Women who decide not to breastfeed their child must be respected for their choice, midwives are being told.
Updated advice from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) stresses that new mothers should be given appropriate support if they make an informed decision to bottle-feed.
The guidance still says babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, in line with advice from the World Health Organization (WHO).
But the RCM has acknowledged that some mothers struggle to start or carry on breastfeeding, and says the decision is a woman’s right.
Its chief executive, Gill Walton, said: “Evidence clearly shows that breastfeeding in line with WHO guidance brings optimum benefits for the health of both mother and baby. However, the reality is that often some women for a variety of reasons struggle to start or sustain breastfeeding.
“The RCM believes that women should be at the centre of their own care and as with other areas of maternity care, midwives and maternity support workers should promote informed choice.
For more read the full of article at The Guardian
