Hi all! My latest post is up here on Momaroo. It is my take on the Gloucester, MA "pregnancy pact" and my thought that we should provide teens with access to contraceptives. Check it out!

Hi all - my latest Momaroo post is up here. Its about facing adversity and getting through it. Its a little bit of a break from my usual posts - go read it when you can!

Where are all the breastfeeding moms?

Despite the numerous benefits of breastfeeding, recent data (2004) shows that only 31% of infants were exclusively breastfeeding at 3 months old and  11% at 6 months. 

Though there are many benefits to breastfeeding, recent studies show that one benefit is a reduced risk of both childhood and adult obesity.  The longer an infant is breastfed, the lower the chances of the child (and then adult) of being overweight.  For every month the baby is breastfed, up to 9 months of age, the risk for being overweight goes down by 4%.  This means a 30% reduced risk for a child breastfed for 9 months versus a child never breastfed.  Continuing to breastfeed may be one thing to help with epidemic obesity issues we now face (along with many other needed interventions).

Did you breastfeed and if so, how long? Do most women find that continuing to breastfeed until at least 9-months is a realistic thing to be able to do with other life issues?   Why do you think the numbers of exclusively breastfeeding babies is so low?