Power to negotiate spatial barriers to breastfeeding in a western context: When motherhood meets poverty

• Published in: Health & place Vol. 24; pp. 250 - 259
• Main Authors: Groleau, Danielle, Sigouin, Catherine, D'souza, Nicole Anne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: 21st century; Adolescent; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Breast Feeding - psychology; Breast-feeding; Breastfeeding; Breasts; Canada; Culture; Empowerment; Environment. Living conditions; Female; Health promotion; Health technology assessment; Humans; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Mothers; Poor; Poverty; Power; Public Facilities; Public health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Public spaces; Qualitative analysis; Qualitative Research; Quebec; Social Control, Informal; Social identity; Social space; Support; Western World; Women; Young Adult; Quebec; Social space; Poverty; Support; Breastfeeding; Empowerment; Space; Parental behavior; Accessibility; Barrier; Breast feeding; Care; Maternal behavior; Autonomy; Social aspect; Power; Public health
• ISSN: 1353-8292; 1873-2054
• DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2013.08.011

Although breastfeeding is beneficial to the health of babies born into poverty, rates have remained consistently low among this group. This paper presents findings from a study conducted with poor French Canadian women, who were exposed to breastfeeding promotion. Analysis of 31 qualitative interviews suggests that the ‘good mother’ imperative in context of poverty and the western hypersexualization of breasts acted as major deterrents to breastfeeding. Poor mothers, lacked access to the power required to negotiate these barriers in their social space. Public health should prioritize the transformation of social and public spaces when promoting breastfeeding to poor mothers.