An article published in The Press last April 151 highlighted the difficulty many parents have in meeting their baby’s nutritional needs, due to the dramatic increase in the cost of commercial infant formula in Quebec.
This price increase, combined with the challenges of obtaining these products, puts increased financial pressure on families, particularly those with modest incomes, who are already severely affected.
To improve access to infant formula, Health Canada is focusing on diversifying supply sources. This is a major challenge in the current difficult economic situation. The context seems appropriate to take a look at a practice that has made it possible to meet the nutritional needs of babies since the dawn of time: breastfeeding.
According to Canadian data, nine in ten mothers breastfed or attempted to breastfeed their last child at birth2. Among those who started breastfeeding, one in seven stopped before a month and one in five between one and six months.
In addition to its benefits for infant health, breastfeeding represents an economical and practical option for feeding your child. However, many women encounter obstacles that sometimes lead them to stop breastfeeding earlier than expected. Among the reasons given for stopping breastfeeding during the first postnatal month, breastfeeding difficulties (20.8%) and the perception of low milk production (42.5%) were named most closely. two thirds of women2.
Preventing postpartum depression
These statistics are even more concerning now that we know the correlation between breastfeeding difficulties and postpartum depression. Indeed, studies have shown that women who intended to breastfeed but have difficulty doing so after the birth of their baby have a higher risk of suffering from postpartum depression.3.
Across Quebec, several community organizations specializing in perinatal care, including Perinatal Resource Centers (CRP), offer valuable support to mothers who wish to breastfeed. This support takes various forms, such as breastfeeding preparation workshops, breastfeeding drop-ins and individual meetings with resources trained in breastfeeding, the possibility of renting a breast pump or even sponsoring services (pairing with a mother having breastfed for at least six months).
Unfortunately, these resources remain little known. It often happens that parents are not informed of their existence or that they access them too late.
I can attest to the importance of these resources myself. When my daughter was only a few weeks old, I received concrete support from a breastfeeding support group.
Without this help, I probably would have stopped breastfeeding. A few months later, I began acting as a breastfeeding sponsor, to give back what I had received.
It is essential to make future parents aware of breastfeeding information and support resources as early as possible during pregnancy, throughout Quebec. The goal is not to convince all mothers to breastfeed, but to provide women with adequate information so they can make an informed decision about how to feed their baby. It is also crucial that they receive the support they need, at the right time, to have an enjoyable experience and to continue breastfeeding over time if they wish.
Ultimately, there is no single solution to the supply challenge and rising costs of commercial infant formula. However, the time seems right to act in prevention, by putting in place favorable conditions for breastfeeding.
1. Read “Rising price of infant formula – Parents “no longer have money to feed their baby””
2. “Progress Report on Breastfeeding in Canada 2022”, Public Health Agency of Canada
3. “Early breastfeeding experiences and postpartum depression”, Watkins, Meltzer-Brody, Zolnoun and Stuebe, 2011
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reference: www.lapresse.ca