Mothers not convinced
Kamahl Cogdon November 29, 2006 12:00am Article from: <http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/?from=ni_story> Herald-Sun MOST new mums are not convinced breast is best for their baby. And many are embarrassed to breastfeed in public, a survey shows. A survey of 1500 women at last month's Pregnancy Babies and Children's Expo in Melbourne found 27 per cent of mothers rated breast milk ahead of formula. The survey found 41 per cent were unsure which was better, 25.5 per cent said they were equal and 6.5 per cent said bottles beat breast. Australian Breastfeeding Association spokeswoman Karen Commisso said the results were disappointing and new mothers needed more support, particularly from workplaces. "Returning to work has a huge impact on the length that Australian women breastfeed," she said. "If a mum chooses to continue to breastfeed after returning to work she needs somewhere to go to express and store the milk without being hassled or told to do it in a toilet block. "They have breaks for workers to go out for a cigarette, surely they can have breaks for a woman to go and express her breast milk?" Ms Commisso said she was surprised by the survey results because in her experience most women understood breast was best. She said breast milk offered long and short-term health benefits for children, including being linked to lower obesity rates. It also met all a baby's changing nutritional needs and provided early immunity to an infant. The National Health and Medical Research Council recommends babies are breastfed for at least six months. Ms Commisso said about 86 per cent of mothers initiated breastfeeding, but only 32 per cent still breastfed exclusively by the time their baby was six months old. Social pressure, body image and concerns about feeding in public were among other reasons women switched to bottles, she said. The Australian Breastfeeding Association also believes increased marketing of infant formula encourages women to abandon breastfeeding, and it wants the Federal Government to place restrictions on advertising. The expo survey showed many women felt uncomfortable breastfeeding in public, ranking this problem behind sore nipples and breasts and difficulties feeding their baby. Best Regards, Kelly Zantey Creator, <http://www.bellybelly.com.au> BellyBelly.com.au Conception, Pregnancy, Birth and Baby <http://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth-support> BellyBelly Birth Support
image001.gif
Description: GIF image
