For more information about breastfeeding today, even though it is insisted that it is the ideal feeding of babies, even though it is said that it is best to drink exclusive breast milk up to 6 months, Only 15% of Spanish children comply with the recommendation.
This is not an entrance to blame the mothers or make them feel that they did not try, because studies say that the majority stop breastfeeding without really wanting it, but it is an entry to reflect. 15% is too low.
Children who don't breastfeed ...
Children who do not breastfeed exclusively, as we know, have a higher risk of diarrhea, respiratory infections, otitis, etc., have an intellectual and motor development somewhat worse than if they received the breast longer and are not benefited by the immune cells that the mother is going through with the milk.
I think I haven't said anything that isn't already known. However, of the children who leave the hospital with breast milk, which are 84.8%, Only 15% continue to do so exclusively at 6 months. In that period of time many stop breastfeeding for different reasons. Sometimes breastfeeding is not going well and the right person is not found to help the mother. Sometimes that person is found, but the solution is not found. Sometimes it is the mother who changes her mind and stops breastfeeding. The work does not help either, because although it is possible to combine work and breastfeeding (possible and recommended), it would be much easier if the maternity leave were at least six months.
The fact is that the figure is reduced to 53.7% at four months. From there at six, it drops alarmingly to 15%. Is the fault of the job? Yes and no. No and yes. Returning to work after four months is one of the reasons, but it sure isn't the only one. The gluten-free cereal porridge has a cartoon that says "from 4 months", and there are many mothers who at that age begin to feed them. They continue breastfeeding, but they already give them cereals, fruit, sometimes vegetables, etc. It's not that it's bad, because it isn't, but Ideally, it is advisable to continue with the most complete food until six months, that is, only with breast milk.
In this sense, when comparing women who started working at four months with those who started working at six, or later, the first have 2.65 times the risk of giving up exclusive breastfeeding than the others
Well, at least it's what happens in Guipúzcoa
Do all women in the country do this? I do not know. There may be variations according to Autonomous Communities, areas, towns, cities, although it is likely to be a widespread trend. Just in case I comment, the data comes from a study conducted with data from the INMA Project (INfancia y Medio Ambiente), carried out at 460 women from Guipúzcoa collected from the first trimester of pregnancy until their children turned 14 months old.
Seek help to overcome problems
The authors of the study we mentioned, given that many of the women left him because of breastfeeding problems, urge mothers to seek professional help to overcome problems and be able to continue with a successful breastfeeding. That way, at least, more women will arrive breastfeeding at four months, and not just 53.7%.
From that moment, continue fighting for a longer maternity leave, for the normalization of breastfeeding, for breastfeeding rooms, for comfortable places for the mother to express milk at work, for flexible hours, to offer the possibility of work at home if the mother wishes, etc. Come on, keep fighting so that babies have a place in this overwhelming society that, if you leave it, it ends with everything.
