Latest infant feeding survey

[showtunesgirl]

www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/publications/003_Health_Lifestyles/Infant_Feeding_Survey2010/ifs_uk_2010_sum.pdf Makes for interesting reading.

www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/publications/003_Health_Lifestyles/Infant_Feeding_Survey2010/ifs_uk_2010_sum.pdf Link enabled this time!

It just links me back to this page?

Really? It's working for me! Try going here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20406743 and then clicking on latest UK figures.

I'll have a read later - I was one of the respondents in this one.

I was one of the respondents on this one too. I was one of the 1% still ebf at 6 months, but I am aware that that's because I never had any major issues that I needed help to spot as the bf support in our area can be rather hit and miss.

It sums up my experience. Keen to bf but just experienced one disaster after another and gave up at 3 weeks.

Interesting.

"The initial breastfeeding rate increased from 76% in 2005 to 81% in 2010 in the UK. This includes all babies who were put to the breast at all, even if this was on one occasion only, and also includes giving expressed breastmilk."

Sadly I think this is the reason for the 'high' breastfeeding figures. The reality is surely different? On one occasion only?

"The prevalence of breastfeeding fell from 81% at birth to 69% at one week, and to 55% at six weeks. At six months, just over a third of mothers (34%) were still breastfeeding."

this is more positive though isn't it?

"Almost half (49%) of all mothers who had prepared powdered infant formula in the last seven days had followed all three recommendations for making up feeds (only making one feed at a time, making feeds within 30 minutes of the water boiling and adding the water to the bottle before the powder). This is a substantial increase since 2005 when 13% did so."

so this means 51% were probably doing it wrong?

"Solid foods tended to be introduced to younger babies among younger mothers and mothers from lower socio-economic groups. At four months, 57% of mothers aged under 20 and 38% of mothers in the routine and manual category and those who had never worked had introduced solids by this time."

this really doesn't surprise me at all.

"Just over one in ten (11%) mothers who had breastfed in public said that they had been stopped or been made to feel uncomfortable doing so. Nearly half of these mothers (47%) had encountered problems finding somewhere suitable to breastfeed."

What a shame :(

I had major issues with breast feeding at the start but realise in retrospect how lucky I was to have a really sensible team of midwives, both in the hospital and in the community, plus a speedy referral onto an excellent BFing counsellor within days of my DS's birth.

Thanks to them, I officially became one of the 1% yesterday

Reckon I'll write them all a letter today to say thanks, actually...they probably don't often get feedback from 6 months down the track.

How strict were they with regards to what was counted as EBF? DD had 30mls of formula on Day 3 and none after that. She is one tomorrow and still BF.

Ha! Same here showtunes! I still count that as EBF since it wasn't the start of a routine introduction of formula or solids at an early age.

I wondered that too. My hospital notes say DS left the hospital breastfed on demand but he was actually given formula within hours of his birth :(

It's REALLY, REALLY stupid but it still bothers me that that happened. DD's birth was really shitty. 22 hours labour, half of which was back to back, EMCS and then sodding urinary retention. A lot of it was out of my control but I still feel as though somehow I "failed" and I'd love to think that I got BFing right. IYSWIM?

Similar experience to stargirl1701. So, so wanted to BF but never quite managed due to problems which, despite my best efforts (going to BF clinics, MW visits, lactation consultants visiting home), couldn't get sorted. Ended up mixed feeding (EBM + formula top ups) for 12 weeks after which I had cracked physically & emotionally. Would have loved to have BF for at least 1 year (that was the original plan, anyway).

So sorry for the posters that didn't have a good BF experience.

My plan too balkanscot.

"The initial breastfeeding rate increased from 76% in 2005 to 81% in 2010 in the UK. This includes all babies who were put to the breast at all, even if this was on one occasion only, and also includes giving expressed breastmilk."

To be honest, I'm suprised that 29% are NEVER put the breast, not even once?

And where it says "At six months, just over a third of mothers (34%) were still breastfeeding" - does that mean any breastfeeding at all, or just EBF? Does that include mixed feeders and early weaners?

Also, surprised that so many (16%) had given follow-on milk at four months old. 1% had given cow's milk as a drink before 6 months too!

Follow-on milk is cheaper, though, as it can be on offer in shops whereas stage 1 formula can't be. I would imagine that's the primary motivation for introducing it early.

VisualiseAHorse 1% are EBFers. The 34% still breast feeding include mixed feeders and early weaners as you say.

I wonder what the percentage is then of people who feed over a year?

Id Like to know that too showtunes.

I've wondered about the ebf thing too, dd was given formula at 5 days, after a weight loss of 20% (according to the midwife. I now think she got it wrong but was too tired, terrified and naive to argue with her. I bitterly regret it now). I managed to get her back to ebf at 8 weeks and she was ebf at 6 months, and is still bf now, at 13 months. So I don't know where we fit into the stats.

Yes, it's a shame it doesn't look beyond a year to see how many people carried on BFing. Although I wasn't selected for the survey, my son's birth was registered in August 2010 so it seems particularly relevant.

The statistic I was interested to see was that 88% of mothers had introduced milk other than breastmilk by 6 months - so 12% were still only BFing at that stage, even though most of those had introduced solids by then, giving a figure of only 1% EBF at 6 months. I always think that 1% figure is a bit misleading.

I was another one who had to top up with formula in the first week, under medical advice, and so was a bit gutted that it didn't count as EBF.

I think although all the figures seem to have improved a bit, it tells the same old story - that the vast majority of new mothers want to breastfeed and start off breastfeeding, and in the first six weeks their intentions are scuppered by booby traps and lack of decent support. We know from other surveys that most women who stop breastfeeding in those early weeks would have liked to carry on for longer. How could they be better supported early on to allow them to reach their own BF goals?

Over 8yrs and 3 dc i've seen a huge attitude change with mums and proffessionals, sadly not for the better. 8yrs ago all my expectant friends really wanted to bf and midwives, hv's all talked about the benefits of bf. This year with dc3, the choice and preference of mum and 'do what's right for you' seems to have taken over (completely understand that bf isn't always possible or even practical). It just seems that many make up their minds to ff without ecen giving bf a chance. I was quite alarmed in hospital too by attitudes to bf and lack of support. With ds (8yrs ago) he didn't feed properly untill day 5. There was no panic and give him ff attitude. I was supported and helped to bf every day, he was cup fed a little eb milk to calm him but we got there. This year with dd2 (dc3) after day 1 of no bf they suggested ff, with no support and a chat on baby needing to feed soon. Out of 6 ladies in my room, i was the only one who left bf ing. 2 ff from the start. The other 3 tried bf but being first time mums and getting no support soon turned to ff. The girl/lady opposite broke my heart. She desperately wanted to bf but after a bad 1st night ds wouldn't feed and midwives told her not to get upset. He needed to feed and ff would be fine. That way at least they could go home :(

Sorry a bit long but a subject i feel strongly on. I've loved bf but if I had my first dc today don't think i'd have managed it :(