NAME ______
N331 Case Study #3: Lactation
Sarah Tonin is a 40-year-old woman who is due to deliver her first child any day now. She is married and her husband is very excited and supportive about the new addition to their family. She has worked full-time throughout her pregnancy, but plans to take some time off after the baby is born. She is excited about the time off but worried about finances without her income.
Sarah has not made a firm decision about feeding her baby yet, but she is leaning toward bottle-feeding because she has heard about many negative aspects of breastfeeding. She has heard that it is a lot of work and can be very painful. Also, Sarah’s sister told her that it is much harder to tell when to feed a breast-fed baby and if they are getting enough.
Sarah is 5'8" tall and weighed 151 pounds before her pregnancy. She has gained 35#. Sarah has been taking a prenatal multivitamin supplement and following her doctor’s advice for good nutrition throughout her pregnancy. Sarah says she is anxious about losing the 35# and plans to go on a weight reduction diet as soon as she delivers. She also plans to stop the prenatal vitamin supplement at that time.
1. What benefits of breast-feeding for her baby can you inform Sarah about? What about benefits to herself? Will breastfeeding be likely to reduce Sarah's risk for breast and ovarian cancers?
2. Can you give Sarah any financial advice related to breast-feeding?
3. What can you tell Sarah about the causes and duration of pain during breast-feeding?
4. What can you tell Sarah about knowing when to feed her baby if she chooses to breast-feed? How would she be able to tell if the baby is getting enough milk?
5. Sarah is concerned about staying home from work long enough to make breastfeeding worthwhile. What can you tell her?
6. Sarah says that she heard from a friend that compared to formula, breast milk is low in iron. How would you respond?
7. You have convinced Sarah to breastfeed! What recommendations would you give Sarah about her nutritional needs during lactation?
8. Evaluate Sarah's weight gain. Did she gain an appropriate amount of weight during her pregnancy? What advice would you give Sarah about her losing her pregnancy weight?
9. What advice would you give Sarah about the multivitamin supplement?
10. Is there any other advice you would give Sarah?