So what are the breastfeeding stats in the uk? Am I in a minority?

[sushistar]

In all my lurking on mumsnet, i keep seeing different stats about the rates of bfeeding. How many babies are exclusively breastfed until 6 months? Or bfed at all? DS is exclusively bfed and 7 wks. Are we in a minority? Just curious!

sadly a minority. I can't remember exactly but it's only around 20% at 6 months

Something like 80% of women try, but only around 20% still are a few weeks later, I dont know the exact stats, but I do know that a hell of a lot give up, probably due to lack of support.

Just skimming my bookmarks here is one stat apparently 69% of women start but by one week it's already down to 55%, I think that gives an idea of how many people give up, and how quickly.

TBH, stats are hard to work out, eg a hospital may ask if you;re bfing or ffing and because you arent yet decided they could mark down bfing or ffing so it cant be 100%, just a good indication of an average.

Whatever the stats, well done for doing it, I hope youre enjoying it, around 7 weeks I had just been through a growth spurt at which point DS came very close to going through the window

in our area it is an abysmal 13% of mums who bf. we have our work cut out trying to promote it - and no facilities in the town to go and do it for the 13% of us who want to.

scottish data socio-economic factors and age influence BF rates

I've read lots of different stats, everything from only 33% of mother in the UK bf versus 98% in sweden to 80% of mothers try in UK, it's all dependant on the study.

I know when I had my ds the research all said the women most likely to continue were ones who had close friends/relatives who were very pro and supported bf.
I had my m and s who were both pretty ardent bfers. So it seemed part of my culture to totally expect to do it. Despite that, it was really hard for me. I just didn't give up, it took weeks to get over the raw nipples and the pain but I didn't want to stop.
A friend had a baby recently in hospital and the mwives were all massively pro bfing. But when the baby was a little slow to bf they gave her a bottle. Seems a contradiction to me.
Surely a healthy baby with no alternative will learn through hunger! It's not gonna starve is it?
My sister says "Parenting starts here - it's your responsibility to bf that baby - it's not up to the baby!"
(She was a pretty tough midwife but wonderful to have on your side)

It depends how the stats are gathered. Some hospitals, I have heard, count a baby licking the nipple once as bf initiation.

So they might have a higher rate than one that's got a somewhat more realistic view of what bf initiation might mean.

But in answer to the OP's question, not many. And 92% of babies have formula at some point.

yes, when I had ds1 we were struggling to feed in hospital. In fact, he wouldn't feed at all. one time though he took about 3 sucks and then came off.
I told the midwife that he had latched on and she said that's good, how long for? I told her and she said oh, that's not long. let's just write down that it was for a few minutes.

hmmm. and that helps me how exactly???