96% of Australian mums start breastfeeding. However, in the early weeks there is a rapid fall in exclusive breastfeeding rates, and by 4 months, only 39% of babies are still being exclusively breastfed and by 6 months, this number drops to only 15%.

Current medical advice recommends exclusively breastfeeding your baby until around 6 months and continuing with complementary food until 12 months and beyond (the World Health Organization recommends until 24 months).

So why this rapid drop?

Acknowledging the fact that exclusively breastfeeding your baby is a choice, and that every woman has the right to mix feed or exclusively formula feed if that is what’s best for her. As well as the unfortunate reality that some medical circumstances prevent exclusive breastfeeding. For those women who do want to exclusively breastfeed, lack of support and access to good breastfeeding education during pregnancy and early postpartum can impact this choice.

Knowing how to initiate, troubleshoot, and maintain breastfeeding in a way that is pain free and with optimal milk transfer to your baby is the key to a successful and enjoyable breastfeeding journey.

Women need to know how to…

Prevent and/or treat nipple damage

Manage blocked ducts and prevent mastitis

Find the right positions for holding their baby so they fit with their unique body shape

Establish a healthy supply and know what true low/over supply is and how to manage this

I will do a post on each of these soon, but in the meantime if you are currently having issues breastfeeding or about to have a baby please reach out to an IBCLC GP or lactation consultant for an appointment  For my Sydney followers take a look at my stories for suggestions of some amazing GPs and LCs around Sydney.