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Canadian Moms Get Real About What It's Like To Breastfeed In 2017

It's not as easy as it sounds.
Image Source via Getty Images

Breastfeeding is hard. It's the secret no mom really knows until she's faced with a newborn and that tiny suckling mouth, but the thing that seems like it should be so easy and natural can be really difficult in reality.

But that said, almost all moms are willing to give it a try, as results from Lansinoh's Global Breastfeeding Survey for 2017 reveal.

In the survey, which asked more than 12,000 moms in nine countries about their feelings with regards to breastfeeding their babies, it found that 89 per cent of mothers believe nursing is the best way to feed their babies.

In Canada, it was found that 74 per cent of survey respondents did it for the health benefits for the baby, which include protection against infections and diseases, as well as sensory and cognitive development, according to the WHO.

There's also plenty to be said about the benefits to moms, like helping to burn calories and lose pregnancy weight, and reducing the risk for breast and ovarian cancer, notes WebMD.

Take a look at the Canada-specific stats on breastfeeding via Lansinoh:

Lansinoh

Of course, despite plenty of advances being made with regards to breastfeeding, there are still some hurdles women encounter, namely when they do so in public.

There are countless stories of women being asked to stop feeding their babies in restaurants while, you know, the other people there eat their meals. And in the survey, 17 per cent of Canadian moms admitted to feeling embarrassed while breastfeeding in public.

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But there are plenty of circumstances in which moms don't have a choice, and besides, wouldn't those haters rather the baby is quiet and happy and fed rather than screaming and being probably more disruptive to their beloved meal?

Almost 70 per cent of the moms in the survey also 'fessed up to feeling guilty if they didn't breastfeed, which isn't necessarily the best situation for new moms either. As the survey points out, a partner's support can make all the difference in whether or not they continue to try.

As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted last year on social media in honour of World Breastfeeding Week, "Let's support mothers to breastfeed anytime, anywhere."

This World Breastfeeding Week, let's support mothers to breastfeed anytime, anywhere. - SGT #WBW2016pic.twitter.com/vgRMhzVY1Z

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) August 6, 2016

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