The right formula

Rain Chen smiles, kisses 4-day-old Xavier on the forehead and tells him how cute he is.

"When he was born, I couldn't believe he was my son," says the Glenfield resident. "But when I breastfed, I really felt that closeness."

The first-time mum shows The Aucklander a flyer left by a breastfeeding consultant. It lists 21 dangers of infant formulas.

"I think there is a lot of misunderstanding about formula and thinking it's more healthy because it has all these vitamins," she says.

"I know some women don't want to breastfeed because they think it will change their breast shape. It's seen as easier to use formula, especially in public, because breastfeeding in public is not common. There's a different view of it."

Statistics show breastfeeding by Asian, Maori and Pacific communities is least common. For example, around 90 per cent of all babies born come under the care of Plunket's Well Child health service. Of the 1098 Asian babies enrolled with Plunket in 2011-2012, 530 were being breastfed exclusively by the time the baby was nine weeks old.

Turakei Health Care has launched Breastfeeding-Friendly Community Environments, using funding from Counties Manukau District Health Board. It aims to encourage the practice in public places by asking cafes, restaurants and Asian-owned businesses to sign on as breastfeeding-friendly environments.

Courtney Takawe is co-ordinating the campaign. "It's worked really well within Maori and Pacific communities," she says. "We went to different places which have signed on; they stick up posters and flyers. Our target was 50 and we've signed on 53. So far we've just got two Asian cafes signed on.

"For Asian cultures, breastfeeding is a really private thing and I get that."

Mrs Takawe is helped by Janet Tong, a breastfeeding consultant from Hong Kong.

"It really is a great idea to promote amongst the Asian community," says Mrs Tong. "I've worked with Asian mums who have been asked at cafes and Asian restaurants not to breastfeed. It's a different culture where it's considered very private. The public don't like the idea of exposing and some will ask you not to."

Ms Tong says the discouragement often means mothers feel they cannot go out. "They think they need to hide at home, but that affects their quality of life. Even if they express milk to take with them, it affects milk production when the baby is not feeding directly. But we need to encourage it, to let Asian communities know it's the baby's right to be fed this way."

Isis McKay is the maternal and child health promoter at Women's Health Action. She says evidence shows one of the barriers to breastfeeding is women's confidence to do it in public.

"There's lots of evidence to show community support helps increase breastfeeding rates. The Growing Up in NZ study shows 96 per cent of women surveyed wanted to breastfeed for more than six months. But only 6 per cent went on to breastfeed exclusively. There's a gap between antenatal support and the support received in the community."

Although the campaign has focused on Counties Manukau, its organisers hope to extend it throughout the Auckland region.

Find out more here. 

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