Barbara,

This is solved easily by looking at initiation rates.  Even in the USA, 
the initiation rates are 74% (latest figures released, I think by CDC, 
last month).  That means only 26% chose formula during pregnancy.  The 
overall UK figures for 2005, was 76%, and that will have risen 
slightly.  So, again, less than 25% 'chose' formula.

http://www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/publications/breastfeed2005/InfantFeedingSurveyTables190506_PDF.pdf

As I see it, the issue isn't how many choose formula, it's how many are 
still breastfeeding by the end of the first week.  I've just tried to 
find UK figures, and found this fascinating set of statistics:

http://www.nct.org.uk/breastfeeding/statistics.html#PartB

Now, if we look at other European countries, we find inititation rates 
are higher and the continued rates are HUGE compared to UK/USA.  Such as 
Marit's just quoted 80% at two months.  I couldn't find it, but 
extrapolating from the figures above, we're probably lucky to be at 25% 
overall in the UK for 8 weeks (hoping some has the figues here) - and 
those will be biased if you include Scotland's massive succes in this in 
recent years.  (Just found a reference that Scotland had gone from 30% 
at six weeks on 1990, to 40% at six weeks in 2000.  It should be higher 
still by now.)

And yes, I am with you on both the myth that most women choose in 
pregnancy, and the use of this as a subsequent "get out of jail" card by 
everyone in the system. 

And to Wiessingerise this discourse.... I'm hoping we're not looking at 
what places like Sweden do to get the figures up to that level, but at 
what everyone else is or isn't doing to keep their figures so low.   We 
can learn from other cultures doing it 'better' - but their 'better' is 
the surely the 'norm'.  :-)

Morgan Gallagher

Barbara Glare & Chris Bright wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I hear very frequently that "Women make the decision whether to 
> breastfeed or not during pregnancy" I believe this is often used in 
> hospitals and other healthcare situations to excuse the lack os 
> skilled help and ongoing support. Or that it may have been true in one 
> place at a certain point of time - but does not hold true for other 
> cultures. I am about to declare it an urban myth.  In Australia most 
> women do (I think) intend to breastfeed but meet with problems that 
> they believe are insurmountable in the early weeks after their baby is 
> born.  Or lack the ongoing support to breastfeed.
> So, can anyone point me in the direction of the studies that 
> demonstrate that women make their decision about infant feeding before 
> pregnancy/early pregnancy?  Other opinions would be welcome too.

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