The Breastfeeding Relationship and Children’s Social and Emotional Development

This book examines the many ways that the relational aspects of breastfeeding contribute to social and emotional development. The reader will be introduced to the interactional elements of breastfeeding based on the author's research and published work in this area. The book will provide a description of the physiological components of breastfeeding and the nursing relationship. Theories of social and emotional development will be discussed, including but not limited to growth enhancing elements of maternal-infant/child interaction, interactional components, intersubjectivity, perspective taking, relational impact on brain and neurobiological development as well as maternal, paternal development and family systems theory. The book will also cover situations that challenge normal breastfeeding trajectories and typical development including but not limited to medical conditions that limit interactions and parental separation, divorce and court hearings. It will offer fresh insights tobreastfeeding counsellors and lacatation consultants, in addition to academics studying breastfeeding and early life experience from the fields of health psychology, infant mental health, developmental psychology, midwifery and child and family studies.

Keren Epstein-Gilboa (PhD MEd BSN RP RN FACCE LCCE IBCLC RLC) is an independent scholar currently teaching in the department of Psychology at the University of Toronto, Canada. Dr Epstein-Gilboa is a registered Nurse with a BSN (1982), Registered Psychotherapist (MEd 1991 and RP 2015), Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (1988) with a PhD in Developmental Psychology. She is the author of numerous articles and chapters on maternal infant interaction and breastfeeding, patriarchal envy of breastfeeding, attachment and breastfeeding, full time mothering and breastfeeding, and pregnancy loss. Her previous works include Interaction and Relationships in Breastfeeding Families (2009).