Is breastfeeding seen as a middle class thing?

[Thandeka]

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?

My HV said she couldn't advise on bfing as she had just transferred to rural from a more deprived area where NO-ONE bf'd. Was !
All the women in my (mc) family have bf'd.

Yes Tiktok that could be the only reason why I would not agree with you.

Goodness, children thrive on love, attention and half decent food. That is neither a upper class, middle class or working class preserve.

To re-iterate I bfed but have no problem with ff-ing and yes I dont believe that the health benefits are all they are made out to be. My best friend is a formula feeder and I consider her a much better mum than I am.

"I also think that good, loving and caring parenting is about more than what milk you put in your babies mouth."

Debka - it's actually very insulting to those of us who value breastfeeding to imply that ANY of us think it's the be-all and end-all of good parenting. In fact I think this is one of those cliche'd accusations leveled unfairly at breastfeeding advocates in order to make them look ridiculous and unreasonable.

I live in a truly middle class area.
prep and public schools, people with titles, own horses types.
And I am one of the only people who breastfed for more than six weeks. (I am also not one of them if you know what I mean)
Its very different from where I grew up which is also middleclass as the rate is much higher there.
I have to admit I knew the stats said that mc people are more likely to bf so was a littlr surprised by the levels here

Does milk tokens have anything to do with it?

Fio - no one is judging here as far as I can tell. I was discussing the evidence for bf being a middle class thing. The stats are clear. Class, and education, are a factor in whether someone is or isn't more likely to bf. Of course you know plenty of middle class people with no quals or aspirations. This is because stats cannot describe every individual. This does not alter the fact that middle class people are more likely to be educated after 16.

Mindy, I speculated, was on drugs because she was giggling and making no sense

The debate about the middle classness or otherwise of bf has nothing to do with parenting being more than feeding. Only an idiot would deny that

Debka - your HV is at least honest, if rather pathetic. I hope she makes sure she gets some training.

I've no idea if I agree with you or not, Mindy. I am pretty sure you are wrong in thinking this thread shows 'smuggery' but as for anything else, you're so incoherent I'm not sure what your views are

Do you udnerstand how insulting it is to be judged as not educated just because of your social class? I know plenty of middle class women who have no qualifications and no career aspirations.

Well I would consider myself educated but I have neither qualifications nor career aspirations. I consider there to be more to life and I don't feel I need someone elses judgement of what I am learning.

Someone actually said this to me last week that at our BFing group there is only middle class mothers and that they are probably the group that would have BF anyway and not the group that should be targeted.

I'm BFing my 4th DC now and over the years have heard a whole load of comments as to why someone chose not to BF (whether I wanted to hear them or not) these have included:

• I wanted to go out and get drunk again
• That's disgusting a baby sucking on your boob
• My boobs are for my husband
• You don't know how much they are getting
• I never had enough milk (sad how many mothers have said this to me)
• Didn't even try
• FF babies more content/sleep better
• wanted a break
• only poor peopl who cannot afford formula BF

Well guys i have to say i dissaree, i am working class and from a single parent family, (it bothers others more than me,) i am now a happily married mom of two with number three on the way, i bf both of my boys for twelve months, with not a cracked nipple nor sore breast for the entire period. Neither of mine lost weight during their first week as most babies do. I will do th same with this one. And without a degree, a high paid job or a nanny lol.
breast feeding isn't about your class, working, middle, upper, lower, its about making choices for you and for your baby. I think is too much pressure on moms to bf and too much stigma attatched to bottle feeding. YOu constantly hear stories about people hiding bottles from the hv, for goodness sake life is too short, I breast fed because i wanted to. that and i had no idea how to make up a bottle of formula,lol, (nor would i try at three am) there was no way i could afford the pre mixed.

This site will roughly describe your area (click on Neighbours & enter your postcode).
It doesn't mention about breast feeding rates in your area though. Although, according to my postcode its full of pensioners in rented accommodation so I guess BF rates would be pretty low.

Fio - if you google Infant Feeding 2005 you can find the latest of the 5-yearly UK surveys. This is sound, academically-robust data collected from paper and digital records, face to face interviews, postal surveys, which is fully tested for validity.

I think something like 10,000 mothers and babies are involved.

LeonieDelt, I think you just pick one.

Lizzzombie - I live in a very poor area with one of the highest breastfeeding initiation rates in the country (85%)

Why so high? Because it's a hugely ethnically diverse area with many mums who come from non-English cultures where breastfeeding is NORMAL.

It's really only in the West that breastfeeding is seen as a 'parenting practice' and a 'lifestyle choice'. Most other cultures see it as the normal way to feed a baby.

LOL at exploding, I am not the one getting excited here.

Family income Low
Interest in current affairs Low
Housing - with mortgage Medium
Educated - to degree level Low
Couples with children Medium
Have satellite TV Medium

This was my area daily mail is the most popular news paper, and the biggest hobby is going to the pub or watching cable tv .

Slushy Get you - Daily Mail! Thats so posh!

Guardian here along with theatre and wine.

Can't be ll that accurate though because it says children=low. You can't move for smugaboos most days.

I was 20 when I had DS1 and had no doubt that I would bf, minutes after having him midwife asked if we had a bottle ready, I was shocked that the fact I was young made her presume I would ff!

And for what its worth yes I am from a middle class background!

I don't want this to sound derogatory but my cousin was 19 when she had her first child, has never worked, lives in her free house with her boyfriend (who works and gets good money) illegally and generally is not the brightest spark. We were talking about me breastfeeding the other week and I asked what made her give up breastfeeding her child.
She said "I never even did it. I had a wedding to go to two weeks after she was born and I'd already bought my light grey satin dress. There was no way I was leaking on that it cost me £40."
I wanted to cry.

Leaves guardian copy on the table