Breastfeeding and MN. Why so different to IRL?

[Gogogo12345]

I had read many many threads on here about the " restrictions" of breastfeeding. This morning is a child free wedding that the OP will apparently be EBF an 8 week old. This is a common theme. All these EBF babies.

Yet in real life there are only about half of babies that are still BF ( even partly)at all by 6-8 weeks
And only 1% EBF at six months

So why does it seem about99% of mumsnet babies are exclusively breastfed for months on end?

That's your personal experience. The statistics show that breastfeeding rates are higher in better educated women.

I’m only interested in the outcomes for my children - everyone one else can make their own decisions.

I bf ds, we attended baby group out of 8 of us 5 bf long term and 3 formula fed

Starting by stating absolutely nothing wrong with formula, most of my friends use formula , and good on them for doing what is right for them and their baby. However, where I live in the UK, it's quite unusual to breastfeed and a lot of people have openly had a lot of snarky things to say about it! E.g., "Such a shame your husband won't have a chance to bond with the baby', "Ahhh, your baby is so tiny. Do you think they're getting enough milk?" (!). I couldn't care less how anyone else feeds their baby, but unfortunately, from my experience, people in real life often do express judgement!

That great and we all have a choice how to feed our children. But it doesn’t change the fact that more educated mothers tend to breastfeed which is different to saying they always breastfeed- they don’t all but they are more likely too.

It’s not the education factor always. lots of less educated mothers from different cultures also breastfeed. Because breastfeeding is the norm in those cultures.

Agree - breastfeeding definitely doesn't make you a better mother. It's the 'holier than thou' comments from a few mums who breastfeed who gives the rest of us mums who also breastfed a bad name! I ebf both of mine and I refuse to be part of any kind of 'breastfeeding brigade' out to make mums who use formula as villains/lesser etc. What's most important is all women are offered the genuine option to breastfeed (with all the support needed to succeed) - but if anyone doesn't want to bf, there's no problem with formula and OF COURSE they care about their baby!

Haven't read the full thread but I pumped for 3 months with my first, and bf my second until he was 18 months. Nobody has asked me about how long I had bf for beyond ds being a few months old so it could just be that the statistics don't accurately reflect what is happening because women are not always being asked?

But breastfeeding doesn’t make you a better mother regardless of education.

I think mumsnet is quite middle class, and middle class mothers are statistically more likely to breastfeed. I also think people who breastfeed are more likely to make these kinds of posts than people who formula feed. A formula fed baby can be left with another adult (if the parents are comfortable with that), whereas that often isn’t possible with a breastfed baby, so people are more likely to post about finding solutions to issues like child free weddings if they have a breastfed baby.

@Parker231

i totally agree with you. Of course it doesn’t make you a better mother. I was commenting on your bit about being more educated.

Breastfeeding isn’t evenly distributed. It varies greatly by socioeconomic status. Plus women tend to group together by other choices that also correlate with the breastfeeding decision. Almost every woman I know breastfed well past age 1.

I get surprised again and again finding women on mumsnet don’t breastfeed.

Why would you be surprised - the majority of us don’t breast feed.

Why do people get so offended by the fact that various behaviors are correlated with education and income? They are not lock-step requirements that every person must follow. It doesn’t change the fact that if you collect data it will show statistically significant trends.

No, you don’t have to ask every person in a country or the world to collect enough data to accurately study a behavior. there are multiple highly validated data collection methods that allow for accurate sampling.

I’m sure it’s not something which interests most people although Mn posters are always the exception!

I formula feed from birth, was never interested in trying breastfeeding and felt fine with that after reading the research.

I think it's as pp's said, with weddings etc there's always going to be drama regarding breastfeeding if babies aren't allowed because it just wouldn't be an issue if baby was bottle fed unless they just didn't want to leave baby.

I think it can come across as judgmental, however little that is the intention. People might hear something like ‘breastfeeding rates correlate with maternal education level’ and think that this implies ‘if you didn’t breastfeed you are less educated’. That obviously isn’t true - many highly educated women formula feed and many less educated women breastfeed - but the way statistics are discussed can be alienating, given how fraught and emotive a topic infant feeling can be anyway.

I appreciate you taking the time to reply.

Out of my 8 person NCT group, 1 formula-fed, 1 exclusively pumped, and everyone else breastfed.

The demographic who can afford an NCT class are the ones most likely to breastfeed.

Lactation consultants?. Well no wonder it's the well off that breastfeed. Doubt the average shop worker can afford such things

Because prolonged breastfeeding is more common amongst the middle class, which Mumsnet is full of.

I'm working class, but baby is still EBF at 7 months. You're right though, most people I know sack it off quickly or bottle feed.

Just an edit to say, it DOES NOT MATTER how you feed baby, as long as they're growing and healthy. There are pros and cons to all types of feeding.

Not to be snarky, but lactation consultants cost less than 6-12 months of formula.

And there are many posts where posters have used a lactation consultant and it hasn’t worked and money has been wasted

Likely the same for NCT classes.

It's a strange situation that seems common in the UK.

Well off people disproportionately take the less expensive option.

Poorer people do the thing that is more expensive.

If you are very low income, you can get healthy start vouchers which covers formula.

I definitely feel the pressure to stop BFing and the judgement when we visit family. Both DH and I are from a council estate background and I don't think anyone in either family breastfed. Im very determined and headstrong but it does make me feel uncomfortable. Being surrounded by like minded, supportive people is a bigger deal than I expected.