Problems deter breastfeeding mothers: survey

By REBECCA WALSH, Health Reporter

If New Zealand wants women to breastfeed their babies, more resources are needed to help first-time mothers overcome "normal problems", a survey says.

Parenting magazine Little Treasures has found that two-thirds of first-time mothers had problems breastfeeding and found it difficult to get help.

Many left hospital before breastfeeding was established and had too-little time with midwives or lactation consultants.

Others said they could not get through on Plunket Line.

The survey of 466 mothers found the first-timers and half of repeat mothers had problems such as cracked nipples or poor latching-on.

Of those who gave up breastfeeding within six months, about half did so in the first month and a fifth between five and eight weeks.

The magazine's editor, Sally Duggan, said breastfeeding was a big issue for new mothers and "the thing that most throws and unsettles them".

While breast was clearly best, many women were not prepared for the difficulties that came with breastfeeding and struggled with a lack of support. Health Ministry figures show that about two-thirds of 6-week-old babies are breastfed. That drops to about half by three months.

One woman quoted in Little Treasures said: "If I had been looked after I might still be breastfeeding but it only lasted a week and I'm now bottlefeeding."

About one in 10 first-timers and one in five of the other mothers said they did not receive helpful advice on breastfeeding in hospital.

While the average hospital stay for first-timers was four days, about a quarter stayed two days or less.

But 22 per cent of first-timers and 17 per cent of others said they wanted to stay longer.

More than a third of first-timers and nearly a quarter of repeat mothers did not think they had breastfeeding established by the time they went home.

In a ministry survey of about 3000 women, published in January, 30 per cent said hospital staff or their lead maternity carer were too busy to attend to their needs, and 23 per cent said they did not get consistent advice about feeding.

College of Midwives spokeswoman Norma Campbell said the best place for mothers was home but they needed lots of support from family and friends. They were also entitled to seven post-natal visits.

She wondered it women were given enough information "so they understand that while it's natural to breastfeed, it's a learned art".

Mrs Campbell said the ministry had launched strategies to promote breastfeeding, including the international Baby Friendly Hospital initiative, in which maternity services adopted practices known to foster breastfeeding.

Angela Baldwin, of Plunket, said about a third of calls to the helpline did not get through because of limited resources.

Hospitals ban Little Treasures magazine

Little Treasures magazine has been banned from hospitals taking part in a breastfeeding initiative because it contains advertisements for baby formula. Thousands of copies of the magazine are given out free in postnatal wards each year.

Editor Sally Duggan said the magazine, which included ads for follow-on formula for babies aged 6 months plus, had been removed from hospitals involved in the Baby Friendly Hospital's Initiative.

The international initiative aims to increase breastfeeding rates. Mrs Duggan said the magazine supported breastfeeding - "it's a fairly watertight argument that breastfeeding is best for mother and baby". Mothers had written to the magazine outraged that it had been removed.

Dr Pat Tuohy, chief adviser child health for the Ministry of Health, said the World Health Organisation required hospitals taking part in the programme not to make available literature or advertising on formula feeding.

Six hospitals, including Birthcare in Auckland, were involved.