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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Is breastfeeding seen as a middle class thing?

380 replies

Thandeka · 12/07/2010 15:07

Am genuinely curious. Just heard a local children's centre in a deprived area refused to have a breastfeeding support group in it because only the middle class mums would go.

eh?
And I have heard elsewhere that breastfeeding levels are much higher in the middle classes,
Could it linked with education levels?

I have a feeling in other countries people of all classes breastfeed so why not in this country?

Am not posting this to be controversial or anything and apologies if it has been done to death already- I couldn't find anything before but I just wondered if mumsnetters thought it was a middle class thing? and know any reasons why this is?

OP posts:
milliemoocow · 14/07/2010 13:17

i agree its a pretty middle class thing to do, i live in middle class area (rural) and everyone breast feeds someone set up a baby social group (1st ever in this area)and i was only one that didnt bf while at that group and got throwned upon... (i did bf for first few week but then switched to special formula as baby not gaining enough weight and with been prem scbu asked for permession 4 this)

hambo · 14/07/2010 13:17

I live in a poor area in which ....we are offered free ironing for 10 weeks if we breast feed!!

I asked why and the health visitor told me that this area had the worst brest feeding statistics going. She admitted that the more affluent people did BF more than the poorer people and she thought this was because the latter had grannies that had bottle fed and put pressure on their daughters etc.

She said some used the excuse that it was time consuming so that is why they offered the ironing service.

I don't know about class but in terms of income she said it was pretty clear.

hambo · 14/07/2010 13:18

breast!

tiktok · 14/07/2010 13:18

Fio - a properly-selected sample of 10,000 mothers is a massive survey....honestly! Ask any social researcher. This huge sample is ample to divide into class, region, background, first or second time or subsequent mothers.

FioFio · 14/07/2010 13:23

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somethinganything · 14/07/2010 13:25

round these parts it's without a doubt predominantly the middle classes who BF. Isn't there some research somewhere about middle class professional mums in their 30s being the group most likely to breastfeed? Apologies if that's already been raised, haven't had time to read the whole thread

BeerTricksPotter · 14/07/2010 13:38

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jillgavaghan · 14/07/2010 13:44

BF is a personal decision, not a class decision - I'm fed up with the view breast is best - i've seen friends in tears with PMT and unable to breast feed terribly well for all sorts of reasons

everyone does what they want - FORMULA DOES NOT KILL BABIES - OK !!

CakeandRoses · 14/07/2010 14:50

I live in a pretty middle-class, rich area but I seemed to be one of only a few bfeeders at about 4 months and the last remaining one by 9 months.

hambo - that's interesting re poor area/ironing. The media often appears to make no attempt to separate class from income and they often get lumped together as in 'Middle class mothers do x' when sometimes it would be more accurate to say 'Mothers with a household income over £60k do x' (picked £60k out of a hat, don't everyone start debating what that means now! )

Beertricks - I'm with you on that one!

jillgavaghan - Whoaa! I don't think anyone's said formula does kill babies. And I'm thinking you mean PND not PMT?

Timeforabiscuit · 14/07/2010 15:25

People hate change, they will do anything to avoid it unless there are massive benefits which are preferably immediate.

I was actively shouted down from both side of the family for deciding to breastfeed, I was being selfish not letting them help with feeding in the early days, it would be painful, its creepy, male relatives walking out of the room when realising I was feeding,how would I know that the baby would be getting enough, didn't I have enough on my plate served up with a big dollop of "well you were bottlefed and turned out fine"

Lets face it - if it's your first baby you go to family first for advice, if it's close knit and you rely on them for ongoing support you're going to have to give them a whole lot of ear time, much more than a health visitor will have.

PinkElephant73 · 14/07/2010 15:28

FioFio doesn't it completely undermine breastfeeding promotion for the state to offer cheap formula milk? How bizarre. And this was something that was highly visible in the GP surgery. There was/is as a separate window in the reception area where you could queue up, with a large poster advertising sales of baby milk.

They certainly weren't selling fruit and veg as an alternative either.

Debs75 · 14/07/2010 15:44

I got milk vouchers 14 years ago when DD1 was weaning off breast milk. I got 2 a week and 1 would buy a tin of baby formula and the other would buy 7/8 bottles of cows milk.
Now you get healthy start vouchers where they are worth 3.10 toward the cost of milk, fruit and veg or a tin of baby milk. I use mine for fruit and veg as you need 3 to but formula milk, plus I don't use it.

It may seem silly to you to promote baby milk in baby health clinics but as some mums can not breast feed what are you supposed to feed them.
Whilst we live in a country with proper choice why shouldn't baby milk be promoted as well as breastfeeding.
Our local maternity are running a huge bfing program and our bus stops have pictures of bf mothers on them. Ryoko look away now

MoonFaceMama · 14/07/2010 15:44

timeforabiscuit about your lack of support (understatement) but that you stuck to your guns!

In my family there's been alot of willingness to bf but many gave up due to supply issues. Now i am bfing and reading threads on here i realise there was probably no need for them to give up.

So my wc family all know bf is better for babies and want to, but lack the knowledge needed. I'm prob borderline mc and am breaking that trend, so i guess we are a picture of what the stats say...

Fio..that answers that for us then eh?!

thefirstmrsDeVere · 14/07/2010 15:53

timefor good point about the 'you dont know if they are getting enough' That is the major anxiety of the mums I know who ff. The just cannot get their head round not being able to measure the milk in ounces.

They are amazed that I have great big fat babies

Timeforabiscuit · 14/07/2010 15:55

DH was a lifeline - could not have done it without him, a BF support group isn't there at three in the morning - when the bright lights of Tesco are promising a full satisfied baby, and helplines can't show you how to latch on.

CakeandRoses · 14/07/2010 15:57

timeforabiscuit - Gah! Reading about the way your family behaved made me so cross. Must have been a difficult time for you.

When she was pregnant, my SIL's DP had asked her not to bf when the baby arrived so he that he could 'help with the feeding and bond with the baby'. He's actually a nice chap and I think meant well but I was so to hear that. She's now on about week 3 of bfeeding and starting to find it hard-going, I'm giving her all the support and advice I can and I'm really hoping her DP's supporting her too rather than encouraging her to stop.

Timeforabiscuit · 14/07/2010 16:23

i think that there is a certain snobbery attached to breastfeeding - and there is a tendency to wear it as a badge of honour, and it is a minority who practice it who are vocal in their opinions which are supported by scientific evidence.

I'm not sure if that alone counts as being middle class - are you more likely put in the upper working class/middle class side of the room if you breast feed?

Bumpsadaisie · 14/07/2010 16:29

Don't know why FF is always portrayed as the easier option and BF as the option for those who not lazy/prepared to make the effort in return for "doing the best for the baby".

I found that BF was a doddle - DD got the knack immediately, no pain, no mastities, no issues with weight - DD went clockwork along her place on the graph etc etc.

When I switched to FF with DD when I went back to work when she was 8 months, I was shocked by what a pain it is to make up bottles etc (and that was even without the hassle of sterilizing - i didn't bother as she was an older baby).

FF must require an awful lot MORE effort. What happens with a newborn at night? Do you have to go downstairs and make up a bottle while baby screams? I just used to BF DD lying down and I barely woke up most of the time.

I don't think BF-ing is necessarily the more effortful option! I know some mums and babies finder it harder to establish breastfeeding, but once you have got it sorted, isn't it just so convenient? And also there are plenty of mums like me for whom it just happened with no problems at all.

I think sometimes we overplay how hard it is to breastfeed.

walkersmum · 14/07/2010 16:35

I went to an ante-natal / post natal class which was at least 80% working class, not always easy to tell. Large class and only 2 people FF and everyone else BF those who stopped the earliest were the ones going back to work.

I wouldn't say it was a middle class thing at all.

thefirstmrsDeVere · 14/07/2010 16:37

FF is NOT the easy option. I ff DS2 (he is adopted) he arrived at 8 weeks old and proceeded to feed every hour for the next 6mths or so. What is easy about making up bottles and washing them. Its even harder now with the new guidelines.

I have recently dicovered the term 'noisy parenting' on MN. I love it.

It has made me think of 'noisy breastfeeding' I am all for info and support but I find those who bang on about it loudly all the time very annoying. They really put others off. It is the image that my friends have of bfers. Its not true but the loudest are the ones that are going to be noticed.

Timeforabiscuit · 14/07/2010 16:45

LMAO 'noisy breastfeeding', a bit like militant mammaries

foreverastudent · 14/07/2010 16:45

jill- actually it does, not so much in this country but globally millions of baby deaths can be attributed to formula.

here is one study for you

Mindy1 · 14/07/2010 17:06

Foreverastudent
As bfeeding can if the mother is unable to sufficiently nourish - again generally 3rd world

BertieBasset · 14/07/2010 17:12

Forever a student - "not so much" in this country!!!

Are you suggesting I put my baby at increased risk of death by giving her formula?

I haven't heard of any deaths in this country being attributable to formula, but I may stand to be corrected

CakeandRoses · 14/07/2010 17:13

Please don't let this become the typical ff vs bf slanging match. It's been done to death.

It's so refreshing when we can all be civilised and stick to discussing the original question