Older mums breastfeed longer
The number of breastfeeding mothers has increased since 1989. In the early 1990s two in every three babies were breastfed from birth. The rate for 2006 was three in four. Older mothers in particular continue to breastfeed their babies; 38 percent of mothers in the 35-44 age bracket still breastfed their 6-months-old babies, as against 23 percent of younger mothers (aged15-24).
The duration of the breastfeeding period is longer for highly educated women. In the period 2004–2006, 45 percent of highly educated women still breastfed their 6-months-old babies. The corresponding figure for low-educated women was 26 percent.