Irons, of course a small number of women can't bfeed. But an enormous number of women can but don't through lack of information and lack of support and campaigns such as these are trying to reach them, not give a retrospective comment on somebody's bfing failure.
And yes, I understand, many of you ffed and got criticised. I bfed and had the same. It's not about the method of feeding, it's about the twunts out there that have to criticise strangers.
And the bfing rates are slowly improving actually. You could argue that the campaign is working. You could also argue that what's holding it back from working better is the normalisation of ffing, the misinformation touted by and lack of training given to hcps with their 'top ups' and 'centiles'. More and more women are trying, but they're up against it. Advertising of formula, white coat sanctioned advice from the hv in your front room (who must know that your child needs a top up because they're trained right?), myths that prevail about formula fed infants sleeping better, diet and stress affecting milk, breast shape ruined by bfing, women having to go back to work and not supported to or able to continue feeding, breasts feeling empty, not able to express so not able to feed, the baby not doing 3hrly feeds and on and on and on ad nauseum. Perhaps it's not that the promotion of one doesn't work but the pushing of the other and its associations are negatively affecting the way we do things here. It's not just the campaign that determines the choices that are made, it's a complex issue that won't be solved easily. And good, solid, factual information is the start. It has to be out there, trying to counter the myths and struggles that prevail.