Socially sensitive lactation: Exploring the social context of breastfeeding

Many women report difficulties with breastfeeding and do not maintain the practice for as long as intended. Although psychologists and other researchers have explored some of the difficulties they experience, fuller exploration of the relational contexts in which breastfeeding takes place is warranted to enable more in-depth analysis of the challenges these pose for breastfeeding women. The present paper is based on qualitative data collected from 22 first-time breastfeeding mothers through two phases of interviews and audio-diaries which explored how the participants experienced their relationships with significant others and the wider social context of breastfeeding in the first five weeks postpartum. Using a thematic analysis informed by symbolic interactionism, we develop the overarching theme of ‘Practising socially sensitive lactation’ which captures how participants felt the need to manage tensions between breastfeeding and their perceptions of the needs, expectations and comfort of others. We argue that breastfeeding remains a problematic social act, despite its agreed importance for child health. Whilst acknowledging the limitations of our sample and analytic approach, we suggest ways in which perinatal and public health interventions can take more effective account of the social challenges of breastfeeding in order to facilitate the health and psychological well-being of mothers and their infants

Entwicklung der technologischen Grundlage fuer fortgeschrittene multifunktional Siliziumsysteme Abschlussbericht

For realization of multifunctional systems on the basis of CMOS processes and of the silicon bulk technique a modular process flow including a first-level essembly process has been developed for monolithic integrated mechanical sensors with piezoresistive signal transformation. For this process, from chip-chip- and from wafer-wafer-joining techniques additional moduls have been defined for realization of the 'chip on chip' technology for quasi monolithic multifunctional systems. Developments for the metal surface technique include galvanic processes for gold, nickel, nickel-iron, and copper, the UV lithography process for thick laquer layers (up to 100 #mu#m) and the sacrificial layer process for realization of 3D metal structures. Partial structures for magnetically driven membrane pumps and valves have been realized in a combined silicon bulk and metal surface technique. Additional development activities are directed to the multi-circuit 'Alice', the 1 #mu#m CMOS process and to interfaces between the IC design tools and the finite element simulator ANSYS. (WEN)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: F96B1234+a / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie, Bonn (Germany)DEGerman