A Scottish MP wants to change the law so pubs, cafes and restaurants could be fined if they stop mothers breastfeeding on their premises. Women's Editor Christen Pears looks at some of the issues surrounding breastfeeding in public.

KAREN Barrass breastfed her two children. She fed them in restaurants, cafs and shops and no-one batted an eyelid. "I was extremely lucky. I never had anyone ask me to stop breastfeeding in public or make any kind of negative comments about it. I fed my children everywhere, even just walking around with them in a sling," she says. But not everyone has such a positive experience.

Scottish MP Elaine Smith was outraged when she told not to breastfeed her baby son in a caf and advised to use the toilet instead. Now the 39-year-old backbencher wants to change the law so pubs, cafes and restaurants in Scotland could be fined if they tell women not to breastfeed on their premises.

The health benefits of breastfeeding are well-documented and the World Health Organisation recommends that women should breastfeed exclusively for the first six months. It is said to protect the baby against various infections and allergies such as asthma and eczema. There is also some evidence that breastfeeders may enjoy some protection from cancer of the breast, uterus and ovary.

A growing number of new mothers are now choosing to breastfeed their babies but many give up after a matter of weeks. Some experts believe this is due to a lack of support and mothers' fears that they will be embarrassed if they have to feed their children in public.

"Although I never had any problems myself, I know of a few people who have had," says Karen, who lives in Darlington and is a breastfeeding adviser for the National Childbirth Trust. "Often women don't feel comfortable about breastfeeding in public so if there was a change in the law like the one in Scotland, or even just a change in attitude, women would feel much more confident."

Sure Start East Cleveland, a Government-backed initiative to support parents with children under four, runs a breastfeeding support group known as BIBS - Breast is Best. Mothers get together once a week at a clinic in Loftus to talk about their experiences and encourage each other. Expectant mothers are invited to meetings so they can see what it's like to breastfeed, in the hope that they will then try it themselves. Women who have had positive experiences themselves are also being given the chance to take a ten-week training programme to give them the knowledge and skills to support their peers.

Chris Bell, the group's breast feeding support co-ordinator, says: "It's all about culture and people accepting breastfeeding as normal. Women bottle feed because they think it's the norm. If you were bottle fed yourself, you're more likely to bottle feed your baby but if you were breastfed, it's the other way around. Unfortunately, we're much more of a bottle feeding culture at the moment so there's a real psychological barrier stopping women from breastfeeding.

"We need to change people's ideas and the only way we can do that is to get women in the community being seen breastfeeding. The more women who do that, the more acceptable it will become. The real challenge is giving them the confidence to breastfeed."

Nationally, around two thirds of women try to breastfeed but many give up quickly. In the North-East, the figures are even lower. In the South Tees area, around 50 per cent of mothers leaving hospital breastfeed their babies but by six weeks, this has fallen to 17 per cent.

During the last two years, the work done by Sure Start East Cleveland has done an enormous amount to change people's perceptions. New mums are breastfeeding in public and they're breastfeeding for longer.

"Two years ago, if someone started breastfeeding, even at a toddler group, everyone would look at them, but now, people hardly give them a second look. We are almost on our way to normalising it. Women breastfeed for longer and they're confident enough to breastfeed in cafes and parks and even in the pub," says Chris.

"The other day, I was standing in the queue for the till at Marks & Spencer and I noticed a woman in front of me was actually breastfeeding. Not only was she standing in the queue, but she was paying for her shopping and her baby was at her breast. Not a single person made any comment; I don't even know if they noticed. It just shows that you can do it discreetly. If women are worried, we suggest they stand in front of a mirror with their baby and practise. They'll soon see that they don't have to expose their bodies in public."

But she is aware that some women experience hostility. She tells the story of a mother who took her children swimming at the public pool in Loftus and, when she began to breastfeed her baby at the side of the pool, was asked to leave.

She had her other children with her so it would have been quite difficult for her to get them out of the pool and then into the changing room while she fed the baby.

"I think she was so stunned, she just left but she told us about what had happened and we contacted the pool. When we spoke to them, the manager apologised, told her it was an error of judgement and he has gone on to be really supportive of breastfeeding. They've put up signs saying women can feed their babies in public if they want to, but private facilities are also available.

"A change in the law would make it compulsory for people to allow breastfeeding on their premises but this shows that you can get results just by explaining to them. The people at Loftus pool were brilliant. I wish everyone could be like that."