To coincide with National Breastfeeding Month in the United States, the team at online parenting community yourbabyclub.com have conducted a survey of 2,377 new and expectant parents, all based in the US,
Notable findings from the research indicated that, one in five (20%) respondents don’t believe there is adequate access to breastfeeding information and advice in the United States.
What’s more, almost one in three (32%) parents who breastfed their babies, revealed they would’ve continued breastfeeding for longer had they been given greater access to support and advice.
The biggest factors behind stopping breastfeeding emerged as, low milk supply (32%), not feeling like their child was being sufficiently fed through breastfeeding (18%), their child naturally weaning themselves (11%), pain caused by breastfeeding (11%), and having to stop breastfeeding in order to return to work (10%).
Your Baby Club undertook the brand new study in order to unearth some up-to-date insights into the experiences, thoughts and attitudes of modern American parents on the topic of breastfeeding their children in 2023.
Of the 2,377 US-based individuals assigned female at birth polled during July 2023, just over two-fifths (42%) were still pregnant, almost one-third (31%) had given birth in the past three months, and almost one in five (17%) had welcomed a child in the last six months.
Those yet to give birth to their child were asked to share how they plan to feed their child when first born, with almost two-fifths (38%) planning to breastfeed exclusively, and a further one-in-three (34%) planning to combi-feed, using breastfeeding and formula top-ups. Another 15% also stated that they are planning on bottle-feeding their baby exclusively.
Of those no longer pregnant, nearly a quarter (22%) revealed they exclusively breastfed their child immediately following birth. Just under a third (31%) stated that they combi-fed with breastfeeding and formula milk, and over one in six (16%) bottle-fed their baby exclusively from birth.
More than one in four (28%) of relevant participants surveyed are still breastfeeding their child, whilst 15% breastfed for less than three months, 11% breastfed for between 3-6 months, and 12% breastfed for 6-12 months.
Next, all parents either breastfeeding or planning to do so in any capacity were asked to share their main reasons for opting for this method of feeding their newborn, with the top five most common responses given as follows:
I believe it will give my child the healthiest start in life - 72%
I feel it’s important for helping to bond with my child - 58%
I believe breastfeeding is a more cost-effective alternative to buying bottles, equipment, formula etc… - 33%
I believe breastfeeding will help me to lose weight faster following pregnancy - 12%
I believe breastfeeding will suit my lifestyle and fit into my daily routine more effectively than bottle feeding - 9%
When asked to disclose their main sources of breastfeeding-related information and advice, one in 12 (8%) admitted they’d not sought out any advice or support on the matter, with the most common remaining responses given by all partaking respondents emerging as follows:
Doctors and medical professionals - 43%
Family members - 31%
Online articles - 30%
Breastfeeding specialists and support groups - 28%
Friends - 18%
Online videos and tutorials - 14%
Influencer content e.g. Youtubers, TikTokers, Instagrammers etc) - 13%
Medical pamphlets and journals - 10%
Online parenting communities - 9%
Books and magazines - 6%
Despite more than one quarter (28%) claiming that they relied upon breastfeeding specialists and support groups, one in five (20%) respondents don’t believe there is adequate access to information and advice on breastfeeding in the United States, with almost one in five (19%) unsure of their thoughts on the matter.
Furthermore, of the new parents who had already ended their breastfeeding journey, almost one in three (32%) admitted that they believe greater access to support and advice would’ve allowed them to continue with breastfeeding for longer than they did.
Finally, when participants were asked to disclose the biggest factors behind their decision to end their breastfeeding journey, the most common reasons given we as follows:
I had a low milk supply - 32%
My child wasn’t being fed sufficiently via breastfeeding - 18%
My child naturally weaned themselves off breastfeeding - 11%
Breastfeeding was causing me pain - 11%
I decided to stop breastfeeding to coincide with my return to work - 10%
Discussing the findings unearthed through this brand new study, Kalli Chason, a Doula working with yourbabyclub.com, said:
“While everyone has their own individual preference regarding how best to feed their child, this National Breastfeeding Month we wanted to shine a light on the biggest issues and concerns that American parents may be experiencing in their own feeding journeys.
“The fact that such a significant amount of individuals polled felt as though they would’ve been able to continue with their breastfeeding journeys for longer, had they received greater access to support and advice, is somewhat of a concern. It is perhaps indicative of a greater need for services offering lactation and nursing advice to make themselves more available and accessible to new parents and parents-to-be struggling with breastfeeding their infants but unsure or embarrassed about where to turn.”
*Survey of 2,377 US based respondents conducted on behalf of yourbabyclub.com during July 2023.
Post courtesy of: www.yourbabyclub.com
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