Hellobee Boards

Where I am it's all about the 'Business of Breastfeeding' - there are many stores devoted to nursing, workshops, gangs of lactation consultants, the head LC will pull you out of your hospital bed hours after giving birth to drag you to a group (not even kidding, haha.. I was like 'whaaaat?') and should you ever have to buy formula or feed your child a bottle in public, you hear the 'tsk tsking' behind your back.
Maybe I'm exaggerating a bit.. but not by much!
One of my dear friend's inability to breastfeed and the community's reaction to it sent her into a severe PPD.
I'm glad I breastfeed and am happy to, I just wish there were more support and less judgement for all moms in my area.

It is so hard to say, the people I am around mostly breast feed but I am only around a small group of people. I know the hospital here really encourages breastfeeding.

I'm from the San Francisco area and most people breastfeed (surprise, surprise).

@Baby Boy Mom: that's so funny because it's the complete opposite here. It's like if you formula feed you must be on assistance and/or uneducated.

@Baby Boy Mom: This isn't the attitude of people I know personally but when I've seen feeding choices attached to income, it's actually the opposite. I've seen people assume that those who are poor use formula more often. It's interesting how that even varies region to region (although, like I said, the majority people in my area don't attach a stigma either way as far as income level goes).

@Coco Bee: You're from Minnesota, right? I only ask because I had most of my prenatal care in Minnesota (up to almost 38 weeks) and I think that may partially be why I'm more drawn to breastfeeding than the people I know in SC. It was discussed more and encouraged a lot more when I was up there. That's why I picked the hospital I did down here, it had similar values to the hospital and doctor I had up there and it fit what I wanted better.

It seems that most people try BFing. @rachiecakes: I agree, I think those that don't try are mostly the less educated/lower income.

I think it also has to do a lot with being a SAHM. I know its really rare for WOHM mom's like myself to be able to EBF for a year.

I think most moms try here (South Texas) but until I had DD I was the only one I knew that was bf'ing at 2 months or more. I now have a couple of friends that are bf'ing so maybe it's changing.

When I had DS 8 years ago though, I had never known ANYONE to breastfeed and just trying everyone looked at me like I had 2 heads. =(

Most of the moms around here (Orange County, CA) BF. Except maybe the super rich moms in south county (Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, etc.) who have nannies.

I'm not sure, but the majority of my friends (it seems) formula-feed. However, I know in each case it's because they were unable to BF for one reason or another.

@rachiecakes: Yes! Even pressure from my pediatrician's office - at 8 weeks I had to go dairy free and I asked about formula and they looked at me like I had 2 heads - and I wasn't even breastfeeding then, I was pumping. Sigh.

I'm in the DC metro area, and while I don't know if it's common throughout the entire region, almost everyone I know at least tried to BF. I recently visited my hometown, however, and everyone acted like I was an alien/rockstar because LO was 5mo and had never had anything but breastmilk.

I don't have kids yet - but I know the hospital closest to my home town pretty much automatically gives the babies formula and encourage it. My moms best friend is a midwife and doesn't like going there because they don't even give an option for the most part. So I guess in that area FF is the most common?
From Ontario Canada!

I would say most people formula feed in town. I think some try but don't last long for many different personal reasons. I think much of it having to do work full time. There is also very little support in general in this town and less for working mothers. We only have 2 OB's in town at any one time and that is most definitely not enough to do more than birth the babies. The lactation consultant in town who works for the hospital can help with latching and that is about it (anything more difficult is beyond her such as pumping or MSPI). We have a La Leche League which meets in the mornings and is difficult for working moms to attend. All of the mom's groups meet during the day. So unless you get support from church or your own group of friends you won't find groups.

I don't know what the norms are in NYC. I'm thinking that with the Mayor's plan for formula in hospitals it might mean that formula is what the majority of women do? I know women who formula feed/fed and women who breastfeed/fed. I was also scheduled to give birth at a birth center and took classes to prepare for that, so usually the women in those classes would most likely breastfeed.

@tysonja: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db05.htm