>
>I am sure it is true that maternity leave affects BF. I know from
>experience with the moms I help that lower income women returning to work
>frequently quit BF because they cannot afford pumps/are unable to work on
>flexible schedules, etc. But why do I keep hearing the quote that in the US
>at least, BF rates are NOT in fact higher among stay at home Moms than
>among working mothers? Anyone know where this comes from and what is
>actually the case?

I don't have the references handy to the two studies that show breastfeeding
rates in the US to be as high among working moms as stay at home moms,
because I'm not in my office.  I'm at home, it's 4 am, and I'm NOT SLEEPING
THROUGH THE NIGHT because we have a pair of obnoxious skunks that like to
fight at 3 am and shoot off at each other and dig underneath the house.  Oh
for a baby to keep me up instead of a skunk!!

Anyway, I think that for every mom who stops breastfeeding when she goes
back to work, there is another mom who continues to breastfeed after she
goes back to work because it helps her cope with guilt/remorse/regret for
leaving her baby.  It may very well be that it is mainly low income moms who
quit breastfeeding because they can't afford a pump and don't have the time
or facilities to pump at work, and the upper class moms who continue to
nurse long after they go back to work.

Also, remember that just because a mom says she stopped breastfeeeding
because "she had to go back to work" and "couldn't afford a pump" -- that
many of the stay at home moms stop breastfeeding early on as well.  That is
to say, "I have to go back to work" is a convenient excuse, but may not be
the real reason.  It just sounds a lot better than saying "I didn't like
breastfeeding," or "My husband wants me to stop," or "I find it too
confining," or whatever.  Saying you have to wean because you are going back
to work is a built in, acceptable reason for weaning.  Because often if you
offer suggestions for how breastfeeding *could* continue after the mom goes
back to work, even without a pump (evenings, weekends), the moms are *not at
all* interested in hearing what you have to say.  They don't want to
breastfeed any more and that's that.  The stay at home moms have to be more
creative about why they don't want to breastfeed any more -- they don't have
enough milk, it is painful, their baby "weaned himself" at 4 months, it
takes to much time, etc. etc. etc.



Kathy D.
mailto:[log in to unmask]