Breastfeeding is the most recommended food for the baby for its innumerable benefits, both for the newborn and for the mother. For this reason, the WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding until the baby is six months old, and from then on supplemented with solid foods until at least two years of age.
But there are many difficulties that breastfeeding mothers have to continue breastfeeding in today’s society, starting because there is no maternity leave of six months as would be necessary to meet this objective. According to the “Elvie Spain Barometer: Lactation according to mothers and society” reveals that 58 percent of Spanish mothers stop breastfeeding at six months.
Why do mothers stop breastfeeding?
According to the report, 80 percent of Spanish mothers decide to breastfeed when their baby is born . But more than half stop doing it at six months, mainly because it limits their social life and because of the difficulty of continuing with the process when they return to work.
Specifically, 45 percent believe that breastfeeding limits their activity and 42 percent found it difficult to continue breastfeeding when they returned to work.
The reality is that while many women are comfortable breastfeeding at home, doing it in public is something else. Even six out of ten claim to have hidden in the bathroom or in a separate room to express their milk.
Elvie is the brand that developed the first hands-free breast pump so mothers can discreetly express milk anywhere, even at work.
“In the past, expressing milk was often an outcast experience, in the bathroom or a secluded room, but Elvie Pump offers women mobility and choice, so they can get on with their day without feeling like expressing milk , or motherhood in general, is a burden. ” says Tania Boler, founder and CEO of Elvie.
Women are uncomfortable seeing other women breastfeeding
A surprising fact that the survey carried out by the British brand Elvie has revealed, which reveals for the first time how mothers and Spanish society live and what they think about breastfeeding, 40% of women feel uncomfortable when seeing another woman breastfeeding compared to 19% of men.
However, despite the fact that breastfeeding in public has always been seen by society as a taboo action, the truth is that in recent years this perception has changed significantly.
The fact that each woman can decide when, where and for how long to breastfeed her children has become a theme claimed by many mothers, and more and more women are showing breastfeeding as part of their daily lives.
Who do mothers talk to about breastfeeding?
The data affirms that breastfeeding is an issue that people are increasingly aware of. There are many celebrities who give visibility to breastfeeding and who are shown on social networks breastfeeding naturally and without taboos. Thanks to these demands, a large part of the women have lost their fear or shame to speak out on this subject.
It is striking that more and more women are talking about breastfeeding in a social environment, while before it used to be a topic dealt with at a medical level between mother and doctor.
But with whom do Spanish mothers prefer to talk about breastfeeding? In the first place with their partner (48%), with whom they share their day to day; second, with relatives (39%); in third place, with other mothers (34%), since they share the same experience; and in fourth place, with health professionals (30%) and with friends (30%).
“Breast milk is powerful, it is loaded with agents that prevent the baby from infections, in addition to growth hormone, white blood cells. It provides the baby with great immunity, protection, and the perfect supply of nutrients that it needs for optimal development of their organs “, explains Paula Camarós, midwife and founder of Baby Suite, a leading maternity center in Spain.
“Many mothers find it difficult to reconcile breastfeeding with their work life since it ends up being on demand, without time or schedule. In these cases, the expression of milk will be essential for mothers who wish to continue breastfeeding beyond the first months, since it is very useful to create a breast milk bank that allows the baby to drink their milk when they need it, “he concludes.
In Babies and more | How to get back to work and keep breastfeeding without stress
