How the NHS fails new mothers on breast-feeding

There is really no question about whether it is best for babies to be breast-fed, at least for the first few weeks of life. Plenty of research from around the world has proved conclusively that breast-fed babies, who receive all the mother’s antibodies from the colostrum (produced during the first few days) and then the milk, have a better resistance to infections and viruses, and get them more mildly if they do succumb. They have fewer allergies, have a 20 per cent lower risk than formula-fed babies of dying between the ages of 28 days and one year, and may be protected against some diseases that strike later. Breast-feeding also creates a bond between mother and baby, helps the mother to reduce her weight back to pre-pregnancy levels, and reduces maternal stress levels and the incidence of serious post-partum depression. None of this is now a matter for debate.

So, given the massive benefits, why do some mothers in the developed world never start breast-feeding or, which is even more common, give it up in despair after a few days or weeks? It is certainly not for want of information about the benefits.