New Survey Highlights The Need for Increased Access to Breastfeeding Resources

Findings from a recent survey by Aeroflow Breastpumps suggest that broadened access to lactation services through insurance coverage or employer benefits would enable moms across the country to more easily meet or exceed their breastfeeding goals.

“Breastfeeding is not an easy task, and without access to lactation support and resources, many mothers who want to breastfeed may struggle to achieve their breastfeeding goals,” said Dr. Jessica Madden, Medical Director of Aeroflow Breastpumps. “Among the new moms we surveyed who are no longer breastfeeding, one-in-three intended to breastfeed for 9-12 months, but only 13% of them achieved that goal. What’s more, 75% of the expectant moms we surveyed are planning to breastfeed anywhere between 3-12 months, and they need and deserve the resources necessary to help them reach that.”

“As an IBCLC, I’ve seen the myriad of issues new moms have experienced that can make the breastfeeding experience stressful and frustrating, such as clogged milk ducts, trouble latching, low milk supply, establishing a feeding schedule and more, which without guidance, can ultimately result in a mother ending her breastfeeding journey early. Not to mention the obstacles posed when new moms return to work and are not provided adequate support,” continued Dr. Madden. “Both health insurance providers and employers play a huge role in increasing access to critical breastfeeding resources that will help moms reach their breastfeeding goals and allow both mom and baby to reap the health benefits of breastfeeding. Aeroflow Breastpumps is committed to helping all moms secure breastfeeding supplies through insurance and providing educational resources to aid in their journey.”

Read on to review the full survey results:

Expectant Moms

1. Are you pregnant?

• Yes - 22.77%
• No - 77.23%

2. Do you plan to breastfeed?

• Yes - 94.04%
• No - 5.96%

3. How are you preparing for breastfeeding? Select all that apply:

• Free online resources via articles and videos - 54.23%
• Advice from your nurse or physician - 65.30%
• Advice from a lactation consultant - 37.81%
• In-person prenatal breastfeeding classes - 30.10%
• Virtual prenatal breastfeeding classes - 22.64%
• Obtain breastfeeding supplies and equipment - 41.54%
• I don't plan to prepare - 4.73%

4. How long do you intend to breastfeed?

• Less than one month - 0.87%
• 1-3 months - 8.71%
• 3-6 months - 25.87%
• 6-9 months - 24.00%
• 9-12 months - 24.50%
• More than a year - 16.04%

5. How has the recent formula shortage impacted your decision to breastfeed? Select all that apply:

• I was not previously planning to breastfeed, but now I am - 24.00%
• I am more motivated to prepare for breastfeeding - 55.72%
• I now plan to continue breastfeeding for a longer period of time - 30.47%
• My decision to breastfeed has not been impacted - 24.13%
• Other - 0.50%

6. Which of the following breastfeeding supplies/resources does your health insurance cover? Select all that apply:

• Breast pump - 56.84%
• Milk storage bags - 44.65%
• Lactation consulting - 33.46%
• Prenatal education or courses - 28.23%
• I don't know - 16.92%
• None of the above - 4.23%
• I don't have insurance - 1.74%
• Other - 0.12%

7. If your health insurance does not cover breastfeeding supplies/resources, how likely are you to pay for them yourself?

• Very likely - 44.65%
• Likely - 42.66%
• Unlikely - 10.32%
• Very unlikely - 2.36%

8. Does your employer currently offer access to lactation support services as part of your company benefits (separate from health insurance)?

• Yes - 54.85%
• No - 36.94%
• I'm unemployed - 8.21%

9. Would you consider changing jobs/careers for a company that offers better breastfeeding resources/services?

• Yes - 67.62%
• No - 32.38%

10. Do you believe there is enough awareness among new and expectant moms surrounding the existence of lactation support services?

• Yes - 58.21%
• No - 41.79%

11. Device type

• iOS Phone / Tablet - 71.05%
• Android Phone / Tablet - 28.47%
• Other Phone / Tablet - 0%
• Windows Desktop / Laptop - 0.35%
• MacOS Desktop / Laptop - 0.03%
• Other - 0.11%

12. Household income

• $0-$9,999 - 10.83%
• $10,000-$24,999 - 14.08%
• $25,000-$49,999 - 21.87%
• $50,000-$74,999 - 18.28%
• $75,000-$99,999 - 12.35%
• $100,000-$124,999 - 5.08%
• $125,000-$149,999 - 2.58%
• $150,000-$174,999 - 1.60%
• $175,000-$199,999 - 1.04%
• $200,000+ - 1.60%

13. Region

• East North Central - 15.05%
• East South Central - 5.76%
• Middle Atlantic - 15.27%
• Mountain - 7.11%
• New England - 3.73%
• Pacific - 16.65%
• South Atlantic - 19.22%
• West North Central - 6.14%
• West South Central - 11.08%

14. Age

• < 18 - 0%
• 18-29 - 54.90%
• 30-44 - 45.10%
• 45-60 - 0%
• > 60 - 0%

15. Gender

• Male - 0.03%
• Female - 99.97%

New Moms

1. Did you or are you breastfeeding?

• Yes - 66.10%
• No - 33.90%

2. Did you prepare for breastfeeding before you gave birth?

• Yes - 85.45%
• No - 14.55%

3. How did you prepare for breastfeeding before your baby was born? Select all that apply:

• Free online resources via articles and videos - 47.08%
• Advice from your nurse or physician - 54.07%
• Advice from a lactation consultant - 38.26%
• In-person prenatal breastfeeding classes - 20.39%
• Virtual prenatal breastfeeding classes - 14.32%
• Obtain breastfeeding supplies and equipment - 52.92%
• I did not prepare for breastfeeding while pregnant - 9.51%
• Other - 1.95%

4. How long did you plan to breastfeed?

• 1-3 months - 12.94%
• 3-6 months - 19.36%
• 6-9 months - 18.79%
• 9-12 months - 28.29%
• More than a year - 20.62%

5. How has the recent formula shortage impacted your breastfeeding goals? Select all that apply:

• I now plan to continue breastfeeding for a longer period of time - 37.76%
• I am more motivated to use lactation support services - 19.17%
• I am looking into breast milk donors / banks - 10.16%
• I am looking into donating my extra breast milk - 13.51%
• My breastfeeding goals have not been impacted - 45.61%

6. Were you offered the chance to meet with a lactation consultant in the hospital?

• Yes - 85.45%
• No - 14.55%

7. How many times did you consult with the lactation consultant during your hospital stay?

• Once - 31.28%
• Twice - 43.89%
• Three or more times - 24.83%

8. When you left the hospital, did you feel ready to continue breastfeeding your newborn?

• Yes - 68.12%
• No - 8.06%
• Somewhat - 23.82%

9. Are you still breastfeeding your baby?

• Yes - 53.62%
• No - 46.38%

10. How long did you actually breastfeed?

• Less than one month - 12.22%
• 1-3 months - 24.19%
• 3-6 months - 22.94%
• 6-9 months - 13.47%
• 9-12 months - 12.72%
• More than a year - 14.46%

11. When you decided to stop breastfeeding, what contributed to your decision? Select all that apply:

• Breastfeeding complications such as: clogged milk ducts/infection/mastitis/difficulty with latch/low milk supply - 49.63%
• It was challenging for me to establish a feeding schedule - 17.96%
• I had difficulty using a breast pump - 9.48%
• I went back to work - 23.69%
• I just wanted to be done - 28.68%
• I experienced significant sleep deprivation - 11.97%
• It was challenging to access the breastfeeding support I needed - 11.47%

12. How long have you been breastfeeding?

• Less than one month - 5.16%
• 1-3 months - 20.00%
• 3-6 months - 23.87%
• 6-9 months - 19.57%
• 9-12 months - 12.04%
• More than a year - 19.35%

13. Are you struggling with any of the below? Select all that apply:

• Breastfeeding complications such as: clogged milk ducts/infection/mastitis/difficulty with latch/low milk supply - 36.99%
• Establishing a feeding schedule - 29.25%
• Difficulty using a breast pump - 20.22%
• Juggling breastfeeding and working - 26.67%
• Significant sleep deprivation - 35.05%
• Access to the breastfeeding support I need - 10.75%

14. Upon returning home after giving birth, did you seek the advice of a lactation consultant?

• Yes - 48.50%
• No - 51.50%

15. Would a lactation consultant have been helpful to you in the days and weeks following your birth?

• Yes - 62.33%
• No - 37.67%

16. How did you engage with the lactation consultant?

• In-person classes - 41.19%
• Virtual classes - 21.67%
• Phone calls - 26.90%
• Messaging (in-app, text message, online chat form, etc.) - 7.62%
• Other - 2.62%

17. Does your health insurance cover lactation consulting?

• Yes, full coverage - 44.16%
• Yes, partial coverage - 15.61%
• No - 11.68%
• I'm not sure - 28.55%

18. How likely would you have been to participate in a virtual or in-person class with a lactation consultant if your health insurance covered the costs?

• Very likely - 37.93%
• Likely - 40.52%
• Unlikely - 16.95%
• Very unlikely - 4.60%

19. Does it provide easy to understand information about accessing lactation support services?

• Yes - 92.65%
• No - 7.35%

20. Did you use / are you using a breast pump and associated supplies?

• Yes - 88.23%
• No - 11.77%

21. Does your health insurance currently cover breastfeeding supplies? Select all that apply:

• Breast pump - 70.51%
• Replacement supplies like tubing and flanges - 22.03%
• Milk storage bags - 22.26%
• I don't know - 10.72%
• My insurance does not provide coverage for any breastfeeding supplies - 13.29%

22. What other breastfeeding resources did you use after birth? Select all that apply:

• Free online articles/videos - 42.89%
• Breastfeeding support group (online or in-person) - 30.54%
• WIC - 44.17%
• Friends/family - 51.98%
• I did not use any breastfeeding resources - 8.51%
• Other - 1.86%

23. If you did not use any breastfeeding resources, why not? Select all that apply:

• Associated costs - 12.82%
• Did not have enough time or did not fit within my schedule - 13.17%
• Did not have childcare - 7.23%
• Did not want to ask for help - 9.09%
• Did not realize these resources were available - 10.72%
• Previous experience breastfeeding - 11.77%
• Does not apply - I used breastfeeding resources - 56.41%
• Other - 1.63%

24. Do you believe increased access to breastfeeding resources would've allowed you to breastfeed longer?

• Yes - 63.40%
• No - 36.60%

25. Does your employer currently offer access to lactation support services as part of your company benefits (separate from health insurance)?

• Yes - 30.77%
• No - 41.84%
• I'm unemployed - 27.39%

26. Would you consider changing jobs/careers for a company that offers better breastfeeding resources/services?

• Yes - 55.07%
• No - 44.93%

27. Do you believe there is enough awareness among new and expectant moms surrounding the existence of lactation support services?

• Yes - 47.90%
• No - 52.10%

28. Household income

• $0-$9,999 - 24.52%
• $10,000-$24,999 - 11.53%
• $25,000-$49,999 - 26.77%
• $50,000-$74,999 - 15.65%
• $75,000-$99,999 - 9.60%
• $100,000-$124,999 - 3.79%
• $125,000-$149,999 - 1.61%
• $150,000-$174,999 - 1.29%
• $175,000-$199,999 - 0.73%
• $200,000+ - 2.18%

29. Device type

• iOS Phone / Tablet - 62.98%
• Android Phone / Tablet - 31.37%
• Other Phone / Tablet - 0%
• Windows Desktop / Laptop - 3.95%
• MacOS Desktop / Laptop - 1.05%
• Other - 0.65%

30. Age

• < 18 - 0%
• 18-29 - 56.13%
• 30-44 - 43.87%
• 45-60 - 0%
• > 60 - 0%

31. Gender

• Male - 0%
• Female - 100%

32. Region

• East North Central - 16.34%
• East South Central - 8.90%
• Middle Atlantic - 12.22%
• Mountain - 5.91%
• New England - 3.16%
• Pacific - 11.25%
• South Atlantic - 22.25%
• West North Central - 5.02%
• West South Central - 14.97%