by Lola Tennant-Eyles
Every year, RSE Day (Relationships and Sex Education) invites us to rethink how we talk about relationships, health, and growing up. This year’s theme: “Communicate!” – feels especially relevant when I think about all the things we don’t say in school, especially when it comes to something as natural and important as breastfeeding.
As someone who’s grown up around breastfeeding and support around it, I’ve always known it as a normal, nurturing part of life. But when I reflect on what I actually learned in school through Sex Education, I realise just how absent it was.
We talked about puberty, periods, contraception, even childbirth—but what came after the baby was born was barely mentioned. That gap isn’t just strange—it’s a missed opportunity. With the upcoming RSE Day 2025, I want to talk about why breastfeeding should be part of the conversation, how schools can make space for it, and what needs to change so that future generations grow up informed, confident, and free from stigma.
What I Learnt (or Didn’t) About Breastfeeding at School
When I think back to my school lessons on relationships and health, I can clearly remember learning about puberty, periods, contraception, STIs, and even childbirth in primary and secondary school, but breastfeeding? It barely got a mention.
Despite having an understanding of breastfeeding, of its benefits and hardships, it never really featured in the classroom. There was no discussion of how babies are fed after birth, let alone how breastfeeding supports both baby and parent emotionally and physically. It was as if the moment the baby arrived, there was no further education needed.
Even the visual materials we were shown skipped over it. We were shown diagrams of reproductive organs and videos of childbirth; however, no images or examples of breastfeeding or how to feed a baby in general. Meanwhile, bottle feeding appeared quietly normalised—whether in the classroom with baby dolls, storybooks, or the general cultural references we grew up around.
According to an article in The Conversation, by Professor Amy Brown, “Having books available where babies are breastfed, for example, can make all the difference in readdressing the balance. The Katie Morag books by Mairi Hedderwick, for example, have illustrations where babies are casually breastfed in the background. Not sensationalising. Normalising.”
This representation of women breastfeeding and the female anatomy is also empowering and normalises women’s bodies, and the changes they will go through when breastfeeding. As the above article explores, the major concern of this stigma around breastfeeding “is that these attitudes get embedded from a young age. Older generations are actually the most supportive of breastfeeding while up to 80% of students believe breastfeeding in public is not acceptable, with female students typically more critical towards breastfeeding than their male peers. This is likely compounded by the fact that less than half of teenagers have ever seen a woman breastfeed.”
This raises questions about internalised discomfort with the female body, and how young women are being conditioned to see natural functions like breastfeeding as inappropriate or shameful. It suggests a need for broader conversations in education, not just about biology, but about how we view and respect female bodies in everyday life.
If we’re teaching young people about how life begins, why stop short of how that life is nurtured?
Why This Matters
Leaving breastfeeding out of the conversation doesn’t just mean missing information—it has real social and health consequences.
The UK has some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe. That’s not because people don’t care, but because there’s a powerful mix of stigma, misinformation, cultural norms, and lack of support. Breastfeeding is often seen as something awkward or even shameful to do in public. Without early education to challenge these ideas, they become deeply ingrained. These attitudes don’t just affect new parents—they shape how future generations will feed their babies, how they’ll respond to others doing it, and how confident they’ll feel in their choices. BBC News article, ‘Teach pupils about breastfeeding, say Royal College doctors’, The Royal College and Royal College Doctors “recommends the subject (of breastfeeding) is covered in personal, social and health education (PSHE) classes.”
Research shows that women living in more deprived areas are far less likely to breastfeed than those in more affluent areas. Cancer researcher Dr Britta Stordal, states that “We are lagging behind other countries with our low breastfeeding rates. Only 72.7% of babies in England have breastmilk as their first feed [2] and the breastfeeding rate then drops very quickly. Breastfeeding rates are even lower in Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as in younger mothers and more deprived areas [3–6]”.
This isn’t about personal choice alone; it’s about the level of support people receive, the information they’re given, and the social environments they live in. In many communities, breastfeeding just isn’t visible or encouraged. Mothers may return to work earlier, face more practical barriers, or lack family and peer support.
These inequalities matter. Professor Brown commented on the scientific benefits of human milk and how “emerging research suggests Hamlet, a component of human milk, may target and kill tumour cells. Another component, Lactoferrin, can kill e-coli. If human milk was a pharmacological product, it would be all over the curriculum.” But without equal access to education and support, those benefits don’t reach everyone.
Schools are such an important part of the solution. They’re one of the few places where everyone—regardless of background—can be given the same, accurate information. By teaching all children about breastfeeding in a way that’s positive, inclusive, and stigma-free, we help level the playing field. This also presents an opportunity to challenge taboos, addressing the oversexualisation of breastfeeding and why it shouldn’t be an “inappropriate” topic for children.
The Conversation article supports this in their statement that “some might react in horror at the concept of breastfeeding being discussed with five-year-olds, but only because they have oversexualised it in their own minds.” To integrate breastfeeding into the education system in schools, will empower future parents with knowledge, and we can start to break down the barriers that stop so many people, especially in deprived areas, from choosing or continuing to breastfeed.
Education has the power to reduce the stigma around breastfeeding. Talking about breastfeeding doesn’t have to be awkward—it can be matter-of-fact, respectful, and empowering. The earlier we start these conversations, the more confident and informed future parents will be, no matter their situation.
What Schools Should Teach—and how they can do this
Normalising breastfeeding through books, images, and casual classroom references can shift perceptions in powerful ways. Secondary education should take things further; including biology of the breast and production of milk, and moving beyond to cover the emotional, health, and financial benefits of breastfeeding. For instance, Breast Cancer UK notes that “for every 12 months a woman breastfeeds, her risk of breast cancer decreases by around 4.3%”. This kind of practical knowledge helps students understand breastfeeding not just as a personal choice, but as a broader public health issue.
It’s also important to address the social inequalities surrounding breastfeeding. According to a BBC News article on the promotion of breastfeeding after low rates, in Knowsley (one of the most deprived areas in the UK), only 43.6% of babies were given a first feed of breast milk—compared to 67.4% across England. Education can be part of that solution, an implemented education system that reaches all young people—regardless of background—with positive and inclusive messages.
So how can schools do this?
They don’t have to start from scratch. The Association of Breastfeeding Mothers (ABM) offers free downloadable lesson plans and presentations developed by experienced educators and lactation consultants. These cover Early Years through Key Stage 3 and align with national curriculum goals. It is crucial that these lessons come from the right sources. As The Conversation warns, “breastfeeding education in schools must be free from commercial influence—particularly from infant formula companies”. Lessons should be designed or reviewed by breastfeeding experts and not by those with a financial interest in alternative feeding methods.
By treating breastfeeding as a normal, everyday part of learning throughout the whole school community—not something controversial or embarrassing—schools can help reduce stigma, improve health outcomes, and ensure all young people grow up equipped to make informed, confident choices.
Why Now? The Power of RSE Day
As a 17-year-old studying at college, I am thinking back to my time at schools both in England and Wales, and I’ve seen firsthand what we’re taught and, just as clearly, what we’re not. RSE Day gives us a reason to speak up about the gaps. This year’s theme, “Communicate!“, couldn’t be more relevant. Because if we’re not even talking about breastfeeding, how can we expect young people to understand it, let alone feel confident or supported if they ever choose to do it?
Breastfeeding isn’t just about feeding a baby—it’s about relationships, care, connection, and even public health. It’s not “too adult” or inappropriate—it’s life. And if we’re serious about giving young people the knowledge they need to make informed choices, it needs to be part of the conversation.
RSE Day is a reminder that communication can challenge stigma, change minds, and start new conversations—at home, in school, and our communities. And honestly, I think we’re ready for it.