Breastfeeding or not, new mothers need plenty of TLC

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Voicing a softly, softly approach on Twitter inevitably results in a torrent of pointed abuse, which perfectly illustrates the problem.

Stories of new mothers being "bullied" to breastfeed have always distressed me, and many sufferers of postnatal depression to whom I have spoken claim that the excessive pressure to breastfeed placed upon them was partly responsible for the development of their depression. When their attempts at breastfeeding were unsuccessful these new mums felt like failures, as though they were not doing the best for their babies.

While a link between pressure or failure to breastfeed and postnatal depression hasn't been investigated or proven in any research, we should listen to and acknowledge these mothers.

I have always maintained that breast milk should be the first choice for healthy mothers feeding their babies but those who can't or choose not to should not be made to feel bad.

So it is with great interest that I read that a leading childbirth charity is to stop telling mothers to breastfeed over fears that its tactics may be alienating some who are reluctant to breastfeed, particularly among the working class.

The National Childbirth Trust will no longer promote the practice to all women in its antenatal classes. I breathed a huge sigh of relief on reading this news.

The NHS recommends that babies are breastfed exclusively for six months, and in many areas - especially London - uptake rates are good. They range from 90 per cent for more affluent women to just over 70 per cent for those in the poorest social classes and only 63 per cent for teenage mothers.

The National Childbirth Trust's decision is a brave one, and will be heavily criticised. But I am adamant that it is the right decision.

Now pregnant teenagers from lower-income areas may actually consider accepting advice from this new, gentler voice. And it is these mothers and babies who will benefit most from breastfeeding.

By applying less pressure you won't lose mothers to formula feed, you will allow them to make up their own minds, which is the way it should be.

Twitter @DoctorChristian