🚨 Advance warning 🚨 This forum will be closing on 1st May – please see our pinned thread for more information.
Children should be taught in school that breastfeeding is natural: good idea or not?
DanielleMFM
admin
Hello.
According to polls, Britain has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the World, with experts stressing their concern, that so few women continue to breastfeed beyond 6 months.
These experts have said they found it disturbing that children described breastfeeding as ‘yukky’; with one suggesting that schools should teach children, breastfeeding is natural.
We wondered what you made of this? Do you think schools should be teaching children about breastfeeding or do you believe children should learn about it elsewhere? And if so, where?
Please do tell us what you think by posting a reply to this thread. Should breastfeeding be taught about in school? We’d love to hear what you think.
0
Replies
I think the problem with the reduction is breastfeeding is how quickly you leave the hospital after your first child. Your home, your alone (ie no midwife on call) and you panic. You can't get the right latch, cluster feeds are hard, you don't think you're producing enough and then you've got housework playing on your mind and your can't properly rest. When my mum had my brother 40 years ago she was in for a week and by the time she was leaving bf was establishing and she had some confidence.
I was allowed home at 10pm on the second day with a broken breast pump. Was told by the visiting midwife the next morning that my son was starving and his jaundice was coming back and he needed more to feed. In my sleep induced hysteria I quit bf and switched to formula. Second time I couldn't function cluster feeding all night and dealing with a 16 month old toddler...when the visiting midwife sent me back to the hospital and was readmitted for jaundice I quit again.
I don't think anything learnt at 11 could have helped. We should invest more in midwifery and breastfeeding councillors.
It should also not be drummed again and again you must bf you must bf because when it doesnt go to plan you feel like an utter failure.
If I had a third I wouldn't even attempt it
I can see what the previous poster means about breastfeeding being challenging and teaching a school child this wouldn't help however I also believe school children now aren't exposed to breast feeding and this is why it is taboo Or "yucky".
When I had my 1st daughter I was only 23. I had never seen anyone breastfeed and my only experience of breast were of a sexual nature. IE glamour models and for looking good in a dress etc. I attempted to breastfeed once and felt instantly horrified and embarrassed and formula fed from that first feed onwards.
This time around at 28 I was much more determined to try. I had Spent pregnancy researching breastfeeding and ensuring I was aware of what was to come. I used forums such as this to gain insight and all be it it's been difficult and had some problems but I can proudly say at 11 weeks we are still breastfeeding. I was well supported by community breastfeeding teams if I needed them and by the midwife team.
At nursery and on tv etc children are taught babies feed from a bottle. My 4yo had a lot of questions when I began breastfeeding and asked why they baby didn't have a bottle and why she was eating my boobie. Now to her it's completely normal, which it is.
I even caught her breastfeeding her doll 😂
I do believe if children are exposed more to breastfeeding it wouldn't seem such a shameful thing. It's natural and should be taught as such. Maybe subtly via tv, books etc rather than a serious lesson.
Some really good points raised here. And MilliesMummyx - I have a similar photo of my daughter breastfeeding her dolly too!