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Breastfed babies are less likely to be overweight as children, have fewer allergies and infections in infanthood and some studies have suggested they are better behaved and more intelligent than formula-fed babies.
The researchers interviewed 36 women and their partners, or family members, while they were pregnant and at intervals after the birth. All but one of the women intended to breastfeed.
The researchers did not say how many of the women were still exclusively breastfeeding after six months but included ancedotes from the interviews with details of how each family were feeding their baby.
Most of the ancedotes were from women who were mixed feeding, offering formula alongside breastmilk, or had switched to total formula feeding after breastfeeding at the beginning.
The over-riding theme throughout the interviews was the mismatch of the idealistic goal of exclusive natural feeding and the reality where women were left without enough support to continue at difficult times, the researchers said.
One woman interviewed three weeks after giving birth said: "The way it’s kind of promoted sometimes, it’s a lovely bonding experience and when you come home, then you feel guilty yourself because you think, well I’m not having this bonding and lovely experience, I’m having, you know, a kind of hard sore experience."
She was breastfeeding and had just introduced formula.