Just 55pc of mothers breastfeed newborns

Cookie_Monster

Pretty shocking report considering we are supposed to be an enlightened country. Especially when you compare it to the likes of Norway or Italy.

How not to do the best for your child from day 1, and the formula is probably replaced by coke in short order too:D

Surely even the price of the stuff would put more people off buying increased volumes of it?


indo

ONLY half of Irish mothers even try breastfeeding their babies, a new study shows.

And the number falls off sharply even before they leave hospital with their newborns.

The study carried out by Trinity College Dublin (TCD) shows that although on the increase, breastfeeding rates in Ireland are well below those of other European countries.

Just 55pc of mothers in Ireland put their babies to the breast after birth, and the proportion fell to 50pc for Irish-born mothers, compared to 76pc for mothers who came here from other countries.

And by the time they left hospital with their babies, the number of mothers breastfeeding exclusively had fallen to just 42pc, compared to 78pc in the UK, 99pc in Norway, 91pc in Italy, and 69pc in France.

By the time they were one month old, more than half of the mothers who had begun breastfeeding their babies had switched entirely to formula, even though the World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months.

Formula

Where you come from in Ireland also played a role, with 78pc of mothers in Dublin South East trying breastfeeding, compared to just 38pc in Waterford and Louth. Professionals were also much more likely to breastfeed than semi-skilled workers.

Women whose friends breastfed were more likely to do so themselves (79pc), compared with just 47pc of those whose friends opted for formula feeds. Almost a third (31pc) of women surveyed said that breastfeeding was not discussed with them during pregnancy but those who attended antenatal classes were more likely to breastfeed.

While most mothers said they would have liked to breastfeed for longer, a quarter said they had given up because of incompatibility with lifestyle; 20pc said they felt they didn't have enough milk; and 17pc cited lack of facilities or discomfort with feeding in public.

While breastfeeding did take time in the early days and weeks, once established most mothers found it hugely fulfilling, enjoyable and convenient, said HSE national breastfeeding co-ordinator Maureen Fallon at the launch of National Breastfeeding Week yesterday.

The survey of 2,500 mothers was carried out by TCD for the HSE.

IvyTheTerrible

Breast feeding is not always easy or practical for new mothers (eg lots of babies just won't suck) so it's not always an option.

Sir Gallagher

The ol bottles of Sma never done me any harm.

Cookie_Monster

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

Breast feeding is not always easy or practical for new mothers (eg lots of babies just won't suck) so it's not always an option.

Seems to be in other countries, judging by the stats...

Gone Drinking

Blame it on good advertising and poorly informed infants.. if they're going to see the likes of Cow and Gate, endorsed by their favourite tv characters, why would they suckle?

[Edit: Just saw some of the people replying to my comments and i would like to underline the fact that i was JOKING, poorly informed infants? come on, how did you think i was being serious?]

SEPT 23 1989

Breast is Best

krudler

Maybe mothers feel they cant do it in public, I was in a park once and could overhear two ould ones moaning that a mother was breastfeeding her baby, not making a big deal of it just subtely feeding her baby, you wont have taken a second look, and these biddies were calling it "a disgrace" ffs its the most natural thing in the world, its what boobs are for!

Sir Gallagher

Gone Drinking wrote: »

Blame it on good advertising and poorly informed infants.. if they're going to see the likes of Cow and Gate, endorsed by their favourite tv characters, why would they suckle?

To be honest i reckon breastfeeding would be more in vogue than bottle feeding, how many big stars have you seen on a cow and gate ad?

Women dont breastfeed as much over here because of how repressed the country was over the years, it was probably seen as a shameful thing to do
which goes to show how backward this country was. Eithe way is fine though i feel, its up to the parents, mainly the mother what they wanna do.

Quality

I am still breast feeding almost a year later...

The amount of EEEWWWWS I get from people is outrageous..

seamus

Gone Drinking wrote: »

Blame it on good advertising and poorly informed infants.. if they're going to see the likes of Cow and Gate, endorsed by their favourite tv characters, why would they suckle?

How many three month olds even understand the concept of TV, never mind choice/demand?

I imagine it could be a hangover from the last baby boom - from what I recall, when most of us in our 20s-40s were being raised, every house had a steriliser and everyone was fed from the bottle. Thus, if that's how you were raised, then naturally you're going to think you should go that way too.

We'd be pretty prudish in Ireland too. I've heard of some women who are "embarrassed" to "show" their breast to their baby. What were the breastfeeding rates in the 70's?

Lollipops23

I'm not a mammy but when my time comes I'd certainly at least try to breastfeed. Apart from the cheapness, it's meant to be healthiest for baba. It pisses me off when people get squirmy over it, and give out when it's done in public.

It's totally natural, there's nothing dirty or sexual about it and if a mother feels comfy doing it in a restaurant,shop or park bench (not sure I would tbh) then so be it. If you've a problem just look away.


Having said that, I saw a documentary about a woman who still feeds her 9yr old...that's ew.

Prof.Badass

If the mother is taking any sort of mind altering drug then breast is most definitely not best.

Sleipnir

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

Breast feeding is not always easy or practical for new mothers (eg lots of babies just won't suck) so it's not always an option.

Seemed to work out okay for millions of years before the bottle was invented.
Still works in the animal kingdom too.

Breast is best for the baby.
Bottle is best for the mother.

beachbabe

My cousin lives in England, she had the Public Health Nurse calling 3 to 4 times a day to support her with breast feeding when she was discharged from hospital. That kind of support does not exist here unfortunately. I am pregnant and certainly intend to try breast feeding when babs arrives.

Long Onion

I am a father but as they are not my boobs, I trust my wife to make the decision that she feels is best, I wish that the brestapo would do the same.

Oh The Humanity

Not everyone wants to BF. It wrecks your t1ts for a start.

Then a lot of women have problems with producing enough and its no fun having a squalling infant constantly hungry on top of everything else.

Also, the reality in Ireland today is if there are two parents both usually have to work. So women are reluctant to put babies on the breast only to have to wean them in the weeks coming up to the return to work. Which are stressful enough without having that to cope with too.

Another thing is women who BF end up doing all the feeding. If the babby wakes at night and if breeastfed only the woman can do it. If its bottle fed then both parents take their turn.

I cant stand those breatfeeding Nazis that go around the hospitals almost forcing women into breastfeeding when their nipples are clearly the wrong shape or they will never be able to produce enough, they actually cause a lot more stress to the mother and baby in the end.

I've seen babies puking up blood and chunks of nipple and howling with starvation because of these misguided evangelists.

Everyone needs to do what suits them best. Not everyone can breastfeed and not everyone wants to. Its the mothers own business.

wudangclan

Oh The Humanity wrote: »

Not everyone wants to BF. It wrecks your t1ts for a start.

Then a lot of women have problems with producing enough and its no fun having a squalling infant constantly hungry on top of everything else.

Also, the reality in Ireland today is if there are two parents both usually have to work. So women are reluctant to put babies on the breast only to have to wean them in the weeks coming up to the return to work. Which are stressful enough without having that to cope with too.

Another thing is women who BF end up doing all the feeding. If the babby wakes at night and if breeastfed only the woman can do it. If its bottle fed then both parents take their turn.

I cant stand those breatfeeding Nazis that go around the hospitals almost forcing women into breastfeeding when their nipples are clearly the wrong shape or they will never be able to produce enough, they actually cause a lot more stress to the mother and baby in the end.

I've seen babies puking up blood and chunks of nipple and howling with starvation because of these misguided evangelists.

Everyone needs to do what suits them best. Not everyone can breastfeed and not everyone wants to. Its the mothers own business.

isn't it an integral part of motherhood?
i see the points you're making but as a bloke i think i'd be annoyed if the future mother of my children didn't want to breastfeed because it was an inconvenience.

Love2love

I didnt breastfeed my son but i do intend to do it for my next child.
To be honest, the stories some people told me. About cracked & Bleeding nipples and how you must be so careful what you eat, no alcohol or painkillers. I was horrified by the whole concept and thought I would be going through enough just by giving birth!
But now I realise that those were the people who never tried it and I think they were really reassuring themselves rather than aiding me.

I would definately give it a go the next time round, I think I might be a bit uncomfortable doing it in public but I can always express or even try feeding by formula too and that way Daddy can be involved.

beachbabe

Oh The Humanity wrote: »

Not everyone wants to BF. It wrecks your t1ts for a start.

Then a lot of women have problems with producing enough and its no fun having a squalling infant constantly hungry on top of everything else.

Also, the reality in Ireland today is if there are two parents both usually have to work. So women are reluctant to put babies on the breast only to have to wean them in the weeks coming up to the return to work. Which are stressful enough without having that to cope with too.

Another thing is women who BF end up doing all the feeding. If the babby wakes at night and if breeastfed only the woman can do it. If its bottle fed then both parents take their turn.

I cant stand those breatfeeding Nazis that go around the hospitals almost forcing women into breastfeeding when their nipples are clearly the wrong shape or they will never be able to produce enough, they actually cause a lot more stress to the mother and baby in the end.

I've seen babies puking up blood and chunks of nipple and howling with starvation because of these misguided evangelists.

Everyone needs to do what suits them best. Not everyone can breastfeed and not everyone wants to. Its the mothers own business.

For the first few weeks, yes, the woman has to do all the feeding, but after that she can express milk and her partner can certainly do the night feeds.

Sir Gallagher

wudangclan wrote: »

isn't it an integral part of motherhood?
i see the points you're making but as a bloke i think i'd be annoyed if the future mother of my children didn't want to breastfeed because it was an inconvenience.

Women have it hard enough with pregnancy labour etc. if they don't want to breastfeed thats their business, if my girlfriend had a baby and i told her i'd be annoyed with her if she didn't breastfeed she'd tell me to go and fnck off, and rightly so.

Ddad

Thos pesky evangelists, imagine the cheek of them endorsing an option that is clearly proven to be better for the child, maniacs!! I would humbly suggest that the lower take up of breastfeeding in this country is historically attitude based rather than practically based.

It's everyones choice but it's better for the baby in most cases.

seamus

Oh The Humanity wrote: »

Everyone needs to do what suits them best. Not everyone can breastfeed and not everyone wants to. Its the mothers own business.

It's naive and arrogant to think that 60 years of research in a bottle can adequately replace millions of years of evolution. If there is a significant physical/medical reason why the mother is unable, then that's cool, but outside of that it's the height of irresponsibility to refuse to breastfeed because it doesn't "suit" you or you're clinging to some bizarre notion of modesty.

Augmenting natural physical processes is fine - we do it all the time, but completely replacing it with a synthetic alternative for no good reason? Idiocy.

mikom

Bitty....

Sir Gallagher

betafrog wrote: »

Yeah but how many of those new mothers aren't old enough to have fully developed and therefor lactating breasts? Considering the amount of "younger" mum's I would say that not being developed enough to do so would be a factor for a decent portion of the study.

I would doubt teenage pregnancy would be a huge factor in this study although it's a good point. I think it's more about attitudes in this country.

stovelid

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

How not to do the best for your child from day 1, and the formula is probably replaced by coke in short order too:D

How would you know why any woman elects not to breast-feed?

Being a tit doesn't count as practical experience by the way.

Oh The Humanity

Its not really younger women that have the production problems. A lot of the time its older mothers. You will also hear midwives say redheads and women with pale skin/flat/soft pale pink nipples seem to have a lot of trouble too. Not sure the reason.

What upsets me is you see people whose netherreigons have just been torn apart trying desperately to breatfeed being totally misled by the Breastapo (hehehe) into believing it will be easy and delightful and everyone should do it.

This leads to feelings of failure and guilt on the part of women who find they cant. It also leads to hungry babies.

My friend had twins and produced NO MILK. Nothing not even colustrum. Both my sisters tried and failed to breastfeed and said they regretted the tremedous extra pressure and suffering they placed on themselves and the babies in the first few days and weeks.

They are just anecdotal stories of course but there you go. Some people with the best will in the world just cant do it. But LaLeche League and all the rest wont countenance that truth. They just keep pushing up this fake idea that its easy and blissful and touting all the stats that suit themselves.

pickarooney

There's really no medical evidence to support any claims that a significant number of women are physically unable to breastfeed. Any recent study shows that over 98% of women in the majority of the world's countries can and do breastfeed; it would be a huge anomaly if 20% and upwards of Irish women were unable to, as some people suggest.
I'm not suggesting that any woman should be told she has to breastfeed, but the question does have to be asked as to why only 40%* of Irish women choose to do what virtually all woman in other 'modern' countries do.

Not being allowed drink, having to get up during the night, having a small pain in your nipple for a few days... are these really genuine reasons for feeding your child another mammal's milk?

wudangclan

wetnurses?
(cure for the recession.)

Oh The Humanity

seamus wrote: »

it's the height of irresponsibility to refuse to breastfeed because it doesn't "suit" you or you're clinging to some bizarre notion of modesty.

Absolute and total b0ll0x

I cant bear this type of sanctimonious claptrap.

Its nothing to do with modesty!

Its the mothers decision and there is nothing wrong with that. The mother is still a person with rights. Rights that are not superceded by the child.

She has already given up everything while pregnant and birth might have ruined her sex life forever and now she is supposed to sacrifice her tits too?

NO !

Oh The Humanity

pickarooney wrote: »

I'm not suggesting that any woman should be told she has to breastfeed, but the question does have to be asked as to why only 40%* of Irish women choose to do what virtually all woman in other 'modern' countries do.

Eh they dont want to. Which is their business. I cant believe people are trying to make people ashamed of not wanting to breastfeed.

pickarooney wrote: »

Not being allowed drink, having to get up during the night, having a small pain in your nipple for a few days... are these really genuine reasons for feeding your child another mammal's milk?

A small pain in your nipple? Have you ever seen a womans nipples after a baby who will not latch on properly has got at them?

We are talking open raw tissue, chunks of nipple gone, baby puking up blood and tissue.....not a small pain in your nipple for a few days :rolleyes:

tallaght01

Oh The Humanity wrote: »

Its the mothers decision and there is nothing wrong with that. The mother is still a person with rights. Rights that are not superceded by the child.

She has already given up everything while pregnant and birth might have ruined her sex life forever and now she is supposed to sacrifice her tits too?

NO !

I'm sure the mother's rights to not breastfeed ARE enshrined in law, but that's not usually the primary issue when making these decisions.

Your tits don't get wrecked from breastfeeding. That's a huge myth.

Women have breastfed for years and years. It's rare for a situation to arise where someone can't breastfeed. But the situation often arises where it's difficult.

There is a perception that midwives are too mental about breastfeeding, and that's probably true. In the hospital, we call them the breast feeding gestapo. That's because unfortunately they're being taught that breast is best. End of. They're usually right.

Although it's extremely rare, I once had to put a baby on formula milk because he got dehydrated when he couldn't get any breast milk. I was the midwives worst enemy for about a week after that. I've also seen a woman get such infected nipples from trying to breastfeed, that she got blood poisoning.

But, in fairness, breast generally IS best. Women should give it a shot. I think people don't appreciate the significant benefits of breastfeeding. Someone said that giving birth is tough enough without worrying about breastfeeding. Well, you have a kid, you take responsibility. They dominate your life, whether you like it or not. You can't just put them aside so you can booze or whatever.

As far as I'm concerned, though, Rome wasn't built in a day. The rates are going up, so let's see how it goes.