See also The Fourth Trimester and Your Baby Week By Week for more information on breastfeeding in the first three months
Breastfeeding
Human infants are breastfed until natural weaning occurs. This is sometimes called full-term or natural-term breastfeeding. We endorse the World Health Guidelines which state:
“WHO and UNICEF recommend that children initiate breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life – meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water.
Infants should be breastfed on demand – that is as often as the child wants, day and night. No bottles, teats or pacifiers should be used.
From the age of 6 months, children should begin eating safe and adequate complementary foods while continuing to breastfeed for up to 2 years and beyond.”
— https://www.who.int/health-topics/breastfeeding
When direct breastfeeding is not possible, babies should be fed their own mothers expressed breastmilk and/or donor breastmilk. The use of infant formula is considered a last resort. We do not permit any form of brand promotion of infant formula or products used with breastmilk substitutes in accordance with the The International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, informally known as The WHO Code
We support Informal Milk Sharing through online communities including Human Milk For Human Babies and Eats On Feets. We encourage and support the establishment of human milk banking making human milk available to all babies unable to be fully fed their Mothers Own Milk
We support antenatal expression of colostrum and the use of this in the postnatal period in circumstances where babies need supplementation.
We support relactation and induced lactation. We consider the terminology “breast”, “breastmilk” and “breastfeeding” to be biologically accurate at a population level but respect the right of individuals to use terminology like “chestfeeding”.
We recognise the Australian Infant Feeding Guidelines Information for health workers
“In Australia, it is recommended that infants be exclusively breastfed until around 6 months of age when solid foods are introduced. It is further recommended that breastfeeding be continued until 12 months of age
and beyond, for as long as the mother and child desire. ”
— https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/the_guidelines/n56b_infant_feeding_summary_130808.pdf
We respect child-led weaning from the breast as optimal but recognise that circumstance may led to mother-led weaning after two years.
We do not support night weaning or adult-modification of infant sleep patterns and recognise the normality and benefit of nighttime breastfeeding throughout the early years of life.
While we recognise that the majority of mothers in Australia initiate breastfeeding but only a minority achieve 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding due to circumstances beyond their control, this is not a community for those who choose not to breastfeed for non-medical reasons. This is not a formula feeding support forum. Questions around choosing and using infant formula are not permitted. We choose to describe the risks of infant formula and/or lack of breastfeeding, which may cause distress.
Breastfeeding In Public: Promotion and Campaigns
Efforts by advocacy groups and governments around the world to change community perception about breastfeeding in public have used some creative means. We have gathered together some of the best here:
Breastfeeding in Public: A Timeline
Breastfeeding a baby in public has never been illegal. It was just unprotected. People could tell mothers they weren't “allowed” to breastfeed their babies in various spaces outside their home and women had to accept it. Until they didn't.
In Australia, protection for breastfeeding was included under State and Federal Anti-discrimination Acts. Women around the country lobbied their parliaments to specifically include breastfeeding, which they did, using a variety of descriptions.
You would expect this collectively brought an end to any confusion but incidents of discrimination continue to appear in the media and in the day to day lives of families. The common theme is that it is breaking some presumed rule or law or is somehow inappropriate or dangerous for the baby.
Babies breastfeed a lot. Like, really a lot! Condemning mothers to only breastfeed at home or is designated spaces is impractical and discrimination. Babies get to #eatinpublic, just like children and adults.
Since the 1980s, I have followed media coverage of breastfeeding in public here in Australia and overseas. The stories tend to come in similar installments:
The outrage
The apology
The opinions
The protest
For some reason, the second point rarely gets the coverage the others do and so the message retained by the masses is "the mother was wrong" - even when relevant laws, company policies and other facts are highlighted.
Here I have gathered some key stories:
Breastfeeding In Public: Advocacy
Breastfeeding mothers in Australia can breastfeed anywhere, anytime. It is always their choice where they feel comfortable breastfeeding their baby outside the family home. To enable them a range of choices, there are three protections in place:
Safe Spaces
Inclusive Environments
Legal Protection
Breastfeeding In Public: Activism -Protests, Nurse-ins, Breastfests and Photo Shoots
Breastfeeding in Public is protected by Federal and State Laws in Australia. Yet public perception is mixed when it comes to the rights of breastfeeding mothers and their babies.
Reactive and Proactive measures have been taken both informally and as part of community eductation and support for women who breastfeed their babies anywhere, anytime.
Here are some significant events from the past few decades in Australia: