Families are under enormous pressure to exclusively breastfeed from major health organizations such as the WHO, Baby-Friendly USA, CDC, AAP, ACOG, WIC offices, and the majority of US hospitals.
The “Breast is Best” public health campaign has permeated US culture and influenced hospital policies; even though US families face impossible barriers to breastfeeding exclusively, the pressure remains, and it is up to families to meet the unattainable guidelines for the majority of families.
By the way, there is no evidence that Baby-Friendly policies are effective for increasing long-term breastfeeding rates.
It has been shown in ample research that exclusively breastfeeding can cause serious complications for infants experiencing insufficient milk intake, a concern we discuss daily. The same pressure to exclusively breastfeed has now been linked to mental health complications, according to a recent research paper published in Research Psychiatry.
Breastfeeding pressure even has a pseudonym, “BRESSURE,” but it’s not funny.