An Epifane study published in the Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin (BEH) reveals that 74% of mothers breastfeed in today's society. This is much more than in the 1970s when less than half of young mothers fed their newborns with their breast milk. But the figure that has been talking about him in recent days is rather the low percentage of babies who are still breastfed at the age of three months:39%. A large number of women therefore do not continue, or only a little, after maternity and the first weeks of the child. And many people find this statistic rather negative.
We breastfeed less than our European neighbours
Certainly, 39% is a little less than the 43% of English women or than in Italy where more than half of the female sex who gave birth are still breastfeeding after the first trimester. And if that figure drops further after six months when one in four children are still fed breast milk, the real question is instead:what is the problem with this low percentage?
Is this problematic?
The fear of running out of milk, the pain it causes and fatigue are the main reasons why mothers choose not to breastfeed or to do so in the short term. And if some people think it's a lack of guidance and that training led by pediatricians or midwives is needed to remedy what they think is a problem, not breastfeeding is a choice. personal and intimate. And it is perhaps on this aspect that we should look. Because all the controversy around this subject puts pressure on young mothers by letting them feel guilty about the fact that being a good mother necessarily means that you have to breastfeed. Off, that's wrong.
It is not bad for the child not to breastfeed
Of the 39% of babies still breastfed after three months, only 10% are exclusively breastfed. It is more common to use so-called mixed breastfeeding, which combines breast milk and formula. Breast milk is known to reduce the risk of diarrhea, acute ear infections and respiratory infections. But you have to breastfeed for at least three months for that. If you don't feel capable of it from the start, you might as well not try as long as possible to please an image of the perfect mother and lose yourself along the way. In addition, exclusively bottle-fed babies are not particularly more fragile than others and many professionals agree that it is absolutely not bad not to breastfeed your child. Breastfeeding requires the will to do it, otherwise it will be an additional task for a young mother whose life has already been turned upside down. The sharing periods that are these moments when baby feeds must remain special between mother and child, to strengthen the relationship and not become a dreaded chore.
It's a personal choice
Six months recommended breastfeeding is recommended by the international organization WHO. These are therefore universal figures that do not take countries on a case-by-case basis. In some regions of the world where formula milk does not have the quality of that found in France, yes, breastfeeding can be really more adequate for the good growth of the toddler. But with us, the debate is making a lot of noise when it should remain within the walls of homes and stick to being a personal decision that does not respond to the dictates of a society that unnecessarily blames mothers. The key is to find out and make a decision that suits us, without forgetting the point of view of the dad, whose support can be very useful if you choose breastfeeding and it sometimes turns out to be difficult. In addition, three months is about the time you have before you have to go back to work. Outside after this postnatal leave, many mothers want to resume their careers. It is difficult to continue breastfeeding while working and you cannot be criticized for wanting to go back to work. It is therefore preferable to listen to yourself, before listening to others. Because ultimately, it's your motherhood, your couple and your child. The perfect mother does not exist, so it is useless to breastfeed to look like her. So be the mother you want to be.
