Breastfeeding rates in the UK

[Faerie87]

It’s just that really, been reading up a lot on this recently and the statics show that our rates are not as good as other countries, so what is it that other countries do differently?

I currently feed my LG a combination of breast milk and formula, I express for her, unfortunately I was never able to get her to latch properly but would have loved to have been able to feed her directly. I know this can be quite an emotive subject so I thought I would share my experience to show I’m not in one camp or the other regarding this, I’m just curious to find out what is the general consensus on why the Uk does have low breast feeding rates?

I think it’s nice to share experiences of feeding baby’s whether it be formula feeding or breast feeding, and for those ladies who have tried to breast feed but not continued what made you stop? And if you were to have another baby would you do anything differently?

I think also how medicalised births are has a lot to do with it. A lot of drugs transfer to baby making feeding harder initially. But the whole culture of a medical birth really transfers the responsibility of birth onto doctors and midwives. It seems to be that gone are the days of women creating their own birth plans and sourcing their own research and information to decide on their preferences. Instead the onus is on the midwife to provide the information. The number of women I have met who have felt exasperated because their midwife hasnt spoken to them about a birth plan etc...
That culture of the medical professionals doing everything for us leads to women who don't research. Women don't tend to research birth choices, and are so accepting of what they are told by consultants. That starts a culture of not researching or informing yourself and so women don't research the benefits and risks of both breastfeeding and formula. As such there is such an unrealistic expectation of how easy bf is. And if it isn't easy then women think they are doing it wrong because "it should be natural".
Learning to walk is a natural process but doesn't make it easy.
The lack of support out there then makes it so easy to give up particularly when you throw in the obsession that women have to get back to normal as quickly as possible.

Breastfeeding isn't a necessity, so it stands to reason that in a country where economic pressures tend towards women working outside the home to pay higher living costs than in less developed countries, BF rates will be lower.

But this isn't what's happening. Lots of developed western nations (Norway/Sweden for example) have much higher breast feeding rates than here.

Even the US, where women return to work much sooner have higher breast feeding rates than the UK.

Also bf may not be a 'necessity' but it's strange and a bit sad that it's not the norm.

My breastfeeding struggles are very fresh as I have an 18 week old.

She would latch on well (I was told many times I had a great latch) but she wouldn’t suck. I was told i didn’t have ‘a very favourable nipple shape’. I’ve since learnt that generally speaking a baby who won’t nurse, can’t nurse. Turns out she had tounge tie, and I also have inverted nipples which is a bit of a tricky combo (to say the least).

I had to give her a bottle in order to leave hospital, I even stayed in for longer for the extra support, but still we’d made no progress.

At 16 days old the tie was cut but she was too used to the bottle. I tried to get her to relearn to latch for 7 weeks, pumping to keep up supply. I went to support groups and saw feeding specialists and bought nipple shields to trick her back onto the breast.

I now say it was the most miserable time of my life, I was teetering on the edge of depression, I cried all the time, didn’t like my baby and regretted having her. I severely regret the pressure I put myself under and kick myself for not enjoying my new baby. I don’t remember any of that time apart from how horrible it was.

At 7 weeks, we went completely onto formula and we are both so much happier.
It makes me nervous to have another baby because I will want to try again but I’m scared it will all go wrong again and I will feel the same way.

If I’m completely honest, I do feel like a failure.

Are tongue tie rates higher these days? Or was that why lots of babies died in the past? Is it more common in the UK?

Do they include mixed feeders in the breastfeeding stats?

I currently breastfeed my 15mo and he was ebf until 6mo. I found breastfeeding very hard initially in terms of the cluster feeding and lack of sleep. At 8 weeks I decided to switch to formula but DS refused the many, many bottles he was offered so he continued to be breastfed. It was bloody hard work but turned a corner at 12 weeks and also researching safe co-sleeping was a godsend. I am now happy to continue until DS is 2 if he wants to.

I think low rates are down to poor advice from people (including some healthcare professionals) who are still in the "feed every 4 hours" mindset and if baby can't go that long then there's a "problem". Also the lack of honesty about how tough it is - I envisaged gazing down on my newborn son while gently rocking back and forth on a rocking chair in a peaceful daze. In reality, for me, breastfeeding was like wrestling a small, angry eel into submission. I think if women had clearer expectations, it would be easier to succeed.

Apparently not.

I read somewhere that midwives used to (victorian era or thereabouts) cut tongue ties very shortly after birth.

It's weird how the knowledge of tongue tie and normal breastfeeding can disappear from a culture

Education, lack of support and a stigma on public breastfeeding.

My son's weight gain slowed for a little while, all I was told by other mums was to "top up with "formula" I read into it, found some ways to help without using formula and then was told my the midwife that it was totally normal for babies to drop 2 centiles on the chart!

I was told he's not getting enough when he was cluster feeding
Told he wasn't feeding enough because he fed for 15 mins instead of 30 mins (this is how long another friends baby fed for)
I was told that my milk must be drying up which is why he was going on both sides as he couldn't get enough out of one side. Nothing to do with the fact that he was just a hungry baby. People said that you never knew how much milk they were taking with breastfeeding or that he'll sleep better.

I had a mum (so called friend who breastfed for two months) shout out "really" when I started to feed him in our local pub. So called friends making it very clear that it made them feel uncomfortable when I fed in public. Even under cousins partner told me she though it was ride for a mum to breastfeed in public as I was feeding! Luckily I have a very supportive his and who backed me up everyone. These comments can really have a negative affect of a new mother.

When I had my baby, I wasn't told until a week after that there was a breastfeeding support group in my area, this kind of thing needs to be mentioned before the birth. Now it's been stopped.

I don't know why mixed feeding wouldn't be included in the stats?

I stayed with family after I gave birth for around 6 weeks. They gave a bottle in the evening to give me a break in that difficult time. After I moved out I EBF as it was just more convenient than making up bottles. I am still BF regularly at 18 months - including a night feed.

Anyway, I just don't understand what is so bad about giving formula as well, its not poison - and it means that family and partners can help.

It's weird how the knowledge of tongue tie and normal breastfeeding can disappear from a culture

Yeah. I think it's interesting that this is a very 'female' body of knowledge that would have relied on informal passing down rather than being written down as a master text.

Sad.

There is evidence showing that the increase in tongue tie rates is due to the recommendations to take folic acid in pregnancy.

Both my DC have tongue tie, the first 6 weeks was excruciating, with me crying during feeding and occasionally screaming when they latched. By the time TT was diagnosed the pain had stopped so I never bothered to get DC1 cut. DC2 I spotted the tongue tie at birth and just left it alone, I knew it was going to hurt but it was a tiny one and I didn't like the thought of him being cut without anaesthetic as seeing my newborn in pain seems to massively increase my depression and takes weeks to get over.

I'm sure that I've read that in developing countries where everybody feeds, they have the same problems as UK women. They just have the knowledge to find the issue and correct it, including supplementing with animal milk (I think goat) or another mother will feed if needed.

I mixed fed from birth as I had flat nipples, so the only way my lo could latch was with me using nipple shields. And my supply wasn't great. I eventually, after giving myself a hard time about it, stopped bf and expressing and fully moved to ff when he was 13 weeks old.

Discovered My DS had tongue tie which we had cut at around 8 weeks. If it wasn't for this and the amazing breast feeding clinic within walking distance of our flat I would have switched to formula very early on as I was in so much pain and DS lost a lot of weight as he was struggling to get enough milk. I was lucky enough to live close enough to the border of the next borough to sneak into the clinic there. We have none in our borough and they are so important! The knowledge and support I got from midwives at the clinic was invaluable.

I’m surprised by people commenting on the lack of support and the general messaging.
I was told by all the professionals that BF’ing is the best option. I have a 3 month old. I got help at the hospital and the midwives who came to my house to check up on us all asked if I could show them how I was feeding and helped me with all my questions.
They all strongly said ‘you can’t give your baby too much. Respond to them as much as you can’. They told me to expect the baby to want t for food but also for comfort. They also reassured me the pain was normal and would die down.

I have breatfeeding support groups twice a week near me.

Despite all this I went through a panic at 6 weeks as it felt I just did not have enough milk and she was hungry. I did not know who to turn to so I bought it he formula and had it ready.
Luckily I thought I ask advice on here and the wise mums of mumsnet helped enormously. I stuck with it as a result of the advice I received and now 6 weeks later it is better and easier than ever

Honestly : formula feeding is easier.

I have to wonder how reliable statistics are in Scandinavia- we are always being beaten with that stick. Women in Scandinavia can do it, it’s just because of evil formula companies/your own fecklessness/etc. I just don’t believe that. It’s so far from my experience and the experience of most people I know. All the stuff about how it was so easy to breastfeed was simply a myth. How everyone has enough milk, blah, blah blah. It’s nonsense that is so harmful to women.

I have to consider that given the highly conformist and regulated societies in Scandinavia, I think it’s most likely women are just telling professionals what they think they want to hear while happily (or perhaps not so happily) formula feeding. Given the highly fragmented healthcare systems in the US and complete lack of comprehensive mat leave I have to say that I am highly doubtful that rates are higher than the U.K. there either. I think it’s more likely that we are simply gathering more realistic stats for a developed nation.

It’s also not really strange or sad that breastfeeding is not the norm. It’s really hard and exhausting (particularly in the early months) for women. We do matter, we are people. Also most good evidence shows formula is just as good. So really can we stop berating women.

Surely part of the problem is that you can't have a discussion about breastfeeding without someone saying we are 'berating' mothers or shaming formula feeding mum's. When in reality comments like that are actually shaming breastfeeding mum's for making a different decision to the norm. The discussion then turns to why formula is just as good etc instead of offering support and advice about breastfeeding.

New mum says "I really want to breastfeed but I'm finding it hard atm, is this normal?"
5 or 6 people reply with "just give formula it's the same, I did and my baby is fine, formula is easier, too much fuss is made about breastfeeding etc etc."
New mum still wants to breastfeed but feels like she can't get advice cause all people do is mention formula. So either struggles through or gives up cause society tells her it's pointless to try. People always say happy mum happy baby but seem to forget that sometimes breastfeeding would actually make mum happy if she could get the support to do it.

To the PP asking about tongue tie. Taking folic acid past the first 12 weeks has been indicated as causing increased tongue tie rates in a few studies.

I'm currently enjoying a post boob snuggle with my seven week old.

But BFing was hard to begin with.

Baby boy was born at 36+6. I had a fair few pregnancy complications (though labour was pretty good in the scheme of things).

My milk did not come in for three days. And when. I mean did not come in, there was nadda. Nothing more than three small syringes of colostrum. No milk. Because baby boy was officially premie, we stayed in hospital for 72 hours post birth. I had midwives and lactation specialists try to get milk out. Nothing. It hurt and was stressful. Baby boy had to have formula in hospital.

Then my milk came in. Glorious. But having previously been able to latch on my empty boobs, my full boobs were waay too full. I have small, flattish nipples on very large boobs (currently wearing a 34 L nursing bra... Because now one makes bigger cups...) When they filed, they made.it very hard for him to latch.

When we went home we were visited by a lovely lactation specialist. She gave me a nipple shield to try. Perfect, baby boy was able to get milk. Unfortuanatly by this point I had a blocked duct. Despite.best efforts I ended up with really, really bad mastitis. This involves a trip to A&E and an overnight stay for baby boy and I around 10 days.

By this point I was in full stubborn mode. So persevered. We combine fed for a little (advice from midwife). Baby boy had lost 8% body weight from birth. He kept hovering at that weight. Witham but of combi feeding he made.his birthweight back at three weeks. As he had grown bigger he has gotton much better at feeding and had gained 2lbs in 3.5 weeks. We're still using the nipple shields mostly (he's only just over 8lbs.now) but we're getting some feeds in minus the nipple shield. I'm also pumping, which is allowing ym husband to take one feed with a bottle using my milk.

We're just using breast milk now.

And I am really enjoying it. It was saved,traumatic and painful at the begining. But I had support to help.me through. I think the community support after birth is essential for helping get through those first, really difficult weeks.

Now we feed on demand. I'm even confident enough to whap them out pretty.much anywhere. Shops, cafes, parks.

I've only had positive responses from the public. Which I think has also helped.

I agree with @Dreamingofkfc that the majority of my friends that gave up breastfeeding did so because they didn't want the burden falling to them and liked sharing the night feeds etc. As women fight for equality, I think there is a real drive to reject anything that is thought to prop up inequality and disparity between the sexes.

Breastfeeding can be restrictive for a woman, limit what she can do and cause her to face night after night of broken sleep singlehandedly. Some women just don't want that and understandably in a culture that offsets any "breast is best" messaging with "happy mum, happy baby" then women feel justified in turning to formula.

I think as a society we need to rethink our approach to breastfeeding as if it is something that really is important than there really needs to be more emphasis on educating women about what it actually involves and that like many of the things associated with pregnancy and birth, breastfeeding can often be hard and can require perseverance. It is really easy at the moment to "try" formula when you hit a bump in the road with breastfeeding and honestly I think for the vast majority of people that the path leads to long term mixed/formula feeding.

Alternatively we can say as a society that the difference between formula and breastfeeding is not big enough to warrant promoting breastfeeding in which case we should be clear about this.

The only person I saw breastfeed growing up with my older sister, if it wasn't for her I would never of considered it, i breastfed and expressed as had a hard time with it the first few weeks.

I agree that Scandinavian cultures are very very different to us, despite being geographically close. I understand in some of those countries formula is not available to buy in shops, which goes a long way to explaining why BF rates are so high

There isn’t always the support or knowledge available on the post natal ward. When I had DS2, the midwife came and announced to the other two mothers in my bay that since I’d bf before they were to ask me any questions they might have! We sat open mouthed, and she just turned and went. One of the other mums said “did she really just say that?!”
I brought it up with another midwife and she tried excusing it by telling me that they put bf mothers in the same bay so we can support each other by virtue of being in the same boat. I told her it’s unacceptable to expect someone who had given birth not 12 hours before to be in a position to advise and help other bf mothers. That’s supposed to be their job!