How many moms?

Question

What percentage of mom's breastfeed? Formula feed?
not including the 70 % who attempt to breastfeed @ birth but how many are actually successful up to atleast 2 months because most mom's I know are formula feeding by then after breastfeeding while they were on maternity leave.
This is not a debate over which is better.

Answer 1

These figures are a couple of years old, but here you go:

2001
65.1% of moms breastfeed in the hospital
(only 59.3% are exclusively nursing)
27.0% were still breastfeeding at 6 mos
(only 7.9% were still exclusively BF at 6 mos)
12.3% of moms were still breastfeeding at 12 mos (the AAP recommended minimum age for weaning)

2003
70.9% were BF in the hospital
(only 62.5% were exclusively BF)
36.2% were still BF at 6 mos of age
(14.2% were still exclusively BF)
17.2% were still nursing at the AAP recommended 12 mos of age
5.7% were still BF when baby was 18 mos old

A lot of the studies that give BF rates are done by formula companies, so not the best source! The rates quoted above are from the 2003 National Immunization Survey by the US CDC.

Answer 2

My first child who is now 13 years old couldn't get the hang of breast-feeding, so she went to formula at 2 weeks old. I didn't return to work until she was 9 months old, and I enjoyed having the convenience of using a bottle.

My 2 and a half year old son took to the breast in the delivery room and nursed until he was almost 16 months old. He never would take a bottle or pacifier. I have not gone back to work yet with him and may not until he starts school. With him I enjoyed the ease of not having to fix bottles in the middle of the night or before leaving the house to go on trips.

They are both happy, healthy, and intelligent. I've bottle fed and breast fed with no regrets from either, and if we are blessed with more children I will do whatever is best for that child when the time comes.

Answer 3

I am not sure of the percentage of moms who breastfeed. You may want to check with LaLeche League International for those statistics. The average length of breastfeeding in the U.S. is extremely low, but rising -- it is still under one year, when the global average is three to four years.
I breastfed three babies: one to 2 years, 4 months; one to 19 months; and one to 2 years, 7 months. All the children were exclusively breastfed until six months, when we introduced other foods.
If you are seeking support, contact an LLL leader and/or attend a meeting. There is no pressure -- just support. Meetings are open to all moms; there is no need to join LLL.

Answer 4

I'm still breastfeeding, returned to work 5 weeks ago. I pump my breast milk during the day and her daycare is a mile or so from my office so, I go feed her at lunch everyday. I, of course, leave 2 extra bottles of formula just in case she needs more milk than I can pump for her during the previous day. If for some reason I miss a pumping session because I'm busy at the office, I pump just before I go to bed and then again sometime in the middle of the night so I can be sure to have enough for her the next day.
Its alot of work, but last week every kid in her room had a cold. Including the other little one like her. Coincidence? I don't know, but if it keeps us out of the dr. office I'll continue to do so.

Answer 5

The best I found was this.

Increasing the rates of breastfeeding initiation and duration
is a national health objective and one of the Healthy People
2010 goals developed by the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services. The current breastfeeding goals for
Healthy People 2010 are that 75% of women breastfeed in
the early postpartum period (initiation), 50% of women
remain breastfeeding at 6 months and 25% of women
remain breastfeeding at one year.

I breastfed both my kids, for over 4 months
my sister did not
my mom breast fed my brother until he was 1 yr old
and 2 out of 10 of my friends breastfed their kids.

Answer 6

Sounds like you already know something about the US and the growing move towards breastfeeding. Even with government support, according to Parenting magazine (it might have been Parents; I get both and they blend in my mind) about 40 percent of women are still nursing at 3 months. This drops to 30 percent by 6 months and 20 by 9 months.

I nursed two of my sons past 2 years of age (yes, they ate solids too!). My 10 month old is almost exclusively breast fed.

Answer 7

I found..... at 6 months it's 36 % for any breastfeeding and 14% for exclusive (no solids or any other supplements). And 44% of moms we're still exclusively breastfeeding at 2 months.



I only breastfed my daughter (1st baby) for 8 weeks and felt guilty after I researched it. My second child is breastfed exclusively, he is 10 months. I plan on doing it for a about 6 more months. Maybe over compensation for my daughter.

Answer 8

My oldest daughter was almost exclusively breastfed until she was 13 months old. I say almost because she did have four bottles (of pumped breast milk) in that time. My second daughter was EXCLUSIVELY breastfed until she was 13 months old - never had a nipple in her mouth that wasn't mine :-) I guess the part that makes this such an extreme accomplishment was that I work full-time (40+ hours/week) as a secretary. However, I work for a truly WONDERFUL company who actually let me leave work as often as needed during the day to drive to my mother's house (a ten minute drive) to feed my babies. Yes, it made getting my work done harder, sometimes, but I believe it was more than worth it!

Answer 9

Breastfeeding is not easy. It takes at least 4 weeks to get into a comfy pattern. I never made it past 4 months with any of my children, but every little bit helps.

It burns me up how formula feeders and breast feeders seem to bicker with each other alot, not everybody does this but Im willing to bet you guys know what I mean.

It does not matter how one feeds a baby, as long as they baby is fed.

Answer 10

I breastfed my son until he was 3 months (I went back to work and sitting in a toilet stall pumping was, well, gross). I was also not producing enough milk as he got BIGGER. I breastfed my daughter until she was 4 months and stopped for the same reason - went back to work. The second time around was much easier too, darn it.

I'm hoping to work from home with my next one and thereby be able to breastfeed much longer. It's a wonderful experience.