Nursery World - Less than half of mothers breastfeed after two months

A survey of 500 new mothers reveals that while almost three-quarters start breastfeeding, less than half continue to do so six-to eight weeks later.

Guidelines in England recommend exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months as it boost a baby’s ability to fight illness and infection.

Carried out by Public Health England (PHE) and the NHS, the survey also found that more than half of mothers were concerned that breastfeeding could mean that they wouldn’t be able to tell if their baby was getting too much or not enough milk.

Nearly three in ten were worried that breastfeeding could mean their baby might not be getting the right nutrients.

The survey also confirmed that breastfeeding in public is something that mothers are concerned about.

More than 60 per cent were embarrassed about breastfeeding in front of strangers and 59 per cent in front of their partner's family.

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