The 2014 Lansinoh Global Breastfeeding Survey
September 16, 2014
United States Executive Summary
The World Health Organization (WHO) advocates breastfeeding as "the normal way of providing young infants
with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development." WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding
until a baby is 6 months of age, followed by breastfeeding with appropriate complementary foods up to age two
or beyond1.
Moms throughout the world recognize breastfeeding as important to their babies’ health, according to a recent
Lansinoh survey. But how does this near-universal belief play out in women’s daily lives? To find out, Lansinoh
commissioned a survey of 13,169 moms and moms-to-be in nine countries in spring 2014, including 2,045 in the
United States.
Survey results fall into two main categories: the mothers’ breastfeeding experiences and their attitudes toward
breastfeeding. Their answers reveal both the cultural variations and universal themes that are part of the global
breastfeeding experience.
The Breastfeeding Experience
Good Intentions Meet Reality: Ideally, how long should a baby be breastfed?
Almost all moms recognize how important breastfeeding is to their babies’ well-being. Women put that
understanding into action—but not as often as they’d like.
The majority of women surveyed in seven countries say that a baby should be breastfed for 6-12 months. But
only Chinese moms achieve that ideal goal—about 50% say 6-12 months is best and about 48% achieve that
goal.
Turkey and France were the exceptions. In Turkey, 53% of moms say the ideal length of time is 12-24 months;
43% actually meet that goal. Forty percent of French women say 3-6 months is ideal; 31% meet that goal.
United States: Ideal and Actual Breastfeeding Times
0-3 months
3-6 months
6-12 months
Ideally, how long
should a baby be
breastfed?
If you breastfed
your baby, how
long did you
breastfeed for or
do you intend to
breastfeed for?
1
4%
16%
47%
12-24
months
27%
12%
21%
37%
25%
http://www.who.int/topics/breastfeeding/en/
24+ months
Not at all
5%
1%
4%
1%
The 2014 Lansinoh Global Breastfeeding Survey
Moms Share Similar Breastfeeding Challenges
Moms cite similar breastfeeding challenges no matter where they live. “Waking up in the middle of the night”
was listed as one of the top three challenges for moms in all nine countries. Other globally popular challenges
are the pain associated with breastfeeding and learning how to breastfeed at first.
In the United States, the top three breastfeeding challenges are the pain associated with breastfeeding (32%),
learning how to breastfeed in the beginning (30%), and waking up in the middle of the night (28%).
Pumping is a Popular Choice for Breastfeeding Moms
Expressing breastmilk is a strategy used by moms around the world to incorporate breastfeeding into their lives.
A large majority of women in all nine countries (71%-85%) say they either currently use or plan to use a pump to
express their breastmilk. Most moms aim to pump “occasionally;” 41% of Hungarian women aim for “daily.”
In the United States, 77 percent of moms say they have or plan to pump. (Narrowed down even further, 32
percent say they have/will pump occasionally, 14 percent say a few times a week, and 31 percent say daily.)
Eight percent say they do/did not pump, with the final 14 percent saying they are not sure if they will pump.
The most frequent reasons moms around the world give for expressing their breastmilk are:
 To build my breastmilk supply
 To make sure there is always breastmilk available for emergencies
 To relieve the pain of carrying too much breastmilk
 To involve my partner in the feeding routine
“To build my breastmilk supply” is the top reason moms in the United States pump (55%).
Across Cultures and Continents: Women’s Attitudes and Feelings about Breastfeeding
A resounding majority of moms in all nine countries say that breastfeeding is the best way to nourish a baby (93
percent of moms in the United States agree). And the health benefits for baby are the main reason moms in the
United States choose to breastfeed (86 percent).
Moms also look to breastfeeding as a way to bond with their babies, although this answer runs a distant second
to health benefits (13% in France, 10% in Hungary). In the United States, saving money tied with bonding as the
second most frequently cited benefit (5% each).
Moms also express universal emotions when they talk about breastfeeding fears. Their most frequent answers
relate to the practical aspects of breastfeeding: “It will hurt,” “I will not be able to breastfeed long enough,” and
“my baby will not be able to latch on.”
Mothers in both China and France named "I didn't like the thought of breastfeeding in public” as a top
breastfeeding fear; Chinese women also cite a concern that their babies will become too dependent on them.
Twenty-nine percent of mothers in Hungary indicate that they had no fears about breastfeeding, which was a
response that did not show up in the top-three for any other country.
In the United States, the top three breastfeeding fears for moms are that it will hurt (47%), that the baby
wouldn’t be able to latch on (45%) and that she wouldn’t be able to breastfeed for long enough (33%).
The 2014 Lansinoh Global Breastfeeding Survey
Guilty conscience? Moms’ feelings diverge
The percentage of women who would feel guilty if they did not breastfeed varies among countries. Even in
Germany, however, where fewer women indicate they would feel guilt around not breastfeeding, over one-third
say they would feel guilty if they did not breastfeed:
Brazil
93%
Turkey
91%
Mexico
89%
Hungary
87%
China
67%
United States
64%
United Kingdom
63%
France
58%
Germany
39%
Breastfeeding in public is perfectly natural…
Large majorities of women in most countries find breastfeeding in public either perfectly natural or unavoidable,
with the largest percentage of moms who say it’s wrong coming from Turkey (20%). The question was most
polarizing in China and France. Although 52% of Chinese women say it was either natural or unavoidable, 47%
describe it as embarrassing. Fifty percent of French women say public breastfeeding is perfectly
natural/unavoidable, but 41% find it embarrassing.
The breakdown for the United States is Embarrassing (18%), Perfectly Natural (57%), Unavoidable (22%), and
Wrong (3%).
…unless the baby is too old
If they saw a woman breastfeeding a two year old in public, the majority of women in Germany and Mexico
would think that the baby is too old to be breastfeeding. Half of the respondents in the United Kingdom would
agree. Women in France, the United States, Hungary, and Turkey also choose that answer most frequently,
although not by a majority.
In Brazil, 44% of women responded that every mom should aim to breastfeed for that long. In China, almost the
same proportion of women would think that the baby is too old and that every mom should aim to breastfeed
for that long.
Moms in the United States say:
17%: It’s fantastic to see such dedication and perseverance and every mom should aim to breastfeed for as long
3%: She shouldn’t be breastfeeding in public
35%: She’s a great role model, but I feel 2 years is too long for me
45%: The baby is too old, she should have stopped breastfeeding by now
For More Information
Lansinoh Laboratories, Inc., a world leader in breastfeeding accessories, conducted a survey of more than 13,000 moms in nine
countries – Brazil, China, France, Germany, Hungary, Mexico, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States – to create a global
snapshot of breastfeeding attitudes and habits. The participants were all women ages 18-40 who are currently pregnant or have at
least one child that is younger than two, so all participants could soon be breastfeeding or could currently be breastfeeding if
following the World Health Organization guidelines that babies be breastfed for two years (or longer).
Infographics and data charts are available for download at www.lansinoh.com/globalsurvey. Persons interested in more
information can contact Aubrey Quinn, Marketing Communications Manager, [email protected], 703-260-6981.