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Midwife as a lactation adviser
TOMÁNKOVÁ, Veronika
Breastfeeding is the best and, at the same time, the cheapest nutrition for babies. Current trends are in favour of breastfeeding and its support. Support of breastfeeding can be viewed as a preventative way of care, since a mother?s decision against breastfeeding her baby may have material adverse impact on the health of both the baby and the mother. Organisations devoted to support of breastfeeding can be found across the Czech Republic and the whole world. The theoretical part of this paper summarises findings concerning breastfeeding and lactation consultancy.The practical part of it is focused on gathering data from lactation consultants. For the purposes of this paper, I have set 3 objectives and 3 related questions. Objective 1: To map midwifes who provide lactation consultancy in the South Bohemian region. Objective 2: To establish the type of employment relationship under which lactation consultants provide their services. Objective 3: To define specific aspects of a lactation consultant?s job. I have chosen qualitative research as my method and conducted non-standardised interviews consisting of 28 open questions. My research group included 5 midwifes who provide lactation consultancy in the South Bohemian region. The research was performed through March and April 2011. Answers to the questions comprise the output of the research. Research Question 1: Are there enough midwives providing lactation consultancy in the South Bohemian region? Research Question 2: What type of employment relationship do the lactation consultants work under? Research Question 3: What are the specific aspects of a lactation consultant's job? The research questions have been answered. The research indicates that lactation consultants provide this service either as private midwifes or in their free time when off work, whilst employed in hospitals. Lactation consultancy is a specific type of job in that it's fieldwork. I have mapped lactation consultants in the South Bohemian region. 3 of my respondents stated that there was a lack of lactation consultants, however, that, for the time then being, the offer was meeting the demand. Students of midwifery, midwifes, but also nurses who work at hospital puerperium units can find this paper useful. It provides findings which may help to improve this type of work and may be useful for midwives who are interested in providing lactation consultancy.
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Lactation consultants in the District of Jindřichův Hradec
HANTOVÁ, Lucie
The title of thesis is Lactational Consultancy in the district of Jindřichův Hradec and this is also the main topic of the thesis ? the meaning of the term and the general principles of becoming a good consultant in the field of brestfeeding. Lactational consultancy is supported by the lactational league and that is why this organization is mentioned in the thesis; it is an independent and non profit-making organization but it is the most important one in the field of this consultancy. The thesis contains also lactational physiology such as anatomy of breast glands and the influence of human hormones on the glans. It also contains the description of mother´s correct nutrition because it is of the same importance in the lactational period. Further chapters are about breastfeeding ? preparation, advantages both for the infant and the mother, the procedure of the first giving the breast to the infant. The following part of the thesis introduces the breastfeeding technique which describes general principles of giving the breast to the infant. The next chapter is about positions used while breastfeeding. But breastfeeding is not only the matter of advantages, principles and positions while breastfeeding. Therefore there is also chapter about breast care in the lactational period. The thesis describes the correct breast hygiene, care after each breastfeeding and also how to massage the breasts. In the course of breastfeeding many various problems may occur; the most important ones are mentioned in the last part but one of the theoretical section of the thesis. Two objectives were set up at the beginning of the thesis, and two hypotheses. One objective was focussed to the level of acquaintance with lactational consultancy among women, the other on the level interest in the service. Hypothesis No. 1 was that women know about the possibility of lactational consultancy and this hypothesis was well supported in the course of us research; thus the objective was completed successfully. The other hypothesis was that women are interested in using lactationaly consultancy. On the basis of the same principle this hypothesis was supported and the objective No. 2 completed. All the data were archieved by anonymous questionnaires which had been submitted to mothers in lactational period at local gynaecologists in policlinics and to pregnant women attending course preparing for birthgiving. The main objective was collect data for founidng a lactational centre or non-stop telephone line in the district of Jindřichův Hradec where such a service is badly missing.
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