Bf rates uk vs us

[Silkyanduna]

Just found out my American sil is expecting and she said they only get 6 weeks maternity and that’s pretty standard for the US. This made me think how much I would have struggled to breastfeed past this point if I had had to go back to work. With the uk in comparison having pretty good maternity leave AIBU to question why the Uk breastfeeding % is lower than in the US ?

[FullOfJellyBeans]

racingtime bit what you think is irrelevant when there are studies to show you are wrong there are also other advantages (fewer hospital admissions, reduced risk of certain serious childhood diseases, language skills). They are relatively small for an individual but significant over a entire population.

[AmIRightOrAMeringue]

Racing time I agree totally, diet when growing up is going to make the most difference and is the most important factor. Decent studies can adjust for environmental factors like diet though.

A quick Google of reputable sources shows numerous studies have concluded increasing breastfeeding rates in the UK would prevent lots of illnesses, in the UK, and save the NHS millions.

I'm all for personal choice but don't think facts can be denied. And yes I know medical advice changes over time as science advances but the vast majority of academic peer reviewed studies do shoe breastfeeding does make a difference to health at a population level in the UK

[Tinyteatime]

They have a pumping culture and ‘better’ post natal health care (for those who can afford it and have insurance of course).

[Sitdownstandup]

There certainly are studies purporting to show that breastfeeding makes obesity less likely, but the research doing the best job of dealing with cofounders such as PROBIT does not show this. There are some advantages of breastfeeding on a population level that are there even in PROBIT and sibling studies, but obesity isn't one of them. Fewer colds and diarrhoea episodes on a population level.

I must admit I've never understood the attachment to the idea that breastfeeding would reduce obesity though. It's counter-intuitive. The reason so many of us are prone to obesity now is because being able keep fat on longer has usually been an advantage for humans. It's something we have positively selected for, because for most of human history, starvation has been an ever present threat. We aren't going to have evolved a feeding method that makes obesity less likely, when it's usually a helpful trait.

[Tinyteatime]

They also have no regulations whatsoever on formula advertising, Interestingly.

[WithAllIntenseAndPurposes]

At all her vaccinations I have had raised eyebrows when I say she is EBF and asked when I will free my time up and put her on the bottle.

I really can't believe that for a minute

[Fucket]

If it’s true that US health insurance covers lactation consultants I suppose mothers might feel they have no choice but to go breast before bottle. I suppose insurance companies want the cheapest option for them. Are sick babies covered on their mother’s insurance? How does it work in the US? Are Mother’s breastfeeding to reduce chances of baby getting ill by having some mother’s milk protection? I suppose if you have to pay for healthcare you probably feel you have no other choice but to breastfeed. Do mother’s here have a free choice whilst our American cousins don’t? I don’t think I could face a demanding job, a young baby and a strict pumping schedule, and I have done bf, ff and mixed feeding. You can’t always bf if your personal circumstances at the time make it impossible.

My American cousin had to go to the ER for a bad cut, I was flabbergasted how much that cost her. However she doesn’t have children yet so can’t ask her these questions.

[Tinyteatime]

Fucket I have also wondered about it being a cost saving thing. If you have to pay every time you have to take baby to ER or doctor for baby/childhood illnesses you’d probably want to do everything within your power to lower the chances of that happening. I don’t know if a baby is covered in mums insurance?

[DameSylvieKrin]

I wonder whether mothers in the US are pumping and breastfeeding more because they are separated from their tiny babies inhumanly early and breastfeeding is a way to give the baby something of them during the day.

[Purpleartichoke]

You will find that breastfeeding rates in the United States vary dramatically across socioeconomic groups. It is unsurprising because the social cues from your community and the support from your employer are very different for different people.

[SoyDora]

At all her vaccinations I have had raised eyebrows when I say she is EBF and asked when I will free my time up and put her on the bottle

How strange, I’ve BF three babies and never once been asked how I feed them at a vaccination appointment.

[Fucket]

Soydora, they are supposed to ask there’s even a bit in their red books about feeding methods, it all gets recorded.

[SoyDora]

I have been asked at HV appointments etc, never at immunisation appointments. And that’s three babies in three different areas of the UK. They must not have read the guidelines!

[AssassinatedBeauty]

There is indeed a section about breastfeeding on the immunisation pages. I would imagine they talk about it during the general chit chat and don't make a big deal out of recording it, hence not remembering it specifically.

[SoyDora]

DS had his 8 week immunisations on Tuesday and I can assure you it wasn’t mentioned during any chit chat! I’ve checked his book and it wasn’t recorded.

[LaurieMarlow]

They’ve created a strong culture of pumping in the US and fair play to them because a) that can’t have been easy to create from scratch and b) pumping is a total shitter.

Hats off, they’ve done very well.

[SoyDora]

Honestly I’m not lying , and not trying to make any kind of point. Just saying I have never been asked at an immunisation appointment. Because I haven’t. Hence I was surprised at someone being asked and then also being judged for EBF (every time I have been asked how I’m feeding mine by a healthcare professional they have responsded positively to the fact that I EBF).

[LaurieMarlow]

Soydora are you from NI? I think I recognise you from another thread.

If that’s the case, that might explain why you haven’t been asked as I think they do things differently.

If not, ignore me, I’m being ridiculous

[Hippogator]

Every study I've read the US has higher rates of breastfeeding than the UK despite the abysmal maternity benefits. More American women make it to the significant timepoint of 6 months.

Anecdotally all of my University friends from the US breastfed their babies. Maybe half of my university friends from the UK breastfed their babies. My American mother breastfed me 40 years ago and her mother breastfed her. My mother had a lot of support from the la Leche league.

[Hippogator]

kellymom.com/fun/trivia/bf-rates-2004/

[SoyDora]

No, not from NI!

[RogueV]

I think culture plays a massive part

[Gotakeahike]

I’ve given birth in both the US and the UK amd exclusively breastfed both to past a year (with complementary solids at about 6 months). My US baby was born before Obamacare, so there are some changes now (like insurance generally covers pumps, which it didn't before). Generally speaking in the US, the federal government covers women for 12 weeks unpaid time off with job protection. States have their own rules. My state had one of the most generous coverages with up to 14 weeks with partial payment, depending on the circumstances of the birth. Most states have no mandated paid time off. Many employers have their own maternity coverage as a benefit with partial to full pay depending on the individual employer. Technically, no matter what, your job is only protected for the 12 weeks (thats total in a year, including pre and post partum, mind you).

Yes, babies are added to their parent’s health insurance plans when they are born in private/employer sponsored health insurance. The insurance is more expensive when you add kids though. There are government programs to cover low income mothers and children specifically, including food programs that cover formula.

Pushing for the use of formula vs breastfeeding seems to vary a lot by location and socioeconomics. I’ve known people who came home from the hospital with loads of formula samples given to them in the hospital as the forumula reps hock them. I was in a prodominantly well off, well educated liberal area and never saw formula at the hospital. Most people I knew breastfed as well. Honestly, my experience was largely the same in that regard in the UK. There seems to be a great deal of regional variance. I dont know if formula being pushed by the manufactures in the hospitals has changed with Obamacare.

As for pumping in the US, at least in the state I was in, there were laws that mantae that employers must provide a private place that is not a toilet and adequate time for lactating mothers to pump and store milk.

When I was pregnant with my second in the UK, I was curious about the norms around breastfeeding in the UK and one thing I recall seeing is that partnof what makes up the difference in the statistics between the US and the UK is how the data is reported. The US used a more lenient definition amd essentially reported breatfeeding at all and the UK reported breastfeeding only. I dont have this data offhand, though, so don’t quote me on that.

Sorry, that was long, but hopefully I answered some questions.

[LaurieMarlow]

No, not from NI!

Oh sorry I must be mixing you up with someone else.

[thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter]

Re: pumping culture, is this encouraged from birth? It's been a while since i bf but iirc it's not encouraged here until your supply is established.