One aspect of whether the mother should stay at home is feeding. The NHS recommends that all children be breastfed for the first 6 months as it offers the healthiest start and promotes attachment parenting. This supports the idea that women should be the primary caregiver as only mothers can breastfeed and it also suggests that it is the best for a baby's wellbeing. However it is suggested that attachments are not necessarily formed through just breastfeeding. Schaffer and Emerson found primary attachments were not always formed with the person who fed or spent most time with the infant but with the one who responded most sensitively to their needs. This suggests that others besides the mother could form primary attachments, for example the father may have a positive role in the child’s development, meaning that overall breastfeeding may not be as important in developing a relationship and in the development of a child as first thought.
One aspect of whether the mother should stay at home is feeding. The NHS recommends that all children be breastfed for the first 6 months as it offers the healthiest start and additionally promotes attachment parenting. This supports the idea that women should be the primary caregiver as only mothers can breastfeed and it furthermore suggests that it is the best for a baby's wellbeing. Conversely it is suggested that attachments are not necessarily formed through just breastfeeding. Schaffer and Emerson found primary attachments were not always formed with the person who fed or spent most time with the infant but with the one who responded most sensitively to their needs. This suggests that others besides the mother could form primary attachments, moreover the father may have a positive role in the child’s development, meaning that to sum up breastfeeding may not be as important in developing a relationship and in the development of a child as first thought.