MARIE Nickell was just 17 when she had her first child, but there was never any question of her bottle-feeding her baby.

"I was quite young and it was my mum who told me to give breastfeeding a go. She thought it was something I should try and, even if I didn't like it, I could change to the bottle later. But, to be honest, breastfeeding already seemed the right thing to do and I hadn't even thought about buying bottles. I breastfed Matthew for about four months and it was the easiest, most natural thing in the world."

But Marie, who is now 23 and who breastfed her second son, is in the minority. Nationally, around 68 per cent of women breastfeed their newborn babies but, in the North-East, the figure is, at best, 50 per cent. By six weeks, it falls to 27 per cent, despite the well-known benefits.

Breastfeeding reduces the likelihood of gastro-enteritis, respiratory infections and ear infections. There are also benefits for the mother, including a reduced risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer and osteoporosis.

To encourage more women to try breastfeeding, the Tyne and Wear Health Action Zone (HAZ) has launched a new video Breastfeeding: Something to be Proud of.

Geraldine Dowling, HAZ breastfeeding co-ordinator, says: "Historically, this region is not very good when it comes to breastfeeding. The further down the generations you go, there are a lot of women who probably haven't even considered it.

"Another problem has been the way breastfeeding has been promoted over the last 20 years. It has been marketed mainly towards middle-class Caucasian women. What we wanted to do with the video was to reflect what the situation is actually like for women in the North-East."

The video was researched and written by health journalist Heather Welford and, according to Geraldine, it shows real women what it is like. Groups of mums and individuals, including Marie, talk about their experiences and the video covers issues such as working while breastfeeding, feeding your baby in public, and where to go for support.

The video is just one of a number of regional schemes designed to encourage mothers to feed their babies as nature intended. In June, the Ferryhill and Chilton Sure Start programme will be launching a calendar to promote the benefits of breastfeeding to expectant mothers, while in Newcastle, there is a task force of breastfeeding supporters.

* The video costs £10 plus £1 post and packaging and is available from the University of Northumbria, Room G215, Coach Lane East, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE7 7XA.

* The national Childbirth Trust's Breastfeeding Line is 0870 444 8708.