What do you think is the biggest barrier to breastfeeding In Australia?

[Bathsheba]

I thought long and hard about this one.... almost chose "lack of education" but in the end, like Tanby who I agree with %100, I think it's the accessibility and marketing of artifical milk. I specifically chose the "marketing" because I think this is the worse of the two situations that the govt. should actually tighten up on and do something about.

The way I came to this decision is because, going back to 'lack of education', sometimes you can educate people until you are blue in the face but at the end of the day people will do what is easiest if they think the outcome will be pretty much the same.

I don't want to offend all the poor mums who have tired desperately to BF their babies because my heart goes out to them... but I believe there are many mums in the broader community (not so much here in BB) who try to kid themselves that artifical milk is "just as good" so that their lives are easier. I draw an analogy with the Healthy Food/Diet campaigns: everyone KNOWS that you should eat from all 5 food groups (2 fruit and 5 vegetable serves per day etc) but how many people honestly do??? Most of us consume things that we know are of very little nutritional benefit but we eat them anyway because it's convenient and/or it tastes good and we don't think it will do that much harm.

So I think, at the end of the day, it's human nature to do what comes easiest and I honestly don't know what can be done about this. I'm not saying either that ALL mothers take the easiest option! There are hundreds of wonderful stories of womens' journeys to breast feed their babies despite difficulties both here in BB and on the ABA forum. I have the deepst admiration for these women

So I just want to restate that my main point is that artificial milk companies should not be allowed to convince the public that their product is comparable to breast milk. Not just because it is swaying the choice of parents... but because it is infuencing everyone and minimising the importance of breast feeding in general and impeding the BFing 'friendliness' of society as a whole, workplaces/shopping malls etc.

ETA: I also think that a few "warm and fuzzy 'Huggies-Style' Breastfeeding "Ads" (Govt education campaign) on TV would help... I'm sure a clever marketer could beat the formula companies at their own game