PRLog (Press Release) - Aug 17, 2010 -
New research from www.BabyChild.org.uk, the UK’s fastest growing baby product review website, has revealed a reluctance amongst young women to breast feed after birth out of vanity. Just under half, 49%, of young women aged 18-25 claimed that they did not plan on breastfeeding;
The research was commissioned by http://www.BabyChild.org.uk, following the recent news that
model Gisele had publicly voiced her pro-breastfeeding stance. 1,228 childless women aged 18-25 were subsequently polled; asked questions surrounding their hypothetical intentions of breastfeeding.
When asked the question, “Do you plan on breastfeeding your child?” 49% of the young women who took part in the study answered, “no.” Only 35% responded with a definite “yes” answer; whilst 16% said that they were “unsure.”
These respondents were then asked to stipulate the reasons behind their claims. Of those who stated that they did not plan on breastfeeding their child, 32% admitted that it was because they didn’t want to ‘ruin the look of their breasts.’ A further one in five, 19%, claimed that they felt, ‘uncomfortable’
The 19% of young women who claimed to feel, “uncomfortable”
Of those who claimed that they didn’t want to ‘ruin the look of their breasts,’ just over half, 52%, were afraid of their partner finding them less attractive should this happen. A further 1 in 4, 24%, were fearful that they would lose their body confidence. Over three quarters, 77%, of the young women who did not want to breastfeed also stated that they did not think it would affect their baby’s health.
Of the women who did intend on breastfeeding, the main reason for 51% was the supposition that it would be ‘healthier for the child.’ Over a quarter, 28%, wanted to do so ‘in order to bond with the child.’ Furthermore, one in ten of those who wanted to breastfeed stated that it was ‘irresponsible’
Jill Tovey, co-founder of http://www.BabyChild.org.uk, commented on the findings:
“Breastfeeding is a real hot topic at the moment; one of the main reasons why we decided to commission this research into the opinions of young women. It was surprising to see that so many young women were unwilling to entertain the thought of breastfeeding their child in the future, particularly due to reasons of vanity. The fear of ruining a youthful physique is evidently at the forefront of their minds, and the risk of breastfeeding changing the look and feel of your breasts forever is clearly enough to put some young women off altogether.
“However, the study also revealed a slightly more concerning topic; namely the fact that a percentage of the young women who took part in the study felt that breasts were sexual, therefore deeming breastfeeding an ‘inappropriate act’. This is a somewhat worrying school of thought, particularly given the fact that many women seem to be turned off breastfeeding because of this inaccuracy; and breastfeeding is one of the most natural things in the world. However, the competition of breast versus bottle will forever be debated, and probably never solved. Perhaps an improved education of the benefits and drawbacks of breastfeeding will help young women to come to a more informed decision when the time comes, rather than basing their choice on vanity or fear.”
ENDS
LINK: http://www.Babychild.org.uk
For more information please contact Emma Kent of 10 Yetis Public Relations Agency on emmak@10yetis.co.uk or 01452348211.
Editors Notes
This study was conducted on 09/08/2010- results were collected on 16/08/2010.
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