“Breast milk for you?” : a case study on the influence of medical system and knowledge on mothers’ breastfeeding behaviours.

The mantra ‘breast is best’ has set the stage for mother’s choice of infant food. It appears that the encroachment of medical systems into social life has shaped their actions. Henceforth, this study proposes to understand how Chinese first-time mothers make their decision whether to breastfeed or not with regards to the presence of medical systems and the availability of knowledge. Using qualitative interviews, I examine how Chinese first-time mothers in Singapore use the expert knowledge as a means for negotiating and justifying their choice of infant food. The results of this study argue the implication of medicalization of infant feeding and the issue of trust that transpires within the context of expert systems – these form my conceptual framework. My findings revealed patterns in their breastfeeding behaviors that showed a diminished value in breastfeeding as a process so much so that there is a distinction between process and product (breast milk). These mothers offer reasons to elucidate their breastfeeding behaviors that shed light on the infant food phenomenon today.Bachelor of Art