The UK has a breastfeeding rate at 12 months of 0.5% apparently - worst in the world.

[minifingerz]

Whereas 99.4% of women in Senegal, where there is widespread poverty, double the UK average family size, no maternity leave and minimal medical or midwifery support for postnatal mothers, are still going.

Those statistics are mind-boggling, given that most of the 82% of women who start off breastfeeding in the UK state medical reasons for not being able to continue breastfeeding.

Does beg the question - how is this possible?

here

[Iggi999]

It's really easy to keep bfing when you're back at work though, if your supply is well established and the baby is near a year then mostly you can just feed when you're home, give cows milk when you're at work - the body adjusts. I have found continuing to bf really easy compared to the first months of doing it. Mind you I don't discuss with anyone other than dh that I'm feeding a toddler, and no ncp knows it. In fact DC is having issues with speech, and I'm definitely not mentioning the bfing in case I get blamed for that.

[Coldest]

A lot of people are surprised by how painful it is esp with bad latch

[Husbanddoestheironing]

Maybe it is iggi but like I said, I didn't want too. I'm happy that you are happy to though. And it's bonkers that you don't feel you can share that with a hcp! A mothers place is in the wrong...

[CultureSucksDownWords]

LucyBabs, can I ask why? You're presumably happy with your decision to use formula? Would you disagree that higher breastfeeding rates would be a desirable public health outcome?

[museumum]

superking "Seems very odd that so many women who had got through the sometimes difficult first few weeks, and who were obviously committed to breastfeeding for a number of months, almost all stopped between 6 and 12 months."

I stopped at 13mo when my ds began to fight it. If he'd fought it at 11mo id have stopped then. I just wasn't prepared to reduce us both to tears by trying to force him when I felt he was getting good nutrition from food.

[Iggi999]

Thanks husbanddoestheironing. Can I say my post was not a rebuttal of yours, we were both typing at the same time I think!
I have been on enough threads on here to know that bf toddlers can be seen as weird, disgusting, for my benefit, likely to cause issues in later life etc (by some).

[minifingerz]

"Given in the UK people can just about maybe stay off until babys first birthday (but usually not), stopping before then isn't surprising"

But usually it's perfectly possible to go back to work in some capacity and still continue to breastfeed an older baby in some capacity. And there are plenty of countries with massively higher rates of continued breastfeeding than the UK who have worse provision of maternity leave.

[TheBitterBoy]

Well I BF'd DS until he was around 14 months old having returned to work when he was 11 months. At no point did anyone record this that I can recall, I can't think where they get that stat. I'm sure it is pretty low at 12 months, but I have plenty of friends who were still feeding at 12 months.

[TheCatsMeow]

mini perhaps many women do not want to bf longer than a year? Are you asking why they would want to stop? I'd imagine the same reasons some might not want to bf in the first place

[susannahmoodie]

I bf my DS to 18m and 13m and went back to work FT when they were 10-11m. So the work argument is a red herring.

[INeedACheeseSlicer]

I agree that you don't usually get asked. I wasn't. And when I told the doctor at DC's 2 year check that they still had one breastfeed per day before bed, I got given a lecture about them still doing it when they started school .

I don't know anyone who hasn't breastfed up to six months(often mixing with formula feeding as well); I do know several people who have continued beyond 1 year, but I think it is viewed as a bit hippyish to do so. Most people I know have been thoroughly committed to 6 months, but have been relieved to stop then. it has usually been a choice - and of course entirely up to them.

I think if people stop before 6 months, they might well cite medical reasons, but stopping at 6 months (if you have had no difficulties with feeding) is I would say the cultural norm

In my circle of generally well educated and middle class mothers, 6 months is seen as imperative, over 6 months as a bit unnecessary, over 1 year as utterly bonkers and crazy and you need to get your life back.

[minifingerz]

"Its galling for us that chose to ff how bothered those like yourself are that we didn't bf."

Don't fret! I'm not bothered with your choices as an individual mum, that's none of my business.

But I'm one of a fair number of people who see infant feeding at a population level as interesting and important.

Sorry it upsets you, and I do understand. I appreciate being able to listen to and engage in discussions about infant feeding without feeling needled about my own choices, because I breastfed my children. However, there's other aspects of my children's lifestyles and diets that worry me, and that I wish could be better. I try not to take discussions of these issues personally though, and that makes a difference.

[Miloarmadillo1]

I breastfed all of mine beyond 12 months (16m, 26m, still going at 20m) and have never been asked at any point beyond 6 week baby check. I make a point of ticking the box in the red book myself....

I think the bigger worry is the number of women who initiate breastfeeding then give up in the first few weeks - because that might be different if the support was better, whereas anyone who makes it to 6 months probably gives up at some point after that because they've just had enough or for social reasons. Whilst I absolutely believe breastfeeding an older baby or toddler continues to be beneficial I think we'd make a much bigger impact health wise if more women were supported to BF exclusively for 6 months or thereabouts. I can't get excited about someone doing 11 months and deciding they've had enough.

[TheCatsMeow]

mini I'm interested if you think pain is a medical reason?

[superking]

museumum sure, I certainly wouldn't expect all, or even most, mums who breastfed to 6 months to carry on to 12 months. And I'm not saying they should either. But statistically it seems very odd that so many - very nearly all - of those who did make it to 6 months stopped before they got to a year.

[minifingerz]

"I would class postnatal depression, exhaustion, a difficult birth as all medical reasons. We are entitled to look after ourselves as mothers as well as our babies. I think it's another example of how mental health is not seen as real a thing as physical issues."

But I'm still left with the question, what is it about UK culture or maybe maternity care that seems to make these things - pnd, tiredness, a difficult birth - the cause of such a high rate of breastfeeding fall-out, when it doesn't seem to happen like that in other countries? Do UK mothers have much more difficult births than Norweigan mothers? If so, why isn't there a correlation between high rates of c-section and assisted delivery and low breastfeeding rates in the UK? If anything it's the other way around. The women who are most likely to have difficult births in the UK (older, more educated mothers) are also those who are most likely to breastfeed, and to breastfeed longest.

My understanding is that uncomplicated breastfeeding (which seems to be achievable for most women outside of the UK) is associated with reduced rates of PND, and that complicated breastfeeding (as experienced by huge numbers of mothers in the UK) is associated with increased rates of PND.

You have to ask the question - why is breastfeeding so difficult for mums in the UK? What are the cultural factors influencing this?

[LucyBabs]

I'm not upset, far from it mini

All i did was reverse your comment you made about finding it "galling that people are bothered how long I bf my child" or words to that effect.

Clearly it does bother you when people make comments about your choice.

[gleam]

When I was pregnant with my second dc, the midwife kept telling me to stop bf dc1.

I found bf very easy and my supply was very good. It's not rocket science to think that somebody in the opposite position is going to struggle and potentially stop bf.

I wonder if Senegal records if babies are bf by mums other than their own, as used to be the case with wet-nursing here?

[minifingerz]

"mini I'm interested if you think pain is a medical reason?"

Good question. If breastfeeding is very painful it usually indicates a physiological problem.

The question is 1. why UK mothers experience higher rates of painful breastfeeding and 2. if UK mothers aren't experiencing higher rates of painful breastfeeding - ie difficult breastfeeding is universal - why are much larger numbers of UK mothers responding to this by stopping breastfeeding, compared to women in other developed countries, who may also be experiencing difficult breastfeeding, but appear to continue breastfeeding despite this.

[Doublebubblebubble]

Fed my DD7 for 19 months - had to stop as I was a ridiculously strong antibiotic for a kidney infection. asked only a few times.

Currently still feeding 15 week old ds. and I'm planning on going to two years unless ds decides he is done I was asked at the 6week Dr check and hv visit - not once since. I know a fair few breastfeeding mum's.

[ouryve]

She was seen by very highly regarded laceration consultant

Painful ;)

[NewBallsPlease00]

I gave up at 7 months with dc1 because it was going back to work and never expressed very well,
Dc2 ATM intend to carry on as long as works for us but expect it to be no longer than 9 months again because of returning to work
I do think 6montys is the better publicised 'benefit' milestone - a friend recently asked if I'd done to a year as was recommended (she lives overseas) - I'd not really heard it before
I don't think uk lifestyles with working support 1 year
In USA I think rates are hifhe bizzare ly because their ml is so poor there is a higher level of sahm as people choose not to return to ft work at 6weeks

[OvariesBeforeBrovaries]

What is the breastfeeding support like in those other countries? Practical, physical support?

The problem with these statistics is it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Yes, well-educated older mothers are more likely to breastfeed and continue breastfeeding. Which may explain why I had zero postnatal ward support at 19, but saw the woman opposite in her 30s spend ages with the HCP carefully showing her how to breastfeed, how best to hold the baby, helping her to express etc. And I got "sort it out or give formula because we can't discharge you until then".

[minifingerz]

"All i did as reverse your comment you made about finding it "galling that people are bothered how long I bf my child" or words to that effect.

Clearly it does bother you when people make comments about your choice.'

Of course - I have never commented on someone's individual feeding choice, and I don't expect them to comment on mine.

Someone asking me 'you're not still breastfeeding that child are you?' in a tone of astonishment and disgust, is the moral equivalent of me asking a mother who's formula feeding her newborn 'What, you didn't breastfeed at all ? That would be rude, judgemental and intrusive.

On the other hand I have no problem with someone who wants to engage in a discussion of natural term feeding, who wants to air their concerns about it, as long as they stick to the facts, are happy to be challenged, and don't make it personal.

[FellOutOfBedTwice]

I am still breastfeeding my daughter at 19 months, I have one friend who is doing the same. I don't know a single other mother who breastfed beyond about 8 months and am routinely called a hippy and asked when I'm going to stop. My mum fed me and my sister to a year but then weaned us because "that's what you do". She is supportive of me continuing but not sure she gets it. I live in a fairly middle class area with fairly educated peers (and wouldn't even describe myself as especially educated or middle class although I do a professional job).

Honestly, I've been treated as very weird for breastfeeding full stop let alone continuing. The only other people I know with a compatible breastfeeding history to me are my Asian workmates, all of whom without exception have breastfed to two years plus (I work in a very ethnically diverse area but live in a very ethnically undiverse area and culture). So it must be cultural. But I'm not sure what the culture is where people are feeding let alone extended feeding.