title: The new paradigm for depression in new mothers: current findings on maternal depression, breastfeeding and resiliency across the lifespan.
abstract: The results from these recent studies demonstrate that breastfeeding has a much larger role to play in maintaining physical and mental health than we have previously believed. It's not just the milk. Because breastfeeding increases maternal responsivity, it makes the day-to-day experience of mothering more tolerable. It increases the chances that the babies will be securely attached and will not have their stress and inflammatory response systems chronically up-regulated. Breastfeeding is so much more than just a method of feeding. It's a way of caring for a baby that will provide a lifetime's worth of good health because it provides a way for mothers to connect with their babies, even if they did not experience that kind of care themselves. In short, breastfeeding can make the world a happier and healthier place, one mother and baby at a time.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kendall-Tackett
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000523:psychology*; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009769:Object Attachment; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology*; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D020377:Self Efficacy