Did anyone listen to the Bravado Breastfeeding Information Council (BBIC) launch event this past Tuesday? I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of solid facts they revealed from their database of 80,000 women. In case you missed it, here’s a snapshot of what they shared:
- First generation breastfeeding moms need special support. Of first generation breastfeeding moms (women whose mothers did not breastfeed), only 40% said they received amazing support from their mothers, 30% hoped for more support, and 10% were actively discouraged in their efforts to breastfeed.
- Breastfeeding works better with three. 75% of women said their decision to breastfeed was influenced by their partner. As one woman explained, “Without his support, I would have given up in the first week.”
- Being friendly to breastfeeding moms is good business. Business owners take note: more than 85% of nursing mothers will go out of their way to visit a store or restaurant that is breastfeeding friendly.
- It’s easy to create a breastfeeding friendly workplace. More than 80% of breastfeeding mothers are committed to continue nursing when they return to work, and they say all they need is a door, a plug, a refrigerator, and a sink. Panelists shared innovative ideas worth passing along on this topic. At one company, moms are able to reserve the breastfeeding lounge via their Outlook calendar. Some companies are also including their breastfeeding policy in the maternity leave paperwork, so women have plenty of time to consider their options and plan ahead.
(Note to women: More information about breastfeeding is available from the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health. Read Bringing Your Baby to Breast: Positioning and Latch and What to Expect in the Early Days of Breastfeeding.)
1 comment:
I missed out on the breastfeeding event, but it sounds like it was informative.
One of the problems that women of this generation face, is that many have rarely or perhaps never seen babies nurse -- either because their mothers, sisters, friends, etc., did not nurse, or nursed behind closed doors. Since they often only see bottle-feeding, they miss out on what normal breastfeeding looks like, and often experience troubles related to poor position or latch.
On my blog, I'm actually giving away a copy of a book that helps in this area -- Breastfeeding with Comfort and Joy, which is full of pictures of women nursing their babies, and simple, positive text that helps them establish a successful breastfeeding relationship.
As a comment on another blog, the author, Laura Keegan, said that she looks forward to the day when her book "will become obsolete from an instructional standpoint" because everyone will have seen enough clear breastfeeding images, that they won't have to look at books. I think that is a worthy goal.
-Kathy
Post a Comment