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The US tries to push breastfeeding. For some reason, our lower income population doesn't embrace it. The higher the income, the higher the breastfeeding rate. They're doing it because they are educated it's healthy for children, but it's mindboggling that lower income people don't embrace breastfeeding since it's free.
Same with lower income people in the UK. Just doesn't make sense. Here 99% of mothers breastfeed to begin with (but exclusive rates drop rapidly in the first month - 60% are exclusively breastfed at one month, by 6 months 60% still get breastmilk but only 1% exclusively (but that's most likely because the babies would be starting solids then anyway)
OK, I'll give you the point that over there it's the government's business. Over here it isn't, though, and not everyone believes that makes women worse off.
By the way, breastfeeding is also being pushed hard here (in my experience), but we can't force people to breastfeed.
You can't force it but not having to go back to work after 6-12 weeks would help.
You can't force it but not having to go back to work after 6-12 weeks would help.
Even moms who don't go back to work often don't breastfeed here. Plus, there is a law that employers must provide a place other than the bathroom for mothers to pump.
I know that many women find breastfeeding to be too much work. My sister didn't even try it after going home (did it in the hospital since hospitals really push it) with her second child, and there are many others who do the same.
Its not so much the breastfeeding is pushed here, its just expected as the norm, and formula is not pushed. Don't mothers in the US still get free formula from the hospitals/formula companies? That's not allowed here. If you want to formula feed your baby from the start you take your own to the hospital for the birth (babies that need supplementary feeding while in the hospital, like mine did, get donor milk).
Oh I just thought of another downside for mothers here - the closing of maternity departments in rural hospitals. I'll have to travel an hour and a half to the next nearest hospital to give birth if I have another baby - I expect a fair number get born in the taxi or ambulance!
I don't know of people who were given formula at the hospital. Hospitals (at least where I lived up until a couple months ago) push breastfeeding really, really hard.
Like most of us Americans, you've been brainwashed. Simple as that.
We have been. It amazes me even when I read through the threads about stay-at-home moms vs working mothers. There is so much competition in America it's somewhat imbalanced. But it's brainwashing. It's also a mixed message: "stay at home and you're a good mother," "you're not a good person to hire because you've been a stay-at-home mom for x-years." WTF? You can't be both here. It's not as "free" as we think...it's really not a choice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by psr13
Yes, mothers in European countries get very good benefits from the government.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SaintCabbage
If a temp can do your job for 50 weeks, you're still not really needed. Why would they pay you a handsome salary, when some temporary monkey can cover your duties for a year with no issue?
SMH. And this is what the brainwashing looks like. Wow! See my first response within this post.
BTW, temporary employees are NOT monkeys...seriously?? Come on now.
It's not brainwashing to think of what the proper function of government is. We can all disagree on the purpose of government without having to say people who think otherwise are brainwashed.
Definitely not the United States. Public schools are terrible and I think we're one of the only countries that doesn't mandate maternity leave in the world.
Even moms who don't go back to work often don't breastfeed here. Plus, there is a law that employers must provide a place other than the bathroom for mothers to pump.
I know that many women find breastfeeding to be too much work. My sister didn't even try it after going home (did it in the hospital since hospitals really push it) with her second child, and there are many others who do the same.
Not all mums can pump - I couldn't get anything out from pumping but breastfed for over a year. I know quite a few others who also couldn't get anything or very little out from pumping.
Even moms who don't go back to work often don't breastfeed here. Plus, there is a law that employers must provide a place other than the bathroom for mothers to pump.
I know that many women find breastfeeding to be too much work. My sister didn't even try it after going home (did it in the hospital since hospitals really push it) with her second child, and there are many others who do the same.
Yes, of course, but some quit when they go back to work. Pumping is not quite the same. Know where the designated room was at my last job? The supply closet. I'm not kidding.
Yes, of course, but some quit when they go back to work. Pumping is not quite the same. Know where the designated room was at my last job? The supply closet. I'm not kidding.
Wow! That's pretty terrible. Was it at least a big closet?
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