Celebrating BreastFeeding Week

For immediate release

To celebrate World Breastfeeding Week 1-7 August 2016, Medela Australia releases survey results revealing attitudes towards experience with breastfeeding

Medela Australia conducted a survey with 4000 Australian Mums to discover attitudes towards experience with breastfeeding and sourcing parenting advice.  Results reveal many women put pressure on themselves to breastfeed because of health benefits breastfeeding provides, yet most go on to experience associated challenges. To assist in their parenting journey, mums bypass their own mums’ wisdom in place of advice from Midwife/Doctors and online support tools and apps.

Reassuringly, 9 in 10 mums do experience breastfeeding challenges. From the respondents, 90 per cent cited issues with milk levels (22 per cent) and sore nipples (20 per cent) as most popular problems. A myriad of less common issues included mastitis/engorgement, health, latching, sore nipples, tongue tie.

Despite challenges, most mums persevere to continue breastfeeding. In fact, a high proportion (52 per cent) feel pressure to continue breastfeeding. Of these women, the overwhelming majority actually put pressure on themselves to breastfeed, as opposed to feeling the pressure to breastfeed from factors such as partners, society, media, celebrities.

The main reason women breastfeed regardless, is predominantly for the health benefits for baby and mum (approximately 90 per cent breastfeed for this reason). The bonding experience, convenience, monetary savings, benefits to environment were minor reasons to breastfeed, with each option garnering under 4 per cent support.  Pumping is also popular with 92 per cent expressing, mainly to store milk for future use (29 per cent), or to improve milk supply (22 per cent).

The survey further reveals that while most respondents (61 per cent) agree there is a lot of online information and advice available, mums still feel satisfied with the access to information and advice required.  Only 10 per cent feel extremely overwhelmed and confused with information available online.

The most popular point of call for mums looking for pregnancy, newborn and baby advice is the Mid Wife/Doctor. This is followed most closely by Online communities/ websites/ Apps/ downloadable tools.  The majority of mums do not turn to their own mum for advice first, with the 24/7 convenience of sourcing information online or via Apps as the reason for its popularity.

Jarrod Percy, the Managing Director of Medela Australia explains,

“Breastfeeding Awareness Week is an opportunity to educate the wider community about the challenges mums face and the pressure they put on themselves to give their child the best start in life and to remind mums that they are not alone in their journey.  Fortunately, this generation of mums have access to personalised, instantly available resources, tools and communities online designed to inform and empower her along the way.”

Over 70 per cent of respondents subscribe to an online support network, website, forum or App that provides parenting information. And of these, 98 per cent find these resources important in terms of providing new mums with support and information. 

The MyMedela app, by Medela Australia is a personal digital companion providing practical advice, tips and tricks from experts on pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding, whilst post birth, acts as an efficient tracking tool to monitor babies progress in key areas such as breastfeeding to suit mums’ needs today.

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For more information, images, interview, please contact Emilia or Christie

via  media@kidsbusiness.com.au I 03 9598 9128 I @medela_au I #MyMedela #MedelaAU

About Medela:  Medela provide breastfeeding mums, families and communities with the leading breastfeeding products, expert insights, and ongoing research and education to support the breastfeeding journey. The MyMedela app is available free on the Apple Store & Google Play Store.

www.mymedela.com.au I www.Medela.com.au