Although the WHO (World Health Organization) recommends exclusive breastfeeding up to six months and supplemented with other foods for at least two years of the child, according to data from the Breastfeeding Committee of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, more than 60% of mothers abandon breastfeeding before six months.
There are many reasons why breastfeeding rates are not more satisfactory, including the lack of information and support from pediatricians and nurses, and the impediments to continue breastfeeding the baby once the mother returns to work, which, inconsistently , in Spain it is before six months of the baby.
When the mother has to return to work, breastfeeding decreases. Although it has been requested to extend maternity leave to six months to at least coincide with the period of exclusive breastfeeding, at the moment it does not seem to be a priority issue for administrations. Undoubtedly, this would make it easier for mothers to be with their babies and continue offering them their food for longer.
On the other hand, another of the obstacles that mothers find is that when the child has to go to nursery school, it does not always facilitate breastfeeding. Protocols have been established so that babies can be fed with their mothers' milk, either by moving the mother to the center or carrying the bottles with extracted milk. But in reality, the cases are minority.
Almost all mothers who abandon breastfeeding say they would rather not have done so, but for many, continuing to breastfeed is an ideal state that they cannot afford when they have to return to work and the baby to daycare.
Many things should change so that breastfeeding rates increase, including providing mothers with realistic information about breastfeeding, supporting them, and facilitating the continuation of breastfeeding when the mother must return to work.
