How to end stigma of breastfeeding?

Why is there still such a huge stigma around breastfeeding in public? New research reveals over three quarters of British parents believe children should be taught about breastfeeding at school, to help normalise the practice and end the stigma for good.

Even in these progressive times, there is still some way to go before new mothers can feel completely comfortable breastfeeding. While a huge 93% of new parents believe that breastfeeding mothers should feel free to do so anywhere in public, 85% say that a real stigma around it remains.

Furthermore, over three quarters (77%) of respondents believe education is needed from a much younger age and that children should in fact be taught about breastfeeding at school, to help normalise the practice.

The difficulties for many new mums trying to breastfeed is well known. Of those asked, just one in three (37%) said they found it easy. As a result, demand for breastfeeding support is overwhelming – 84% of new mums said they sought assistance.

The most common source of help was midwives, followed by an NHS lactation consultant or breastfeeding clinic, then a health visitor. The research found that it’s not the quality of care that needs improvement, rather availability. Of those new mums surveyed, 74% described the help they received from midwives as good or excellent, 72% rated NHS lactation and breastfeeding clinics as good or excellent while 69% rated their health visitor as so.

However, over a third (36%) of parents found NHS counselling services not accessible enough while 57% of new parents say they worry that the government is closing down breastfeeding clinics all around the country as a means to cut costs. In fact, half (50%) said the government should be investing in additional NHS breastfeeding clinics, with 49% saying more should be invested in training health visitors and 44%in training midwives.

The survey by The Baby Show, which returns to London’s ExCeL 2nd – 4th March has revealed that 68% of new parents believe the government doesn’t provide enough funding for breastfeeding support services which may go some way to explaining why rates of breastfeeding in the UK are the worst in the world, despite the fact that 89% of new UK parents had every intention of breastfeeding their new arrivals.