only 14% of women BFing still at 6 months?

[lifeintheshwa]

Ok, I'll start things by saying Hi, I'm lifeintheshwa and I'm a breastfeeding fiend. I boob my kid wherever he wants. I took the time before my kid was born to get books about breastfeeding and find out what supports are out there in my community for me. I talked with my husband about how important breastfeeding was to me, and all the benefits to it. I think that brestfeeding is one of the most important things you can do for your child.

http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/article/607858

This kind of crap pisses me off. This is why people formula feed. The writer quotes a woman who says ""I'm having difficulty with breastfeeding. It took a couple of days to get the milk. Zak was born Tuesday and the milk didn't come until Friday,"

DUH! Your kid's stomach is the size of a pea! A really small pea! That's why you have colostrum! This is what is SUPPOSED to happen, and yet people glancing at the article say "oh see her milk wasn't spurting from her boobehs the second the kid was out, formula for you!" The writer doesn't even point out all the false information in the article.

GAH!

Oh, and anyone think that this breaks the UN code on marketing formula with all the google ads for formula right on the side?

(end rant)

[ima062002]

I agree with you that it is sad that so many feel the need to supplement and that far too many cut nursing short; but it's also a reality that many moms need to return to work only a few weeks post partum and too many jobs do not make pumping milk feasible. So for those women it's not even an issue of choice.

Oh and far as the stomach goes. It's not really pea size. From day one to three it's about the size of a marble, on day three about the size of a ping pong ball :). Still small though and colustrum of course is all that is needed.

[Meredith]

I agree with Ima. I think a lot of women don't have the opportunity to establish a good breastfeeding relationship before they have to go back to work, and for many of those women, pumping doesn't go well at all. Even with a cooperative employer, some women just don't respond well to a pump, and they don't have the option of not going to work.

A lack of education and support also play a role. Many women just don't have the access to materials and resources that can ultimately save a breastfeeding relationship. Some don't even know what lactation consultants are when they start breastfeeding (I didn't my first time around), and many don't have friends or family with much breastfeeding experience.

[Peeka2]

Woman don't realize this stuff and if they aren't told different they do not know any better. Hell I didn't realize it with my first(who wasn't bf) or my second(who was). With my first I was leaking all over the place within a day of birth and with my second it took about 4 days. I was terrified and he was only having one or two wet diapers a day the first few days. I did try supplementing with formula with my second but he wouldn't take to a bottle.

I also didn't have very good resources and the hospital didn't have a good support system. If I wouldn't have found this site I guarantee that Dylan would have ended up on formula. He is almost 16 month and still nurses twice a day. Never thought I would EVER nurse past 12 months.

[Peeka2]

FWIW I probably wouldn't have suceeded in nursing this long if I had to work outside my home. My breast never took to a breast pump and so I have very little expressed milk.

[Amberry]

I would like to point out that your title and what is actually in the article are not one in the same.

Your title says

only 14% of women BFing still at 6 months

which is not the same thing as what the article says

By six months, 86 per cent of mothers have introduced formula or other liquids

and

only 14 per cent of new moms are exclusively breastfeeding their babies at age six months, as the health agency recommends.

I am a huge fan of supplementing if it helps to keep up any kind of breastfeeding relationship and the article states that only 14% are exclusively bfing, or that they have "introduced" some kind of liquid. It does not say that they are no longer bfing at all.

I nursed my son for 3 years, I never had to supplement on a regular basis and he still refuses to drink milk, but I would probably say that by 6 months there was the introduction of some kind of liquid.

Our breastfeeding relationship did not suffer or come to an end because of it.

[3girls2luv]

Healthy people 2010 wants at least %50 of babies to be ebf at six months. One of the reasons that we won't make that goal is because doctors give the ok for cereal at 4months and WIC gives cereal at 4mos. (that will be changing though).

I deal with it everyday I hear the same thing "I don't think baby is getting enough, he drank a whole bottle after I bf for 15min on each side, I don't have my milk yet cuz I am not leaking, nothing is coming out when I pump...." and the list goes on. I see these as great opportunities for education and that is what I do. I carry around sheets and bookelets with information and I sit and go over this with moms but I am not here 24/7 so I can't see everyone :(

[Camille]

Yesterday, at my WIC appointment (dd2 is a year now!), my WIC nurse said that the percentage of mothers nursing at 6 months in our county is around 5%. She told me I "wont' get formula for dd anymore" and I'm like, "but, I never got formula". This was after I told her she still nurses 6 - 8 times a day!

yes, it's very sad that formula is the "norm" and bf is the oddity. Seems like it should be the other way around.

People are so weird about breastfeeding. It likely stems from being uneducated. So, I do my best to try and educate people about it, even if it's only my friends and family so they don't act like I've grown a second head when I nurse my one year old.

If it wasn't for this place, though, I wouldn't have known that EN has so many benefits and I would have pushed dd2 to wean by now.

[Camille]

3girls, my WIC office waits until 6 mos to start the "baby package" (cereal and the little juice containers).

[3girls2luv]

I think our state may be behind because they are changing the package in October to where bf moms get a lot more food for mom and ff moms only get ff for the baby IIRC. I was told this this week but I can't remember all the details. I was happy to hear that they won't be giving any cereal or juice until 6mos.

[Meredith]

What Amberry pointed out is important, also. What the article actually states is different than the thread title implications, although, I do tend to believe that many women do offer formula, water, or juice prior to 6 months, and I do believe that this can, in some cases, sabotage a breastfeeding relationship.

However, some mothers have very limited choices. If they're only getting a tiny amount of EBM from pumping, and they have to go to work, the baby has to be fed somehow.

[KerryS]

I want to offer another perspective to the OP:

In our situation (which is uncommon, I will concede), supplementation actually DID save our breastfeeding relationship. In hindsight, I realize now that I should have started supplementation much sooner than I did.

Supplementation is sometimes the appropriate thing to do, and when managed properly, will not sacrifice the breastfeeding relationship.

I have a lot of sympathy for women who try to breastfeed and just can't, due to circumstance or a mismanaged breastfeeding relationship.

Sometimes no amount of reading during pregnancy and support from your spouse and friends is going to help. It bothers me when women say "Well, breastfeeding worked out for us because I bothered to pick up a book during pregnancy/went to La Leche League/whatever." Sometimes, in spite of all your preparation, it still doesn't work out. I think it would behoove us all to realize that, and try not to be too smug. Women are behind the 8-ball from the get-go when it comes to breastfeeding in our country.

[Meredith]

Sometimes no amount of reading during pregnancy and support from your spouse and friends is going to help. It bothers me when women say "Well, breastfeeding worked out for us because I bothered to pick up a book during pregnancy/went to La Leche League/whatever." Sometimes, in spite of all your preparation, it still doesn't work out. I think it would behoove us all to realize that, and try not to be too smug. Women are behind the 8-ball from the get-go when it comes to breastfeeding in our country.

So true.

I learned a lot between my two breastfeeding relationships, and I made a lot of preparations and did a lot of planning and research in an effort to make breastfeeding work, and I still ran into roadblocks that, had they been only slightly worse, would've required formula. I didn't need formula, and I don't think I will, but sometimes you can make all the necessary preparations and educate yourself thoroughly (heck, Kerry's an IBCLC), and sometimes, you still need formula.

[tata]

I wish more mamas would breastfeed, too. The article did contain one fact: women receive a ton of information, a lot of which is contradictory.

I'm the youngest in my family. My dad was in the service, we did a lot of moving around so there were no younger cousins or anything around. I didn't really have any exposure to babies, least of all babies that were breastfed.

When I got pregnant, I had a single friend that nursed her child successfully beyond the first year (they went 4 years), but she lived a thousand miles away. I had no idea that there were lactation consultants until I was in the hospital for delivery. While the one I had seen was pretty great, I had no support from my SO (at the time) or my mother (who only nursed 2/3 kids for less than 2 months each).

Our pediatrician suggested I quit BFing for formula (I had at least enough sense to find a new one), the WIC office was pushing me to take the formula checks; it seemed every corner I turned there was someone there trying to undermine our nursing relationship. There was no one there to turn to, no one to explain that nursing on a schedule is asking for trouble. I believed my baby wasn't getting enough to eat (and she prolly wasn't).

And I did read every book I could get my hand on while I was pregnant, talked to my mom and other moms. There is only so much you can learn from a book, and not much at all from moms who either never BF or were also undermined and ultimately supplemented.

I believe with all my heart that this website (and access to it) is what made me able to nurse my son beyond the incredibly hard first weeks. Real women that have both failed and succeeded, their incredible patience and support and encouragement coupled with honesty about the difficulties.

I don't know how we might encourage more BFing amongst our peers. New moms are typically very emotional with raging hormones. So many of my friends have very little support from their SOs and/or families. It's hard to approach a friend who is struggling. She says "Baby isn't getting enough, I don't make enough," but it may simply be a case of not nursing on demand (which is precisely what I did the first time around). And if she has to go back to work at 6 weeks PP... I'm totally lost on offering advice because I'm absolutely certain there is no way I could have fed my child EBM exclusively. Me + pump = not enough milk. Mamas that have been able to do that are my heroes!

The best I can realistically hope for is to never be shy about openly nursing and make myself available to anyone interested in trying to succeed with BFing, too.

And I'm really glad that there is a safe alternative to BM.

Finally, I agree with Kerry 100%.

[3girls2luv]

Tata that was a very nice post.

I have run across many LCs, WIC people, and BEs and some of them can be very smug. I vowed never to judge a mom who is supplementing even if she is here in our hospital. I try and do what I can to educate her and ease her mind about knowing if baby is getting enough.

I was once a new mom and I failed at my first and second attempt at bf. I failed at my second because the LC in the hospital when I had dd1 was horrible and I refused to bf dd2 until I got home because I did not want the same help I got with my dd1. I then failed with dd2 because she would not latch on and I kept giving bottles. I was afraid to ask for help and when I did the lady from LLL told me I had to nurse every 20 min around the clock in order for baby to learn to bf.

I believe education and support are very important and we should never judge anyone who chooses to supplement with formula.

[tata]

Thanks, 3girls.

I agree that some of the "experts" can be very smug. I am terrified of coming across that way when I hear someone say something like "My baby self-weaned at 5 months" because I would be extremely skeptical that that is what happened. Chances are good that mama didn't nurse on demand (or that anyone ever told her she should), milk supply dropped, bottle supplementing began and then bottle preference.

[HammBugga]

I think the issue mostly lies in not enough information made freely available to new Moms and mis-information from both medical professionals and laypeople. It used to bother me greatly when friends would give up bf. Now I just mind my own business and take care of my kids the way I want to and let my friends do the same. I support them when they want to bf and if they decide to quit, I don't question it. If someone comes to me for help, I help. Otherwise I try and keep my mouth shut.

then if someone has the balls to question why I am still nursing my kid, I give them all the info in my head about why I think it is best for MY child. Otherwise we don't discuss it. My kid, my business.

[still_me]

What bothers me the most is that most misinformation comes from doctors and nurses to their patients. Why aren't they taught in medical school that breastfeeding is the best and ways to help the parents succeed with it? It makes me wonder what else isn't being taught at medical schools.

And I think that formula companies are tricky and can possibly be evil.

[3girls2luv]

What bothers me the most is that most misinformation comes from doctors and nurses to their patients. Why aren't they taught in medical school that breastfeeding is the best and ways to help the parents succeed with it? It makes me wonder what else isn't being taught at medical schools.

And I think that formula companies are tricky and can possibly be evil.


Amen to that. I hear a lot of crazy stuff coming from doctors and it just floors me that they know so little. The nurses do their share of giving misinformation or lack of.
My goal is to become a college professor for the nursing program and I will hopefully be able to certify any student who is intersted in going into women's health and wants to help with BF. A friend of mine who is a mid-wife wants to help me reach that goal with in the next 5yrs.

[alejorge]

Healthy people 2010 wants at least %50 of babies to be ebf at six months. One of the reasons that we won't make that goal is because doctors give the ok for cereal at 4months and WIC gives cereal at 4mos. (that will be changing though).

I deal with it everyday I hear the same thing "I don't think baby is getting enough, he drank a whole bottle after I bf for 15min on each side, I don't have my milk yet cuz I am not leaking, nothing is coming out when I pump...." and the list goes on. I see these as great opportunities for education and that is what I do. I carry around sheets and bookelets with information and I sit and go over this with moms but I am not here 24/7 so I can't see everyone :(


Here WIC doesn't give cereal until 6 months of age and they tell you not to give it earlier than 6 months of age either.

I guess that is one plus for our WIC system here:)

[tata]

WIC here tried to give us cereal at 4 months and juice at 6 months. I didn't take it until 8 months and eventually gave the juice away like 2 weeks ago. Besides being pretty unhealthy in those quantities, juice makes the urine smell really strong.

I am extremely reluctant to tell my own doctors that I'm still nursing after requesting a sleep aid last year and being denied by my physician because I nurse. I went to my ob/gyn and got a 15 day supply of Ambien (I still have some). IMO, so few doctors have any experience with patients that nurse and don't know anything about medication and mother's milk. Frankly, I trust you strangers on the internet more than the doctor. ;) My last request on information was for Baclofen (thread here (http://www.breastfeeding.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39346)); the pharmacist told my husband it wasn't safe while nursing.

[3girls2luv]

I gave a tour yesterday and I went over the delivery procedures and I told her she would be allowed to bf right after to delivery and she said "ewwww bf is gross I will not do that to my child." I had to stand on my tongue to keep from saying what I wanted to but I kept my cool and handled it as a professional. I have also heard people (nurses) say "I will bf my baby but after a year its just crazy and I think people who do that are out of their mind." Well call me crazy but I bf dd3 till she was 18mos.

[crystal555rose]

Medical school education is not as complete as you may think. There are areas that are sorely under-represented such as nutrition. I have even heard that pharmaceutical companies influence the curriculum meanwhile our doctors are taught that the information they are getting is the best there is. That leads to medical doctors that are ignorant but also totally confident that they know everything worth knowing (not all are this way but we have all been seen by these doctors).

I read, I even took a class. It was all crap. You just have to do it and have women around you cheering you on. The advice and information on this site really helped me the most.

[KerryS]

I have also heard people (nurses) say "I will bf my baby but after a year its just crazy and I think people who do that are out of their mind." Well call me crazy but I bf dd3 till she was 18mos.

Yes, many nurses I work with have that attitude, also. Now that Leo is a year, I've gotten a LOT of "are you still nursing?" I laugh and say "remember, I'm one of those weirdos who nurses until college."

One nurse recently opined that once the baby is over 2 or so, breastfeeding is for the mom, not the baby. I LAUGHED at that one.

[3girls2luv]

Yes, many nurses I work with have that attitude, also. Now that Leo is a year, I've gotten a LOT of "are you still nursing?" I laugh and say "remember, I'm one of those weirdos who nurses until college."

One nurse recently opined that once the baby is over 2 or so, breastfeeding is for the mom, not the baby. I LAUGHED at that one.


I have a pic of dd3 on my bulletin board that reads "my mommy is no weaner". We have 7 NICU nurses that are expecting babies in June and the formula rep is already offering them free cases of formula for the first year. He told me the other day when he was coming out of NICU "back off bf lady these are mine." He laughed about it but everyone heard him and nobody on the MBU laughed.

[tata]

Disgusting.

[crystal555rose]

We have 7 NICU nurses that are expecting babies in June and the formula rep is already offering them free cases of formula for the first year. He told me the other day when he was coming out of NICU "back off bf lady these are mine." He laughed about it but everyone heard him and nobody on the MBU laughed.

What?!! There are reps selling formula!?!

[3girls2luv]

No he gives it to them for free.

[KerryS]

He told me the other day when he was coming out of NICU "back off bf lady these are mine." He laughed about it but everyone heard him and nobody on the MBU laughed.

Holy inappropriate. I would have chewed his ass.

When I started supplementing Leo (before I switched to donor breastmilk) I asked our rep about formula, and she said that they're no longer allowed to "take care of" their hospital employees. Even though I was disappointed at the time, as an LC I see that as a very good thing.

My supervisor did hook me up with two cases of 24kcal RTF, though. I was able to give half of it back, as we only used formula for about a week before switching to donor milk.

[KerryS]

What?!! There are reps selling formula!?!

Every hospital OB unit has a formula rep that provides the unit with formula, does inservices on new products, etc.

[3girls2luv]

Yeah he was inappropriate and as much as I wanted to chew his ass out I held back because I don't think I could have done it in a professional way ;)

So far about 5 of the nurses have come by my office with bf questions so hopefully most of them will bf first.

[Camille]

I think our state may be behind because they are changing the package in October to where bf moms get a lot more food for mom and ff moms only get ff for the baby IIRC. I was told this this week but I can't remember all the details. I was happy to hear that they won't be giving any cereal or juice until 6mos.

I was on WIC for both ds and dd2, and both times I got the bf package which is the same package you get when pregnant, except they add and extra lb of beans/peas, 2 lb or 2 cans carrots, and 4 5 or 6oz cans of tuna. The baby only got a package after 6 months. (DS is 5) Yay for MI for being ahead of the times!!!

[HammBugga]

Oh man 3 girls I don't think I could have bit my tongue.

[EvilAmy]

I ended up formula feeding by the time Zoey was 4 months old. While I miss "that" relationship (though our relationship hasn't been hurt in the slightest) I'm not about to beat myself up over it. Some times it has nothing to do with lack of education but shitty circumstances.

[juliekathleen2]

I agree that a lot of LC's & doctors, etc, are very uninformed. At my hospital I was told by the HEAD LC that 2 ozs of bm wasn't enough to feed my (3 month son at the time) and that I would never get more than that so I might as well quit.

Just awful... The whole hospital/nursing experience was horrible & I wasn't able to actually nurse until my son was 4 months but in a way, I'm glad things worked out the way they did. I am MUCH better informed and I had originally only planned to bf until he was a year. He's 16 months & we're still going strong - with no signs of stopping!