The US centers for disease control (CDC) just came out with a survey that found that only about 30% of new moms breastfeed exclusively at three months of age, and at six months, only 11% are breastfeeding exclusively. Why are these number so low when we know that breastfeeding results in better health outcomes for both mothers and babies?! I think it points to a few problems:
1) Traumatic birth experiences for women and babies: the cesarean rate is at an all-time high in the US, at 30%. In India it's likely to be double that in many hospitals. Babies born by cesarean are often separated from their mamas for several hours, making establishing breastfeeding particularly challenging. Even women who have vaginal births are often separated from their babies due to unnecessary hospital routines and policies.
2) Lack of support for breastfeeding moms: I've seen many women have trouble getting their newborn to latch on properly. Nurses in hospitals are not trained as Lactation Consultants, and when a hospital does have an LC, often they are overworked and extremely difficult to track down. I realize this varies by hospital, but certainly in India there are no LCs in any hospital, and it is very hard for women to get support early on.
3) An emphasis on independence: well-meaning advice-givers stress the importance of not being held too much, feeding schedules, and baby sleeping alone in a crib. These parenting practices make it difficult to breastfeed.
4) Short maternity leave: going back to work--often after only six weeks--means separation between mama and baby for many, many hours. Pumping is not always easy or convenient, and many nursing mothers face discrimination at work.
5) The insidious nature of formula companies' advertisements: many women in hospitals receive free formula samples in their discharge packs instead of helpful information on breastfeeding. Formula companies distribute posters and pamphlets to doctors and hospitals to leave in their waiting rooms. Because these materials are so prolific, women get the message that bottle-feeding is the norm.
As long as women receive mixed messages and are not properly educated, encouraged or supported, we can't expect these rates to go up. If E've totally depressed you, or even if i haven't, please watch this video which celebrates 50 years of La Leche league:
