Failure to Feed: Women’s Experiences of Breastfeeding and the Implications for Health Promotion Practice

Breastfeeding has been recognized as an ideal nutrition source for infants and has become a priority in public health. Here we explore women’s experiences of breastfeeding and contextualize them within the current public health discourse. Data from 37 qualitative interviews with Canadian women show that, whereas successful breastfeeding can be a source of pride, unsuccessful attempts to breastfeed prompt mothers to experience negative emotions and feelings of personal failure. Results suggest that there is a need to change the health promotion discourse, to acknowledge that unsuccessful breastfeeding is possible, and to offer women various supports to deal with the disappointment.