Have to toss in my 30 ml. worth here too...
I visited a renowned maternity hospital in Dublin ten years ago, for a week.
The staff were doing everything right to promote BF in terms of talking to
mothers, no adverts, no free formula, no hidden benefits of bottles like
having nursery staff care for your baby vs. having to room in (everyone
roomed in and the bottle users had to do everything themselves from the
first feed, including supplying changes of linens FROM HOME when their
babies spit up in the cribs).  I was not in a position to observe practice
at the bedside, but the percentage of spontaneous birth without analgesia
was impressive at that time.  (There is much more epidural use today.)   I
talked to a number of mothers, both breast- and bottle feeding, and could
see that the attitudes against BF were ingrained, but the breastfeeders were
quietly making small ripples on the pond and I believe those ripples will
continue.  There are many things setting the Irish Republic apart from the
UK and some of those differences certainly impact on breastfeeding.
Remember, the UK isn't exactly a shining example of a breastfeeding culture
either.
Of course we compared BF rates and the midwives I met in Dublin were most
envious of our situation in Norway and wondered how ever to get there.  All
the staff I met who had children, had breastfed them, many continuing on
after their maternity leaves were over.  All I could say was, keep on doing
what you're doing.  AND consider putting BF initiation rates into your
annual report, since every other imaginable feature and outcome of care was
already included there.
It has been a lot of fun watching what happened since.  A couple of years at
least went by before the BF stats started appearing in the report.  And
since then they have risen and risen to a level far in excess of the
national average.  This is an accredited Baby-Friendly Hospital.  Things are
changing, but slowly.  There is a national concern about the nutritional
status of the population and increasing BF rates is part of national health
goals.
Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

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