Article: Convenience to blame for poor breastfeeding rates

[Emma72]

Shannon, I thought your remarks on the article were right on target. I think the author was making the point that many women don't bf, or cut back, because of the perception that it's more convenient to bottle feed....and our society places a high emphasis on personal convenience.
My third baby had to have comp feeds nearly the entire first year because I was very ill after his birth. Having had a taste of both, I think that bottle feeding *initially* seems more convenient...little coaxing to latch on, feed finished relatively quickly, someone else can do it if needed.
However, as the baby grows older, the convenience (to the mother) of breastfeeding becomes more apparent. What psychologists call "contingency response" is very important--you can respond immediately with the breast, formula takes a bit more time. And as Mayaness said, night feeds are a piece of cake when you're breastfeeding. You are out and about more with an older baby, and the planning required for bottle feeds surprised me. Even bringing a bottle that was already made up had its own annoyances.
I think we have become very preoccupied with bending over backwards to acknowledge the necessary exceptions. Yes, there are caesareans that absolutely have to happen. Yes, bottle feeding was a godsend to me when I was lying semiconscious in the intensive care unit. But people take those exceptional cases and decide that their own convenience (for want of a better word) makes them fall into that category too. Every time someone speaks on breastfeeding, you always hear near the beginning, "Of course, a few women will be unable to breastfeed because of...." We end up giving the fact that a FEW can't, far more weight than it needs, rather than focussing on the idea that NEARLY EVERYONE should be able to do it. When you add the fillip of "convenience" on top of that, it's easy to see how the statistics tumble down so quickly.

I agree with you 100%. Thought it was an excellent article that cut through so much of the BS surrounding this issue. Its not society that stops women breastfeeding, its their own choice.

I read it as a very pro breastfeeding article that acknowledges some of the benefits of formula feeding and lets face it since so many women stop breast feeding after a couple of months there must be alot of truth to what she has written. If only 5% of women can't breastfeed, what about the other 65% who have quit by 6 months?

I'm sick of hearing society makes it hard. Society makes it very easy these days. Its drummed in to us from conception through midwife and obstetrician visits and pre-natal classes that breastfeeding is best for baby. Then we have midwives and lactation consultants to help us, then there are support groups and aust BF assoc and so and so on.

If mothers want to bottle feed, than thats their choice, just please don't blame "society" for it. I had to go back to work part time at 2 months (hardest thing I ever did) and full time at 6 months and I still breastfed, every work place is obliged to give you time to express milk, sure I had to do it in a ugly tiny room full of stock but so what? In my eyes its worth it.

I also think that one of the problmes behind poor breastfeeding numbers is the number of women who go on about how easy it is. I didn't find it easy and neither did anyone in my mothers group, a few of us perservered with it but most had given up by 6 weeks let alone 6 months. Maybe if women knew that its not easy, then they wouldn't quit when they run in to a few hurdles.