IT’S certainly heartening to learn that the numbers of new mothers breastfeeding their babies in the UK has risen to just over 80%.
But proud breastfeeding mum-of-three Carol Alexis says in today’s Examiner she fears too many are giving up on breastfeeding too soon. And is that possibly due to a lack of support and understanding by others about what a huge commitment it is to keep going?
Only one in 100 women manage to solely breastfeed their babies for the first six months in life.
It’s incredibly tough for new mothers and breastfeeding hardly fits into the demands of modern busy lives where there are other children to look after and husbands or partners have to work long hours.
But the health benefits for babies from breastfeeding are well-documented and potentially huge so mums who persevere and breastfeed for as long as they possibly can deserve everyone’s support – and that’s from close family, relatives, friends and at work.
Although the breastfeeding is down to mum, giving her the opportunity to carry on is a team effort.
