastfeeding. The second way in which this study seeks to make a contribution is through relating these women's experiences to a wider concern that places Maori health development and Maori health research at the centre. In this way, the study becomes part of a broader picture that recognizes the importance of The Treaty of Waitangi in both a historical context and as a key component for examining contemporary issues in Maori health. Focus groups and individual interviews were used to gather information from women across three reproductive life stages : first time mothers, mothers with more than one child and grandmothers. The study addressed two areas. Those factors that affected women's initial decision to breastfeed, and those factors that influenced the duration of breastfeeding. Health professionals remain as strong influences on women's breastfeeding experiences. This occurs both at a personal level in their individual contacts with women and their families, and in terms of power relations and control, as representatives of the New Zealand health system.