just wondering...

EnglebertW_nkface · Jun 26, 2008 7:27AM

I'll apologise in advance for being so nosy but..
I read an article in the paper this morning about childhood obesity in different areas of the country and one of the factors they were discussing was breastfeeding rates amongst new mums. Apparantly in areas such as Knowlsley and Hartlepool only 33% of new mums try and breastfeed, compared to areas like Richmond where the rate is 90%. It just got me wondering where abouts everyone on here comes from and whether more of us come from some parts of the country than others.

I'm from Nottingham originally but I now live in Wakefield (which apparantly has the 2nd highest rate of childhood obesity in the country :roll:

Kerry xx

icecreamloverpissedoffwithBE · Jun 24, 2008 10:19AM

I'm from Manchester originally, but now in the lakes.

90% of people can breastfeed,, but many give up at the first hurdle.

I read that is has only been the last couple of years that the myth of 'not having enough milk' has been turned in to modern society (as opposed to just being a myth) and that this is the reason that 58% give up.. when if they had a little more patience and were more determined they would have suceeded. $:\$ (

xxx

[Modified by: S.Y on June 24, 2008 03:19 PM]

WineCharm · Jun 24, 2008 10:39AM

I live just outside Edinburgh (Livingston). I have no idea what the % is for my area, although I do know that 7 out of the 10 new 1st time mums at my antanatal class successfully managed to bf, all 10 did try. I really can't imagine having to make up bottles etc.... bf must surely be the easiest by far, well for me anyhow !!

maxnjacksmummy · Jun 24, 2008 10:42AM

I am from Northumberland - well from west london originally but now in Northumberland. Again don't know the % of feeders here!

EnglebertW_nkface · Jun 24, 2008 11:00AM

It seems we are quite well spread then! The figures I was reading refered to how many mothers tried to bf, even if they were unsuccesful, I was very suprised that in some areas two thirds don't even try and just give a bottle straight away.

cazzyw · Jun 24, 2008 12:06PM

i too am also from wakefield most people i know have either not bothered even trying breastfeeding or given up withing the first few weeks.
Caz x x

highlandfea · Jun 24, 2008 1:37PM

im from the north of scotland and i would say about 99% try but about 80% keep feeding we usaed to have support groups but that folded pity it was really good we don't have any coucilors and its just girls helping each other
fea x

icecreamloverpissedoffwithBE · Jun 24, 2008 2:34PM

when i gave birth to ollie there was a girl in the bed next to me who already h ad an 18 month old, and had just given bith to a little girl (in all fairness she was very helpful for me while i couldnt sit up by bringing ollie to me when i wanted to feed him) but she bottle fed from the start, and had the baby taken to the nursery all night so she could sleep. That seemed a bit weird to me.
But each to their own.

What really gets me is were not allowed to say anything about ff without being jumped on, yet when we talk about bf we're told that we should shut up about it being best....because 'its not' Grrrrrrrrr

xxx

EnglebertW_nkface · Jun 24, 2008 2:38PM

Don't get me started te he! I've already had my rant for today about breastfeeding over on the pregnancy forum.
xx

icecreamloverpissedoffwithBE · Jun 24, 2008 3:01PM

Oh i know, I could have ranted alongside you all day but we're never going to win. We'll always be 'disgusting bad mothers who breastfeed, especially in public

'

At the end of the day we all do what we feel is best for our own children, but we dont expect to be slammed for doing it our own way.
xxxx

fragsjones · Jun 24, 2008 3:32PM

I'm from Crewe, Cheshire (& I'm 28 yrs) and most try around here but alot give up after a few weeks. I was surprised that so many do BF in the beginning, everyone on the maternity ward when I was in was BF'ing bar 2 mums. I never felt it was forced on us either. I BF for 5 months & regret starting formula as I find it costly & a complete palaver when LO is very young as so much is wasted, not too bad now he is 1yr as I know exactly how much he'll drink.
I will be BF'ing No.2 for as long as possible as I feel I know what to do now & am fully prepared for everything!
xxx

hollysmumbump · Jun 24, 2008 4:41PM

i'm from stoke on trent staffordshire and i only have one friend who breastfeeds.Don't know anybody else that does and none of my other friends with babies tried,hope i can stick at it!!
Hanna n 6 week old baby grace xx

newbiemum · Jun 24, 2008 5:06PM

im from northamptonshire and nearly all my friends breast feed. i bottle feed but I was upset when I had to give up breast feeding as I only managed a week- I couldn't cope with it - I had problems and ended up seeing a breast specialist at the local hospital. I haven't feed my lo myself for over 8 months and still get upset about it - especially when everyone breast feeds around me. I use to think formula feeding was wrong and had very strong views about it but when you have problems and you and your importantly your lo is unhappy breast feeding but loves a bottle you have to. Please don't judge everyone that bottle feeds - I am so guilty that i do but my lo is happy. I think all mums should try to but if it doesn't work out sometimes you have to go on to formula

( I did find feeding worse than the labour!

karen130770 · Jun 24, 2008 5:15PM

Newbiemum, I agree with you - I had to give up bf'ing my last ds due to complete ignorance on my part, stressful circumstances etc etc and I felt so guilty every time I was out and about and had to give him his bottle. I cried for days when I finally gave up bf'ing due to 'no milk' (or so I thought back then)

All of my friends have bf successfully and I am so determined this time to feed until at least 6 months, but hopefully a year. I come from Scarborough orginally (then lived in Wakefield - seems we're on mass in here!) and now live in Harrow. From what I see around and about it's 50/50 in terms of ff and bf in this area.

Just wondering whether it has anything to do with bf being more prevalent in more/less affluent areas? Wonder if that has any bearing on anything? Just the mention of 90% in Richmond (affluent area) compared to 33% in Hartlepool (which I think, but may be wrong, is seen as a less affluent area)?

xx

clairedee · Jun 24, 2008 5:16PM

Hello, can I just say that I tryed to breast feed my baby and I couldn't produce enough milk for him. I was very passionate about bfing him and felt very guilty and depressed when I couldn't do it. My lo is happy with a bottle but I still feel guilty. If I could have carried on breastfeeding then I would have done!

katherine1 · Jun 24, 2008 6:00PM

Hi all

I live in North London and not sure of the bfeeding rates but all of us in our antenatal group were planning to bf. I bfed for 8 wks, despite it being sheer agony for the first 4 wks, seeing a breastfeeding councillor twice a week at our hospital.

Unfortunately, my baby lost weight twice and I was referred to our GP. I was feeding for 8 - 12 hours every day, she latched on ok, I ate well and rested as much as possible, and took fenugreek. I was even expressing to see if that would help, but I had no option other than to put her on to formula. Two months on, and I am still sad that I could not feed her myself. Any tips gratefully received as would love to have baby #2 soon and give bfeeding another go.

Out of 4 friends, one bfed for 3 months, another for 5 weeks (mastitis), and 2 look likely to bfeed for 6 - 12 months, only 1 out of the 5 of us has found it easy and we all gave it a good go.

Just enjoy your time with your lo, whether you ff or bf! $:\$ ) x

babycakes-36671 · Jun 25, 2008 7:48AM

I'm from Doncaster, South Yorkshire. I'm not sure of the bfeeding rates here, but I think it's pretty low - my HV was certainly surprised that I was still bfeeding at 5 months. I personally only know of 2 people who tried it, but had given up within a couple of weeks. Don't know of anyone who kept at it for longer. It is a shame that many people don't even give it a try.

EnglebertW_nkface · Jun 25, 2008 8:04AM

I think your are right Karen, about the bf rates being linked to the affluence of the area. This is only my personal take on it but I think that it stems from the fact that when formula was first introduced it was very expensive and consequently only the better off could afford it. It therefore became a status symbol to be able to formula feed your child. Over time it was realised that actually formula is not that great so a large number of middle class mothers switched back to bf, however formula remained popular in working class areas.

As I say, this is only my understanding of it but it is definately an interesting topic.
xx

icecreamloverpissedoffwithBE · Jun 25, 2008 8:26AM

its been proven that working class tend to prefer formual and middle class prefer bf (although i'm def working class!) which is wierd when you consider the cost! The middle class could afford it much more easily yet they bf and the working class cant afford it as easily yet use it...

not sure of the actual figure for my area, but i think its quite high as there were lots of mums on my course still bf...
I wanted to do the course the minute i heard about it (dont know why!) and had never considered anything other than bf, and the only bit of cheeky pushing the mw did was say that to do the course i had to bf for 6 months....

she said it once and that was it, nothing else said.
My aim was originally to get to 6 months, then when we achieved it it changed to 12 months...

xxx

nothappywithbeingchanged · Jun 25, 2008 5:57PM

i bf my first two until 8 months when both had really bad dental pain they were so miserable n found a teet more comfortable to nash on but it was expressed milk until just b4 a year, i hopew to bf my son luca for the first year its just what feels natural for me although its been painfull this time round lol

missymoo-40064 · Jun 26, 2008 7:27AM

I find this really interesting as I live in cyprus and for some reason it seems hardly anyone breastfeeds here (at least not for any more than a couple of weeks). All babies born more or less go straight to the nursery and are given formula and tea! I really had to keep fighting of the nurses who wanted to wheel my lo off and they thought I was most strange wanting to keep him with me all the time. Here, I do think they are stuck in the time (as bedhead was mentioning) where formula feeding was seen as a status symbol and only the peasants/villagers breastfed. It could also be due to the fact that most babies are looked after just as much, often more, by the parents' mum/mil so breastfeeding wouldn't be convenient! Looking at the stats in the UK it sounds like less affluent areas need more bf support.

just wondering...

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