I think education and support are the keys to encouraging breastfeeding. I have breastfed all of mine for extended periods (10mths, 16mths and 11mths). My milk has never come in until 5 or 6 days past the birth. I was llucky to have supportive midwives the first time that kept me in hospital until my milk came in and breastfeeding was established. If not for that I probably wouldn't have ended up breastfeeding any of them.

Having said that I CHOSE to breastfeed. If someone is fully educated and has the support available and still CHOOSES not to breastfeed - well that is their decision. They are and should be free to do as they wish, not what someone else wants them to do.

It does make me sad when I see some mums not have that education and support make the formula feeding decision, but I can understand it, and I will NOT judge them. They are the only ones who can make that decision.

furthermore, breastfeeding is ALOT of work and takes up massive amounts of time. To tell someone they 'have' to do it won't work - they will just end up resenting the situation and possibly their baby. And it is not as easy as saying that people can express. I have breastfed easily but after about 3mths I am unable to get anything out with my expressing pump. Don't know why. I atill have good supply (hell I still have suplly even mths after giving up breastfeeding), but I am unable to get that milk out without baby actually suckling.