More than half of breastfeeding mothers consider that breastfeeding their baby in public is not a normal activity , which makes some women feel uncomfortable doing it.
This is the conclusion of a study carried out by Philips Avent on more than 6,000 people from 25 different countries, and which highlights the need and importance of giving visibility to a completely normal, intrinsic and natural practice in the human species.
Breastfeeding in public, something that is still not considered “normal”
Breastfeeding has countless benefits for the health of the baby and the mother. So much so, that Unicef calculates that exclusive breastfeeding up to six months of age can annually prevent the death of 1.3 million children under five years of age.
For the mother, breastfeeding prevents the onset of anemia after childbirth, favors contraction of the uterus, preventing postpartum hemorrhage, and reduces the risk of hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and postpartum depression. In addition, breastfeeding is linked to a lower risk of various types of cancer, including breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer.
This is demonstrated by the results of the survey carried out by Philips Avent, which show that there is still much to be done to empower women in their decision to breastfeed in public.
Not surprisingly, around two-thirds (66%) of mothers around the world say they do not feel comfortable breastfeeding in public , with embarrassment of breastfeeding in front of strangers being the main reason in 52% of cases.
The results vary depending on the culture of each country, but in general, all the mothers of the world assure that they would feel safer and more comfortable breastfeeding in public if this practice was considered what it is: something normal and natural.
Mothers must have the support of the whole society
By raising awareness of breastfeeding, advocating for policy changes, and building stronger communities around the freedom of mothers to feed their own way , we would succeed in recognizing and promoting breastfeeding as a basic human right.
Thus, many mothers affirm that with greater support from other mothers they would be able to feel more comfortable breastfeeding in public, this percentage being especially notable in the United States (33%) and in Spain and Mexico (30%).
The support of partners is also important for mothers. According to data from the Philips survey, this desire is especially notable in countries such as Colombia (41%), Mexico (49%) and Chile (40%). At the opposite extreme would be Austria and Germany, where nine out of ten women state that they feel supported by their partners in the decision to breastfeed their babies on demand.
This year the theme of World Breastfeeding Week is Let’s Boost Breastfeeding: Supporting and Educating. This message is intended to create awareness about the importance of all of society (and not just mothers) protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding.
Cover photo | Wendy Wei at Pexels
