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

[elliejjtiny]

I've been seeing this phrase a lot over the years, about how 97% of women can breastfeed and all the rest of the people who say they can't just need support.

I would guess that 97% of women can probably produce milk (although I wouldn't be surprised if it was lower) but there is so much more to breastfeeding than the mum producing milk which never seem to be mentioned. Mums with disabilities/medical conditions, babies with disabilities/medical conditions, babies who are born prematurely, mums separated from their babies and mums on medication that means they can't breastfeed.

When people gaily spout that 97% of women can breastfeed I find is so annoying and inaccurate. It's usually the same people who want the number of c-sections reduced as well and think that everyone can give birth with no interventions, they just need to stay mobile and ignore the nasty doctors.

Google is your friend here @Pikachu150.

From what I've read, the average weaning age would have been much higher, around 4-7, and breast milk would've made up a larger percentage of a child's calorie intake for much longer so would've extended the postpartum amenorrhea.

So a woman's period may have come back when her child was 2 and then a few months to get pregnant, makes for a gap of 3+ years.

Precisely @Shallotsaresmallonions.

Same here. Maybe 97% can, but there’s still sadly the 3% of us.

I’m in this group - who knows whether I could have breastfed, I never tried. Is it 97% of those who tried?

So there would have been plenty of breastfeeding mothers in many communities who could have acted as wet nurses.

I don't think so. DM breast fed 3 babies we all slept through around 3 or 4 months, she would describe it as very difficult as a child I saw all my aunties breast feed, my sister and I both fed 2 babies each, again not very difficult. Mine were going 7 or 8 hours by 12 weeks. I accept it is very difficult for some women but honselty for most of the women I know well it wasn't.

Sorry DM wouldn't describe it as very difficult. FWIW I think being around lots of women who breast feed.

2019

You clearly have some trauma from not being able to breastfeed, please deal with that rather than bashing others. Many mums could breastfeed if they have more support, that's undeniable.

When you say Also a paediatrician had a go at me when he was 6 years old and said I should have tried harder

what did he actually say if you’re being totally honest @elliejjtiny ?