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

[Danni]

im sorry i dont have time to read back through the posts....but has anyone mentioned the lack of public acceptance in regards to breast feeding?

[kyliealysha]

I've been thinking about this. I think that more education/support BEFORE the birth is needed. I have flat nipples which my baby was unable to attach to right away and I was completely unaware of this until the first time I tried to feed her. In my pre natal class we were shown attachment with a fake cloth breast and told that the first feed would be the easiest and best imagine my dissapointment when I could not feed my baby at all.

Anyway had I known in advance that I had flat nipples I could have prepared myself for it, as I ended up having to give ebm for the first few weeks which involved a mad dash to the chemist to hire a breastpump, steriliser and bottles as I was completely unprepared for this to happen.

[Smoke Jaguar]

Me too, MelanieR I'm 'guilty' of just doing things and talking about things to normalise them! Some would say it makes me militant. I reckon I'm just making a touch of a difference.
Last weekend I was at a fire call and it went for ages. And ages. Finally, I decided I needed to find a rock to sit on, in an unlit part of the property we were on, to just express onto the ground (in the absence of a receptacle to hold my milk safely). One of the other girls (actually, she may have been the only other girl there, now that I think on it), who is pretty cool with BFing and laughs good naturedly at stories of milk spraying everywhere, was still a bit grossed out that I had to express, and that I had to do it onto the ground. So, it would seem to me that whilst she's ok with feeding the child, the substance itself is still a bit taboo. Nevermind that it is lifegiving! But then, some people are grossed out by blood, so maybe it's related
Anyway, I try not to 'hide', but if DS is being wriggly, I will find a quiet spot just so that I don't let down all over the walkway...
And I'll talk about it. I do NOT get embarrassed when DS reaches down my top in public. In fact, I exclaim how cute it is, because I really do think it is.
However, what I wanted to say re: advertising in the public arena, was that there are already thousands of beautiful BFing photographs around, but it's unfortunate that only BFing families and visiting friends see them. I'm talking about both BFing photography and the ABA calendar. The most divine BFing photo I've ever seen is in this year's ABA calendar. I would give anything to have a similar shot of myself and DS! If you know someone with it, it's the December (and cover) photo.
BFing is SUCH a beautiful thing, and these pictures really convey that. I get really annoyed by the small ads of those BFing shawls. Yeah, I know there are women who are really shy about BFing, it annoys me that this society has them feeling that way. My mum wants to fit into this society so much that she accuses me of flouting 'convention' by feeding in public...she's from Latin America...where it's a natural thing!

[MantaRay]

I hear you IK. I might possibly be called militant and times too LOL! You reminded me of an experience I had earlier this year. I always try to be discrete when feeding in public, as I don't want to make people more against it by showing too much IYKWIM. Earlier this year we went on a family holiday to Vanuatu and visited a local village. While there I needed to feed Thomas so I sat next to some local women on a bench and started to feed, being reasonably discrete as usual. Imagine my surprise when the women next to me lifted my top up more (I'm not sure whether it was to see better or to give Tom more room). But either way, I thought wow, how refreshing, that here was somewhere where people rejoiced in the bfing experience instead of cringing at it. If only it was like that everywhere.