The white stuff

BEFORE the advent of the bottle, it was what used to be the norm - the baby cradled by its mother, its tiny mouth locked to her breast. There was no simpler thing in life; no other action seemed more natural, and therefore mothers down the ages did not think twice about the practice.

But then the bottle was invented and this was deemed a better option - it meant that feeding could be shared and thus gave mothers back their freedom. It's only relatively lately that we have learned that breast is best, and even now, the message isn't always heeded. Victoria Head, who's based in Darlington and coordinates infant feeding, knows just how valuable it is.

"My job is to provide training for health professionals on breastfeeding so that we're all giving out the same information, and I also support women in breastfeeding at a support group," explains Victoria, who is employed by the NHS. "I run a workshop for women who are still pregnant to come along and learn about the different types of feeding - mainly breastfeeding - and we give them the information they need so they can make an informed choice. Most women are quite open to the information we give them."

Yet in Victoria's experience, some mums don't feel that they can breastfeed. The reason might be one of background. "The main problem is that we live in a bottle feeding culture and women whose family and friends have bottle fed have no one to ask and no one to talk to about breastfeeding and they are often quite isolated," she says. "They might need a bit of help, but there are very few cases of women who can't breastfeed. A lot of women perceive that they have problems because they think they haven't got enough milk, but there's no such thing."

While British mums can be reluctant, there's no such reticence elsewhere. In Denmark and Sweden, for example, some 98 per cent of women reject the bottle for the breast. Theirs is a wholly different attitude. "They would think we were absolutely mad," says Victoria. "The only people who don't breastfeed are those who can't, so they would think we're bonkers trying to talk everybody into it."

Yet there are some who need no prompting. Louisa Hutchinson was sure that she would breastfeed from the start. "I suppose I thought it would be easy and that I'd be able to do it and luckily, it did work out like that," says the 25-year-old, who lives in Darlington. "I didn't buy any bottles or anything. I just really wanted to breastfeed."

Though she gave birth at just 16 - her first child Sam's now nine years old - her tender age did not dissuade her. She breastfed Poppy, her six-year-old daughter, and also Annie, who's almost two, and says that feeding them herself has helped her bond with all three children. "It's one of the best things about having a new baby," says Louisa. "It's the one thing that only the mother can do for the baby and it makes you feel so close.

"I breastfed Sam for a year and Poppy for a year, and I breastfed Annie until she was about 20 months - she just didn't want to stop. They're really healthy kids - they don't have any asthma, eczema or stuff like that, which a lot of my friends' kids do - and they're really bright, and I do think a lot of it is down to breastfeeding. I would recommend it to anybody."

A key objective for Victoria is flagging up its health advantages. These are for mums as well as babies. "We sell it to the mums because it uses 500 calories a day so it helps them lose weight," she says. "It helps the uterus return to its pre-pregnancy shape a lot more quickly. In the workshops we tell women the benefits, which a lot of them don't realise - benefits to the mum also include a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer and a reduced risk of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. We do have some mums who breastfeed purely for themselves."

Of course, for many other women, the wish to put their baby first gives ample impetus for this. The kind of benefits it brings can't be delivered by the bottle. "If the baby gets a virus or an illness there's a feedback system that goes through to the mum and by the next feed, the mum is producing antibodies for that virus," explains Victoria. "A mum's milk is specific for her specific baby so if you delivered a baby at 24 weeks, your breast milk would be tailor-made for your baby at that point.

"The big thing at the moment is obesity, and breastfeeding helps reduce the risk of childhood obesity and also type two diabetes. There was a study in Dundee comparing breast and bottle fed babies and the breastfed babies had a higher IQ and as a result, had gone onto further education and had got better paid jobs. They also had lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol, so you see the benefits of a breastfed baby well into later life."

Victoria doesn't just give lectures but puts her wisdom into practice - her daughter Annabel, now 16 months, has been on breast milk all her life. While she admits it isn't easy to teach a baby how to breastfeed, she says there's plenty of support.

"It's a skill that you learn - you have a baby who only knows how to suck and it can take up to six weeks to be fully confident in what you're doing," says Victoria.

"But there's fantastic breastfeeding support. By June we are going to have a breastfeeding support group on every single day of the working week and women will also be able to call the hospital for support. If women have pain during the feed they need to get help by the next feed. Pain in breastfeeding is not normal."

The good news is that things are changing - where once it had to be concealed, now feeding can be done in public. At least in Linzi Fox's case, this means that breast is nice and simple. "When you are out and about now everywhere has facilities for you to breastfeed, so you're not making up bottles on a morning," says the 24-year-old, who's mum to William, 13 months, and newborn Lewis.

"Some people say it's not easy because you've got to find somewhere to go, but I find it harder doing bottles. Also, your breast milk is at the correct temperature so I don't have to think about that."

While there is still some way to go, Victoria feels the signs are hopeful. She points to schemes like that in Darlington, where firms can gain accreditation for being feeding-friendly zones, and says we're much more open-minded when it comes to nursing mums. And she fervently believes it's worth the effort for our children.

"For the first six months of life, breast milk is all they need," says Victoria.

* For more information, visit www.breastfeeding.nhs.uk or www.laleche.org.uk