MotherBreastFeeding.com

Have you ever thought that breastfeeding rates can depend upon some other factors except lady’s desire? I have just read the article where it is said that breastfeeding rates vary upon region and race. It appeared that among all the ladies living in the United States, these are Afro-American women who have the lowest percent of breastfeeding mothers.

According to CDC surveys, among mothers who gave the birth to their children during the period of 2003-2006 only 54.4 percents of Afro-American ladies were breastfeeding their babies. While the number of breastfeeding white and Hispanic ladies are much higher: 74.3% and 80.4% respectively.

Moreover, breastfeeding rates depend much upon the region of our country. It appears that Hispanic ladies who live in western states are better breastfeeders than white mothers, but in eastern states the situation is opposite.

It should be noted that the breastfeeding rate has increased much during the last 15 years. This happens thanks to a number or government programs which help the mothers to understand the importance of breastfeeding and which are giving them all the necessary support. Nowadays these programs do not loose their importance as there are still lots of women who do not know all the necessity and peculiarities of breastfeeding. One of these programs is a federal program - Healthy people.

I have just read an article which I have found rather interesting but a bit scaring at the same time. The article said about one historical period in breastfeeding. It is nowadays when breastfeeding is known to be popular and common for people. And I thought that it was always the main food for small babies. But it appeared that it was not like this always. It is said that in the middle ages of last centuries people stop use breastfeeding for nursing their babies.

At those times breastfeeding was almost lost in the life of people in the USA. What more striking is, there were even three main obstacles for successful breastfeeding: doctors, social pressures and hospitals. As a result most of moms have no been breastfeeding their children at all. And only in 1956, when Mary Ann Kerwin and Mary White organized an organization LLLI, the breastfeeding started getting popularity again with the help of this organization. It helped breastfeeding mothers, taught them and encouraged.