Great posts ladies! It's really got me thinking... To me it seems like a cultural thing, it's like we as women (probably not 'we' but the general population) seem to try and justify other peoples decisions to stop breast feeding by continuing to propel the perception that it not uncommon for a woman to not be able to breastfeed. It's like we are protecting those who have made that choice by not saying 'it's hard work, but if you perservere you will get there', because saying that could be perceived as someone saying 'you gave up to easily' iykwim?

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for being sensitive to others and avoiding putting people down where ever possible. But I think that as a society, by doing this we are inadvertently saying to mums to be that you should give it a go, but if it gets difficult you may as well give up. When women begin their breastfeeding journey, they're probably embarking on it with this in mind. Where is the empowering 'it can be hard, but you can do it'. Some of us who make a point of educating ourselves embark on the journey with this perspective and TBH I think that is what gets us through and allows us to BF successfully despite the obstacles we face.

A lot of my close friends are pregnant now, which is what has got me thinking about this. And TBH most of them really haven't done anything to inform themselves about birth and beyond other than the general chit chat you have with other women. Like me they all use the 'if I can' line. What makes me worry is that I honestly think that they truly believe that it is more than likely that they won't be able to BF successfully, so will only give it a half hearted go iykwim?

In other cultures, I don't believe that women embark on the journey with this self doubt. I think it's sad that in a society such as ours where we constantly preach about equality and how girls/women can do anything and be anything, we undermine one of our most basic/innate abilities, so much so that the general belief is that there are many women who 'can't' BF.