Australia's low breastfeeding rate

[Aly Mac]

Interesting article in today's paper - 10%.  I thought it would have been higher.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22371642-5007146,00.html

[dbj]

That does seem low, though I don't live in Australia, but would have thought it would be similar to Canada.  I guess I don't really have anyway of knowing and I am probably biased by the thriving BW breastfeeding community.  In the moms & babies group I go to it's probably about 10 - 20% that are still breastfeeding.  I have heard that a fairly good percentage of mothers start out breastfeeding, but then it drops off dramatically as the months go by.   It would be interesting to know how the rates compare around the world.

[Aly Mac]

I'm the only one in my mums group to bf. All tried but had problems bar one.  She decided at around 4months to stop. not sure why.  there was one that bf only in the morning but she stopped that around 8months due to teeth.    It felt odd at first to be the only one, as they couldnt' understand why.  I kind of said why not, given that it has been relatively easy for me.  they are all quite in awe of me now!!!

[Samuel's mum]

It might not feel like it but 10% exclusive for 6 months is actually really really good compared to global figures from other developed countries. The article says that figure is for exclusive for 6 months.

In the UK - babies being exclusively breastfed for 6 months....

statistically less than 1%. (2005 figures). Basically 0%.

In 2005 - how many feeding exclusively at 6 weeks? 21%

About 20% doing any breastfeeding at 6 months compared to your 30% (article says 70% not breastfeeding at all at 6 months in Aus).

Us rates tend to be slightly lower than the UK and Canada slightly higher.

Aus should actually be celebrating.  

[Aly Mac]

Thank you so much Emma.  You know your stuff

I always forget the 'exclusive' bit.

Well I'm still exclusive at 10.5 months!!!

[Deb_in_oz]

I'm the only one in my mums group to bf. All tried but had problems bar one.  She decided at around 4months to stop. not sure why.  there was one that bf only in the morning but she stopped that around 8months due to teeth.    It felt odd at first to be the only one, as they couldnt' understand why.  I kind of said why not, given that it has been relatively easy for me.  they are all quite in awe of me now!!!

that is really interesting as in my mother's group (north side of sydney) when i had alex (2003) just about everyone BF - i think 1 lady bottle fed from early on, but anyone who used a bottle to supplement in the first 6 mo mostly used expressed milk.  i have heard the levels of BF in Oz can vary widely from suburb to suburb and city to city...I wonder if levels have changed a lot in the last 4 years 

when i visited my family int he states when alex was 3-4 mo old i got some big reactions to my BF - i fed her (covered discretely) in the food court at a big mall as she got hungry right when my mom and i were eating  and in the ladies lounge/rest area in Nordstroms and ladies would come up to me and talk about the fact that i was BF as they were not.  In Oz i BF alex everywhere in the open - at the beach, on a bench in the park, in restaurants.  My american friends found that off-putting. i do think there is a strong BF culture in oz...and that is why i felt so torn when i switched to formula with liv at 3 mo. as i felt like i was the odd one out.

[*Natasha*]

My Ob told me most women start out breastfeeding and by thier 6week check most have stopped. At our first mothers group i was feeling really nervous as i though i would be the only one bottlefeeding and was very relieved when alot of the other mothers also pulled out the bottle. I think the reason for me not continuing breastfeeding was the lack of support from the hospital and the main reason i am having this baby in another hospital.
Plus i found the classes you attend before having the baby made it sound so easy when in fact it is difficult for alot of women in the beginning.
Thats my 2 cents worth

[Katet]

Aly... is your dd taking solids at 10.5mo... cos if she is then you aren't "exclusively bf"
My nurse commented that the way NSW takes statistics, 1 bottle occasionally of formula didn't count  (if less than daily), but introducing solids before 6mo meant that a mother was not exclusively bf.

[Samuel's mum]

Yes, officially 'exclusive breastfeeding' means no solids, water, juice as well as alternative milk. So the article means only 10% held off on solids until 6 months and didn't use formula. An 'exclusively breastfeeding' mummy who started solids in addition at 5 months wouldn't get into that 10% figure.

[Aly Mac]

stupid me  I forgot about the food.....but you all know what I meant.

I agree with Natasha - those clases make everything sound so easy.  I didn't learn too much that I really needed to know.

So I suppose the stats are good then, if you take into acount what 'exclusive' really means.

[Corinne's Mommy]

Just heard American stats on the radio yesterday- around 75% try breastfeeding- only 30% go until 6 months and only 11% until a year which is what the American Association of Pediatrics reccomends.  I don't think those stats are EBF though. (obviously no one waits until a year to introduce solids- so that's why I'm assuming that stat just means breastfeeding in any way)  I was surprised it was that low.   I also just heard that New York hospitals are going to stop sending formula home with moms.  (all hospitals here send you home with several free containers of formula).  I think that it would help moms think twice about giving up BF if they didn't have an alternative supply in the pantry!  It's been a very controversial issue in the US.

[First Time Mom]

Corinne's mommy, I'm very surprised to hear that hospitals in the US send moms home with formula! I'm in Canada and the hospitals here (at least my local one and I'm in a major city) are very pro-bfing and against formula. I remember being told that they had to put their money in bfing education for all the nurses and did weekly bfing "classes" in hospital for all new moms so there is little funding for the formula. They do keep formula in the hospital but are extremely reluctant to give it, they'll bring you an electric pump and 2 nurses to help you pump first before a bottle of formula. I did find the bfing push in the hospital to be somewhat overbearing but it helped me greatly in the beginning and as a result we bf until 18 months when my dd self-weaned.

[dbj]

I'm also in Canada, and found it similar to Marian.  In my pre-natal class and in the hospital there was almost no mention of formula at all.  Breastfeeding is strongly promoted in the hospital and there would be no way they would send you home with a formula sample.  I have also heard some stories that some mothers are made to feel badly if they don't want to breastfeed.  I had a fairly good experience with getting breastfeeding established, so didn't need much support immediately after, but did feel "on my own" after leaving the hospital.  I know there is support out there with public health and LLL, but I think it's up to the mother to really seek it out and many probably don't even know what resources are there.  I think that's why a lot end up switching to formula because the support is lacking.  I'm glad to have found this site to find great support and info and a such a large breastfeeding community. 

[Deb_in_oz]

australian hospitals are similar to canadian.  here in Oz rthere is a sample bag system called "Bounty bag" and you get them at various stages of PG and delivery.  Well, many hospitals won't even distribute the bags to new moms (the 2nd bag is when you deliver) because the magazine that organizes it with Johnson and Johnson has ADS for formula in them (not even samples, just ads) because they don't want new moms to even see advertising for formula while they struggle to establish a BF relationship  so there is no offer of formula here.  there was a lot of pressure at both hospitals i had the girls in (alex was born in a private hospital and liv in a public hospital and both were SUPER-PRO BF)

i know whenever i am in the states i see tonnes of coupons for huge discounts on formula as well - here you are lucky to catch them on sale on rare occassions, but generally it is rather expensive especially if you buy into the hype of some of the more expensive brands with "extras" like i did when i supplemented Alex at 7mo.  by the time i had liv i was more open to talkling about formula as we had problems with feeding all along and at my 6 week hospital check i asked about it and the doctor told me to buy whatever i could afford and not feel guilty for not buying the most expensive brand... i am grateful to him for being supportive of my queries to begin with - even if it took me another 2 mo to decide to switch to formula.

[Aly Mac]

The first q they ask in the hospital in Aus I went to (private) was are you going to bf.  I always said, if I"m able to.  so no formula was even mentioned, but I thought that was because of my answer.

I like the pro bf but I think it can make mums very guilt ridden if they have lots of trouble bfing.  I know my friend had issues and she would go and read the formula can which says bf is best, would feel guility and go back and try again.  (and cry alot) your first few months with your bub jsut shouldn't be like that.