Judy - I am from England living in US so I see both sides of the nursing
situation, as it were. I have long thought that the US view of European
nursing habits is a little too rosy. People hear my accent and say, 'oh
England, a country where lots of people breastfeed...."
Of course every country in Europe is different, and to be honest with all
the home birth in Holland I'd conjured up a pretty rosy view myself.
But re England, despite the more intensive post natal care, prevalence of
midwives, and good follow up, (and without being able to quote actual
figures) I would say bf 'habits' are extremely similar to those in the US.
Misinformation, social lack of awareness, and early weaning are absolutely
the norm, at least in my experience. I do not believe it to be any more
enlightened there than here.
France has awful bf rates, despite their penchant for exposing breasts on
the beach. And as for Greece, where I have lived and nursed my children,
they are in the abyss!!!  Forget all that sunny Mediterranean bliss. Being
(in some areas) a couple of decades behind other first world countries,
they seem stuck in the 70s with regard to breastfeeding. People look at you
and say 'you're BREASTFEEDING?' - like - no one does that any more.
 In my personal experience also, MDs in Greece and England are just as
clueless about bf as they are here. Sorry to dispell a few happy myths....
Anne Merewood