We have heard a lot about the benefits of breastfeeding to health, yet the UK remains one of the countries in the world with the lowest breastfeeding rate. Why is this a consistent problem? Why do we still hear a lot of mothers talking about struggles with breastfeeding? Why is it that 80% of mothers in the UK initiate breastfeeding but only 1% still exclusively breastfeed at 6months?

Sometimes mothers who wish to breastfeed find it challenging to get the right support at the right time from medical practitioners. Medical professionals themselves may not be able to offer the support that is needed as they receive limited training to enable them to provide this. We have heard of doctors sharing myths about breastfeeding and it’s important to acknowledge that this can be due to lack of training on breastfeeding.  As a result of this vacuum in their professional training, some doctors, just like some breastfeeding mothers also struggle with breastfeeding, hence the existence of a breastfeeding support group for doctors.

Mothers who need support can access this via their Midwife and Health Visitor, but this is not available 24/7, and some find it hard to reach out for support so stop breastfeeding before they want to. Some mothers can access breastfeeding support via organisations whose services are mostly delivered by trained volunteers for breastfeeding support. While these organisations provide key support to breastfeeding mothers, they are unable to reach all mothers due to capacity and funding challenges.

Breastfeeding in public is legal in the UK. Despite this, some mothers still complain of negative public comments and reaction when breastfeeding in public. Most big public places such as shopping malls do not provide breastfeeding rooms, this can lead to mothers being reluctant to go out or feeling that they have to use facilities such as toilets or going back to their car to breastfeed. This also extends to many workplaces as they are often not aware of how to make adequate provision to support breastfeeding mothers returning to work. It is sad to see research data showing that even doctors returning to work had to express breastmilk in changing rooms; in toilets; in their cars; and in cupboards. The lack of a legal framework leaves mothers with no protected right to accessible resources and support in the workplace, and employers with little understanding of why it is important or how to support breastfeeding.

The Lancet recently highlighted how damaging the aggressive and targeted marketing of formula milk is to the baby and the mother. The aggressive marketing strategy creates an imbalance of information on infant feeding to parents. Placed alongside the lack of information on breastfeeding, parents are left with the perception that formula feeding is an equal form of infant feeding. While formula milk plays a vital role in situations where the mother cannot or chooses not to breastfeed, some mothers feed their babies formula purely because of lack of information and support.

With the rising cost of living and the soaring cost of formula milk, the lack of information and support for mothers is financially costly. Some mothers are turning to food banks for formula, and some are watering down milk due to their inability to afford formula milk. This raises concerns because watering down formula imposes dangerous risks to baby’s health.

Even though the UK has a Net Zero target on environmental agenda, breastfeeding has not been considered as a key contributing factor towards that target. Breastfeeding has negligible carbon footprint while the manufacture, packaging, and distribution of formula milk has a significant impact on the environment. Encouraging more mothers to breastfeed, and then supporting them in their decision would contribute significantly to the Net Zero Carbon agenda.

The government has a role to play in ensuring that more mothers are encouraged to breastfeed for as long as they wish. This however cannot be done without providing helpful information and all the necessary support on breastfeeding to mothers.

Considering this, we demand that the government should:

- Embed breastfeeding in the school curriculum and relevant health  professionals training.

- Provide a policy on breastfeeding in the workplace which will protect the rights of breastfeeding mothers in the workplace.

-  Mandate all large public places like shopping malls, community centres, public libraries, museums, etc to provide breastfeeding rooms or spaces.

-  Fully adopt The Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes to protect babies and their families from harmful commercial influences and undermining of breastfeeding for commercial profit; and to protect families who formula feed from the escalating costs of premium brands.

-  Provide adequate 24/7 specialist lactation support in maternity services to actively counteract the culture of formula top-ups in hospitals; and to enable human donor milk to be more accessible as an option when mother's milk is not immediately available.

-  Guarantee a sustained funding support to breastfeeding organisations who play a key part in supporting mothers.

- Include breastfeeding support on the Net Zero Environmental Agenda.