Breast is best

Breast fed babies are at lower risk from some infections

New mothers are being told to extend the time that they spend giving babies breast milk alone - from four to six months.

In a change of policy, the Department of Health now says that breast milk alone is the best nutrition for the first six months of a baby's life.

Previously mothers had been advised to begin weaning their babies - mixing solid food with breast milk - at four months.

We spoke to Belinda Phipps from the National Childbirth Trust and to mother Lonnie Fletcher

Lonnie Fletcher still breast feeds her baby who is now 16 months old.

She says that for her, breastfeeding is easier than giving her baby milk from a bottle - as it doesn't involve complicated routines.

Belinda Phipps from the National Childbirth Trust explained that the government's advice has been changed to bring it into line with recommendations from the World Health Organisation.

The World Health Organisation also says that its good for babies to continue to get breast milk right into their second year.

But Belinda Phipps said that in Britain there is not enough support for new mothers to breastfeed.

Any woman that wanted to breast feed and that doesn't breast feed shouldn't feel guilty - they should feel cross that they didn't get the support they needed

Belinda Phipps, NCT

She added that we need to change our culture - so that a breastfeeding mum is just a ordinary part of life. It's much more common, she said to see pictures of babies being bottle fed, rather than breast fed.

Click here to see our interviews on breast feeding