Celebrate World Breastfeeding Week from 1-7 August
Today is the first day of World Breastfeeding Week, running from 1st to 7th August. I believe that breastfeeding is very important, and it gives children the best start in life. Not only breast milk has all the essential nutrients and vitamins required during their first six months of life, it also protects babies from illness as it is full of disease-fighting substances.
I enjoyed breastfeeding, my mum stayed with us when I gave birth and it was lovely having her around to share her tips and experience. I was a little bit scared at first, but it only took a couple of days to get used to breastfeeding. My mum breastfed me 30 years ago, and I did the same when I had my child 5 years ago.
Although I had a positive breastfeeding experience, at times I felt uncomfortable breastfeeding in public. I must confess I didn’t breastfeed very often in public areas, I would usually express some milk at home, then take in a bottle when we were out.
According to a recent survey conducted by Benenden, I am not alone as 43% of those surveyed also didn’t feel comfortable breastfeeding in public. The research surveyed both men and women, from a range of age groups and ethnicities, to find out more about their views on breastfeeding and experience in public.
In the survey results, most of the people said they were not comfortable breastfeeding in public due to the difficulty in finding a suitable and comfortable location, they were also scared of other people’s reactions, and embarrassed to breastfeed in public.
From those that had a negative experience while breastfeeding in public, the majority mentioned that they received dirty looks from members of the public. I have been in a similar situation when I felt very conscious as it seemed that a lot of people were watching me breastfeed, as if it was something unusual and not natural. At all times, I used a nursing cover-up, so I didn’t expose any flesh, and I would breastfeed in a designated area whenever available. Even though, I didn’t feel as comfortable as I should while feeding my newborn child.
I must say it is very sad that so many people do not feel comfortable giving their child breast milk in public areas. Hopefully World Breastfeeding Week can raise more awareness about the benefits of breastfeeding and help us all feel more relaxed about it.
This post has been written in partnership with Benenden to raise awareness for World Breastfeeding Week.