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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Stanford's Short Course on Breastfeeding by Stanford University

4.8
stars
1,595 ratings

About the Course

Stanford's Short Course on Breastfeeding was designed for new mothers and the people who support them. This engaging, one-week learning experience, provides participants with everything they need to know to more successfully establish breastfeeding – or support a new mother who has decided to breastfeed. We created the course because we recognize that there is a very small window in which successful, exclusive breastfeeding can be established, and that many new mothers are mastering this skill during a busy and sometimes stressful time. Brought to life by beautiful illustrations and interviews with international mothers, we hope to reach the broadest spectrum of mothers, helping them understand the current recommendations, challenges, benefits and practical considerations around breastfeeding - while simultaneously inspiring them to consider breastfeeding as the first choice for feeding their babies. And now for the legal stuff... Disclaimer of Warranty and Limitation of Liability THE INFORMATION IN THIS COURSE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT ANY REPRESENTATION, OR WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. DIGITAL MEDIC AND STANFORD MEDICINE ARE NOT LIABLE FOR ANY TYPE OF LOSS OR INJURY, OR ANY DAMAGES WHETHER DIRECT OR INDIRECT, ARISING FROM USE OF THIS COURSE. This course is not a substitute for the advice, diagnosis or treatment by an appropriately qualified and licensed physician or other health care provider. Copyright 2018 Stanford University. The course videos must be used according to the term of our Creative Commons License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/: free distribution with attribution, no commercial use, no derivatives....

Top reviews

LL

Mar 19, 2018

This course is very helpful to me to prepare for my baby's arrival. I have learned a lot from the benefits of breastfeeding and will absolutely choose this practice in raising my own child.

NB

Mar 24, 2018

Excellent course! The information given in the course is relevant, accurate and very important for the health and future of our babies. Congratulations on the 100% Breastfeeding campaign!

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376 - 400 of 400 Reviews for Stanford's Short Course on Breastfeeding

By Daniel O R

Apr 22, 2020

No se explico las posiciones ideales para una buena lactancia materna, tampoco se hablo del tiempo que puede permaneces optima la leche extraida antes que se malogre.

By Ana-Maria A

Jul 6, 2022

It has basic information about breastfeeding. It's more a presentation of benefits that a detailed presentation of techniques

By Claudia R D l P

Apr 14, 2020

Es cierto que es un curso básico sobre lactancia materna, pero me hubiera gustado recibir actualizaciones sobre el tema.

By Jennifer B

Nov 6, 2019

I felt like the course had good information but I felt discriminated against as a white American woman.

By Maria B D D

May 3, 2020

I thought this course would provide more insights into the techniques behind breastfeeding.

By ariel e

Jul 22, 2021

I thought there would be more in-depth information on how to help mothers breastfeed

By Barbara N

Aug 16, 2023

it was good. but definitely not 4 hours of course, I finished in 2 hours.

By Constance R

Jan 24, 2020

I thought this would be a more of a how to course

By Burcu D Y

Mar 19, 2021

The topics were mostly repetitive.

By Neha T

Sep 23, 2020

I need more advanced level course

By Ekin E

Apr 13, 2021

The course is about 20% information, 15% repetition of information, and 65% breastfeeding propaganda. I personally agree that breastfeeding is preferable to formula feeding in an overwhelming majority of cases, but I do not see why presenting the scientific data in a concise, easy to understand manner was considered insufficient, and the authors felt the necessity to fluff up the content by opinions of apparently random people of different ethnicities from around the world. "People like us", I presume. So, should we be making such decisions based on opinions of others? And if you show people the opinions of only pro-breastfeeding mothers, that should be helpful in tipping the balance of opinions they receive and make them supporters of breastfeeding because... we assume that they cannot think for themselves based on facts alone, and need ready-made opinions to be bottle-fed to them, too? Is the case for breastfeeding so weak that it cannot be supported on facts alone?

Parts of the advice was well supported by reasons, but the rest was just offered as the best practice without any evidence as to why. Why is it best to keep breastfeeding until the child is 2 or older? Because this provides passive immunity for the child. OK. Perhaps we should keep it up till the child is 5? 7? 12? Maybe there is a critical cut-off point, considering the development of the child's immune system, around age 2, but we do not need to know. Opinions are all we need. It is stated that breastfeeding is the best option for an HIV positive mother to feed her child. Period. No alternative views are possible. It may well be the case. But I am not convinced. Please tell me why. Or maybe just have a random woman tell me that it is the best thing to do without indicating why, and I will become a believer.

The quizzes provide good examples but why was it necessary to give names to mothers in those scenarios? Is it a psychological aid? Would people not be able to empathize without it? Will the people in rural villages in Brazil, who may or may not have access to clean drinking water, but somehow have access to the internet, enroll in this MOOC, but might feel a bit alien so we help them out by making the protagonist of the case "Maria Eduarda, a 21-year-old woman living in a rural village in northern Brazil"?

The cause is good, the intention is good, but the course is not. I believe people are smarter than this. Yes, people outside of medical profession, too. Yes, people outside of first-world countries, too. So no need to patronise so much. Cheers.

By Zarah F

May 14, 2021

While I found this breastfeeding course very simple and informative, all of the examples of mothers who were unsure of breastfeeding/practicing unsafe practices were from Eastern countries. This course implies that Eastern societies are the only group that are misinformed about breastfeeding practices, although this is very much present in Western countries like the US, Canada, etc. Using a diverse range of names from around the world would improve this course and improve stereotypes, biases, and assumptions. Additionally, the course mentioned that a non-breastfeeding mother would not have a comparable bond with their child. While breastfeeding remains the goal, it is important to be understanding of others’ decisions and sensitive to this.

By Campbell P

Oct 5, 2020

There's a lot of "breastfeeding is better" with very little science to support that information. It has a couple helpful tips on how to properly latch the baby and the mechanics behind how breastfeeding works, but I'd like to see more data and scientific research to support what they're saying.

You would think that a Stanford course would teach critical thought, rather than just do as I say. To be clear, I agree that breastfeeding is better, but tell me what data led you to this conclusion (otherwise it's just an opinion).

By Olga B

Nov 9, 2021

Unfortunately, no useful information at all. 2 main points from this course - you should exclusively breast feed and the latch should be wide. Absolutely no information regarding why some women don't have milk or enough milk, what to do if latch is correct but breastfeeding is painful, what to do if your child is in intensive care unit for 1-2 weeks, what to do if you have mastitis and so on and so on.

By Gladkova D

Feb 3, 2020

The main mind of this cours was "Breast-feeding is right choise for every mom''. I'd got usefull information about the beginning of breast-feed. But for me also interesting would be know how to care about breast in this time, how to choose spesial bra maybe, and if you'll want to stop your brestfeed - how to do this more comfortable for baby.

By Sarah D

May 8, 2021

Focused far too much on why formula feeding is bad... I was hoping for more tips and tricks on successful breastfeeding.

If someone is taking this course it is clear they are planning on breastfeeding, but this course spent 95% of its time telling you should breastfeed.

By Deborah m

Apr 27, 2021

I would have like to see more techniques on how to breastfeed correctly, only one video taught about baby positions during lactation and how to do a proper latch. I would have like to see more on that and more tips on how to breastfeed.

By Ryden A

Sep 13, 2021

Does not mention that it's focused on exclusive breastfeeding, several statements are inconsistent or incorrect, and language (kind of everything) should be updated to be more inclusive. It was kind of uncomfortable, to be honest.

By CRISTINA A

Nov 11, 2020

muy ameno y fácil de entender y seguir. Muy didáctico para todo tipo de personas con diferentes niveles sociales y educativos.

By Edna G

Jan 21, 2019

There is nothing about the technique to breast feed and recommended times.

By Erin C

Oct 20, 2021

I was really disappointed with this course. I found it very one-sided and lacking enough information about the complications or difficulties in breastfeeding and subsequent trouble shooting for this. I understand that this course seemed tailored towards women who know nothing about breastfeeding and the benefits, but by only providing the benefits (and then shaming those who do not breastfeed) it only continues to perpetuate the shame that women feel if they are unable to breastfeed. Propaganda for formula led to the decline in breastfeeding. The answer to increasing breastfeeding rates is not more propaganda, but EDUCATION.

I am also somewhat disappointed as I was hoping for a course that was more targeted towards health professionals, but that is my mistake for not reading the course outline more carefully.

By Elizabeth

Dec 11, 2019

There is 0 practical information about breastfeeding. I've never breastfed a child and I got a 100% on the final test without watching any videos, simply based on knowing what the "right" answers are. At the end of the course you get a survey from Stanford that is designed to assess your attitudes about breastfeeding. This course appears to simply be a front for this study on attitudes, and has zero actual, informative information about how to breastfeed.

By Liudmyla M

Mar 9, 2020

The course title is misleading and therefore the course was absolutely useless for me. From the title and description I expected introduction on how to start breastfeeding, the actual content was "breastfeeding is extremely good for the baby". Even more it was really disappointing because the course strongly insists on "starting the brestfeeding properly helps to make it less painfull" but there is not a single advice on how to start it properly.

By Mayya M

Feb 9, 2020

Its a complete waste of time. It is not a couse - it is a long social ad that you need to breastfeed. It do not cover anything practical - techniques, schedule, tips, how to introduce real food. None.

It can be summed up in one question - Human milk is safer, healthier, cheaper and basically the best way to feed your baby. Happy that I havent paid for that.

By Isis c c a

Apr 17, 2020

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