To think that "97% of women can breastfeed" is a load of crap

*10namechangeslater · Today 13:31
It’s not a narrative it’s the truth. Woman should be told the truth.

There isnt a single truth though.

Some people, like my mum, despite a lot of intervention was unable to breast feed. Her milk did come through and dhe was given tablets but nothing worked. No problems I am a fully functioning 60 year old with no health issues!

Some finding it incredibly difficult but persevere some for way longer than they need to.

Some mums need support to get going and then they are fine and others find it easy and have no real problems.

I would say that is nearer the truth than telling mums that it is incredibly difficult. I think saying that would put people off before they started instead of saying ' give it a go and see how you get on'

I agree with you to some extent OP and I am about as pro breastfeeding as they come. It's very over simplistic to say that "X% of women can breastfeed". As a scientist that phrase gets up my nose anyway as it's meaningless in that form. What qualifies as "breastfeeding"? One feed? One day? Exclusive for 6 months? Til self weaning ? People trot this kind of statement out with no idea what they really mean by it, or the source of the information.
It is a looong time since I was at the baby stage andcI have forgotten a lot, but if my memory serves me right, the figure comes from interventions in another country - somewhere in Scandinavia I think - that raised breastfeeding for 6 weeks to something like 98%. But even if we take that as gospel, 2% who didn't is 1:50 which isn't really "rare". Most of us wouldn't get on a plane if it had a 1:50 chance of crashing yet women get told that it's "vanishingly rare" to be physically unable to breastfeed. And there are of course lots of other factors that influence things in the longer term - social, psychological and medical. So as a stick to beat women with it's a terrible thing to say, suggesting that you a weird, deficient woman if you can't, or lying or a bit feeble if you say that you can't.
However...it is without doubt important to recognise that the majority of mothers do have the capability to breastfeed their babies if they wish to, certainly more than currently happens in this country. And we know, from amongst other things, many years of the national infant feeding survey, that a lot of women stop breastfeeding before they want to. Misinformation is a big part of that. I've seen an example this very week. My DD has had a minor blip with feeding her baby. I wouldn't even go so far as calling it a problem. She probably wouldn't have contacted her HV but happened to be seeing her for immunisations and mentioned it in passing. The HV's immediate response was "oh you're not making enough milk, start topping up with formula". This is complete crap. Fortunately my DD is well informed, very self confident and has a good support network. But if not, she would probably have followed professional advice, believed her milk supply was inadequate and in all likelihood she would soon have become another mother who "couldn't" breastfeed, which is absolutely not what she wants.
There are huge variations in breastfeeding rates within the country as well as internationally. It seems unlikely that Norewgian women are biologically vastly different to British women or that Glaswegians fundamentally differ physically to Londoners. So other factors must be driving the differences and I think it is useful to recognise that we are mammals, breastfeeding is the biological norm and most , but not all, of us will be capable of doing it with the right information and support. Data from other countries show us the difference that policy changes and specific information can make.
However, weaponising that data and turning it into a message that says "everyone can breastfeed, you're rubbish if you don't" is just as bad as saying "breastfeeding is really hard, you'll never manage it and it's weird anyway". We need to acknowledge the hurdles and support more women to breastfeed as long as they want to by making sure that, wherever possible, they can find breastfeeding solutions to their breastfeeding problems. Neither overly optimistic nor deeply negative information is helpful.

Thank you for comment. I think it's extremely important. 🌸

I called the La Leche league. Nearest support person was an hour away and they didn’t have anyone to send me. I’m sure they are great if you can access them.

My nearest city had a breastfeeding group, in a church up a steep flight of stairs I couldn’t carry two babies up post c - section.

My midwifes and health visitors were no help.

I fed my babies because my Mum fed all of us, my sister fed her babies and I was DETERMINED to.

It was sore.
It was difficult
One baby latched with no bother at all, but the other found it hard immediately post birth.

Breastfeeding is a skill

Like all skills some people (both Mums and babies!) are better at it than others.

Like all skills having a great teacher and practice means you get better at it.

Women should have choices, including the choice to use formula. But choice should include support.

This is the most valuable perspective on here

Because

Yes, milk sharing and wet nursing are both things that humans have been doing for a very long time. All we can do is guess.

Perhaps in its infancy but now it’s to make money and encase it’s easy.

It was too difficult for me and I’m ok with that. I pumped for three months with each baby before my supply couldn’t keep up, then gradually transitioned to formula.

Could I have kept going if formula wasn’t available? Yes. Was I a crying mess with shredded nipples and never ending back pain? Also yes.

Formula is fine. I decided to focus more on solids and was pedantic about that for a couple of years before chilling out and realising the occasional packaged thing is ok!

I’ve done both breastfeeding and bottle feeding . I breastfed my first . After needing surgery post the birth of my second and missing the golden hour , having a major postpartum haemorrhage and being severely anaemic for weeks and exhausted my attempts at breastfeeding didn’t work out the second time around , but maybe it just didn’t “fit in with my lifestyle” . I guess I must be in the “three percent “.

It's your truth though - BF was tough for the first few weeks with my first as she had tongue tie but then I found it very easy and it was a breeze with my 2nd. Overall, I loved BF and fed both to 2 yrs old. So I think the 'narrative' varies so much as people have different experiences - but as others have said if support is there it's always going to be easier.

Many things are better for children, things that have a far bigger impact than a few months of formula . When they get to adulthood you realise what an insignificant parenting choice breast v formula is.

Very difficult to work out as wet nurses were used.

I did my best and my baby ended up in SCBU because of breast feeding being pushed above all else. Paediatrician saving her life was heard ranting how damaging the breast feeding culture has become in this country .

I pumped for two months while my eldest baby was in ICU. Once he could feed orally he was exclusively breastfed. He was never given a bottle. My second was breastfed from birth because he did not need surgery, ECMO, a ventilator, a feeding tube etc. I believe that the vast majority of women can breastfeed. However as human beings mothers deserve just as much bodily autonomy as anyone else. I breastfed my babies until they were nearly three because I wanted to, I think it was in their best interests and I think it is better than formula. I am entirely comfortable with my choices.

Another lactating woman in the tribe would feed the baby. Bit like wet nurses but not paid

@elliejjtiny If a substantial number of women can't breastfeed, what happened during the 100,000 years or so that modern humans have existed? How were babies fed during that time?

Of course they can. We simply wouldn’t have survived as a species if women couldn’t breastfeed. Those babies who couldn’t would have died.
I had a micro preemie. I pumped for months so I could get eventually bf. She couldn’t do it.I did my best and she still had breast milk for 8/9 months. I donated lots too. I still maintain bfing is best

I’m talking about formula in this country. Very much wanted and safe.

I have no idea of the figures, but as a GP I hear of lot of explanations for stopping breast feeding that are frankly incorrect.

If people don’t want to breastfeed then that’s obviously their decision. But there are some myths I find frustrating, and the commonest is that mums think they’re not producing enough milk because their baby wants to feed all the time. Breastfed babies will often want to spend hours on the breast. Of course if that is not something that the mum/family can manage, by all means switch to formula. But it’s wrong to say the Mum wasn't making enough milk.

The other myth is that it’s fine to top up with formula and continue breastfeeding. This works for some people, but a lot of mums will find that their breast milk starts to dry up if there is lack of stimulation. Certainly in the early weeks.

Also, the latch/position can be difficult. I was fortunate (well unfortunate really, but it’s swings and roundabouts) in that DS1 was premature, so he spent 10 days on SCBU. This meant I had lots of help with breastfeeding, unlike mums who are home with their baby after less than 24 hours. I’m sure that more prolonged and intensive support would enable more latch problems to be resolved.

You couldn’t care less that countless babies died due to corporate greed? Well, aren’t you a treat?

It’s about context. If I was breastfeeding in 1026 I probably would have no problems. I will have grown up watching every woman I knew breastfeed. If I was breastfeeding in Sweden in 2026, again, it would be easier because of the culture.

My difficulties breastfeeding were because of when and where I lived. That includes the historical context of my family, my in-laws and my society. The difficulties women have are mostly systemic; not individual.

Not the experience of the vast majority of mothers I know.

Course they can. Other countries are proof of this. Evolution is. Until the multi billion dollar baby formula machine started their grift women were managing just fine. Now women’s bodies aren’t good enough. The message never changes. Patriarchy.

I couldn’t care less. Many of us want a choice and babies to have safe food when struggling .