How mothers feed their infants is shaped by far more than individual choice. Decisions around breastfeeding and formula use are embedded in social relationships, cultural norms, and the support available to new mothers – yet public health debates have tended to focus on individual behaviour rather than the structural conditions that make certain feeding practices easier or harder in practice.
The INFEDE project examined infant feeding decisions in Ireland and Finland – two countries with different healthcare systems, welfare structures, and breastfeeding cultures. Rather than asking why mothers do or do not breastfeed, the project asked what conditions make feeding decisions feel supported or constrained. The research drew on sociology, gender studies, and health social science, combining a survey with narrative interviews to explore these questions in depth. Including minority mothers – among them Roma mothers from both countries – was central to the design, as their experiences often reveal gaps in mainstream support that are otherwise hard to see.