0:00:02 > 0:00:06Breastfeeding - the most natural thing in the world - but it still raises eyebrows.
0:00:06 > 0:00:12For many it can be ultimate bliss, or lead to anguish.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14My nipple started bleeding!
0:00:14 > 0:00:20'I'm going to embark on a personal journey to confront my own breastfeeding nightmare.'
0:00:20 > 0:00:25My boobs were red and burning and it was agony!
0:00:25 > 0:00:33'Remarkable women will share their most intimate experiences, challenge my views and change my outlook.'
0:00:33 > 0:00:34You need a smack.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36What a stupid thing to say.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39'I'll meet the breastfeeding evangelists,
0:00:39 > 0:00:43'and others who remind me of the discomfort I went through,
0:00:43 > 0:00:46'pregnant teens that have other ideas for their boobs...'
0:00:46 > 0:00:50Boobs are for...sex.
0:00:50 > 0:00:55'..and a mum who shocks me by breastfeeding her five-year-old.
0:00:55 > 0:01:00'I'm on a mission to find out if breast really is always best.'
0:01:00 > 0:01:05It's not just some white stuff that leaks and is really annoying, which is how I viewed it before.
0:01:12 > 0:01:17'My name is Cherry, and last year, along with a group of other women,
0:01:17 > 0:01:23'I made a programme about pregnancy where I ended up giving birth on camera to my first child, Coco.'
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Do you want it? Mm!
0:01:27 > 0:01:34'But when the camera stopped filming, my journey into motherhood took a turn for the worse.'
0:01:34 > 0:01:39I was absolutely sure that I was going to be able to breastfeed.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42I just assumed that it would be easy and fine.
0:01:42 > 0:01:48And when it came to it, it was absolutely not in any way fine or easy.
0:01:48 > 0:01:54When I left hospital, I hadn't really got it yet, and then I went home and it just got worse.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58My boobs got bigger and bigger as the milk wasn't being drained.
0:01:58 > 0:02:04Every single time I breastfed it was absolute agony,
0:02:04 > 0:02:06and it wasn't just a little twinge for the first minute.
0:02:06 > 0:02:12It was for 20 minutes whilst she was breastfeeding until I couldn't cope with it any more and I gave up.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14And actually by then
0:02:14 > 0:02:19I had got mastitis, which is a breast infection,
0:02:19 > 0:02:25and my boobs went bright red and were hotter than the sun and hard to touch.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29It made me feel like a massive failure,
0:02:29 > 0:02:34because I read all the time about how irresponsible it is to bottle-feed your baby,
0:02:34 > 0:02:39and you read in the papers that it's terrible, breast is best,
0:02:39 > 0:02:45and you think, "God, if breast is best and I've given my baby the bottle, what does that make me?
0:02:45 > 0:02:48"What kind of mum does that make me?"
0:02:48 > 0:02:51'In the end I was hospitalised with my breast infection.
0:02:51 > 0:02:58'Breastfeeding can be a joy for many, but I couldn't cope and quit after just three weeks.'
0:02:58 > 0:03:02'Over a year later, and I'm still racked with feelings of guilt.
0:03:02 > 0:03:08'I'm ready to face my demons by meeting some new mums to discover the secrets of breastfeeding.'
0:03:11 > 0:03:14'My journey starts in London.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19'I'm off to meet 19-year-old Emma and boyfriend Humphrey with their newborn baby Olivia.
0:03:19 > 0:03:26'Just like I was, Emma's determined to breastfeed, and now she's two weeks in.'
0:03:26 > 0:03:29- Why did you want to breastfeed? - Other than the obvious benefits of breastfeeding,
0:03:29 > 0:03:34ie weight loss and antibodies for the baby,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37I thought it would help me bond with her more.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40The whole time I was in hospital, breastfeeding was working fine.
0:03:40 > 0:03:46The second I got home, that's when my nipples just gave up and started cracking and bleeding.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51Is it weird, because one minute you've got your gorgeous girlfriend and her boobs are yours,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54and the next minute they're not. How's that for you?
0:03:54 > 0:03:57I still find her very sexy and attractive.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00She's the mother of my child.
0:04:00 > 0:04:01What more could I ask for?
0:04:01 > 0:04:07I've got a beautiful little daughter, and I'm just really happy, and I love her more than ever.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09That's really made me really emotional.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13- See you soon. - I'll see you really soon. Bye.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17'I'm astounded how mature this couple are as young parents.
0:04:17 > 0:04:22'I've given Emma and Humphrey a camera to capture some of their breastfeeding experiences.'
0:04:26 > 0:04:31And as the city goes to sleep, their night is only just beginning.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43Olivia just went to sleep and she just...
0:04:43 > 0:04:44Sorry, she's not going on.
0:04:44 > 0:04:51It's really difficult that it hurts to feed, and trying to feed her,
0:04:51 > 0:04:58and knowing she won't go to sleep without feeding when it just hurts so much.
0:04:58 > 0:04:59Um...
0:04:59 > 0:05:05So, yeah. I'm tired.
0:05:07 > 0:05:12- Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow. - Is it painful?
0:05:14 > 0:05:16What's the pain like?
0:05:16 > 0:05:18Like she's stabbing my boob.
0:05:27 > 0:05:32I'm feeling less and less like a human being and more like a cow that just gets milked.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36If it hurts cows this much, I'm going to go vegan.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39I feel sorry for them.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Put the camera away so I can go to sleep. I'm tired.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50OK.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Humphrey!
0:06:01 > 0:06:07'Emma's sleepless nights remind me how utterly relentless I found breastfeeding.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11'But many women don't give up breastfeeding due to pain.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14'Problems can be resolved by teaching the baby
0:06:14 > 0:06:17'to latch on properly and learning good positions.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19'I've come to pay Emma a home visit.'
0:06:19 > 0:06:22- Hello.- Hiya. How are you?
0:06:22 > 0:06:25- I'm good. How are you guys?- Tired.
0:06:25 > 0:06:26It's right there.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30It's right there, there we go.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Oh, she's not on yet.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34Ow! Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Try and describe the pain to me. What does it feel like right now?
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Like someone is cutting into my boob.
0:06:44 > 0:06:51And the problem is as well, it's not just her sucking, it actually hurts when my milk comes out.
0:06:51 > 0:06:52So if I leak,
0:06:52 > 0:06:54the pain is the same.
0:06:54 > 0:07:00After all the sleep deprivation and the pain, how are you feeling right now?
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Stressed, more than anything.
0:07:03 > 0:07:09It really is frustrating not being able to do what you're supposed to do as a mother.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12It's a really natural thing you've been given.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16- How are you emotionally? - It's making me feel schizophrenic.
0:07:16 > 0:07:21It really is. Or rather like I've got a multiple personality disorder.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25One second I'm happy and then next I'm in pain or stressed.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29We did buy formula just because I did want to give my boobs a bit of a rest,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31even if it was just for the night.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35How did it make you feel when you gave her that first bottle?
0:07:35 > 0:07:40I cried. I didn't give her it. I made Humphrey give her it because I didn't want to watch.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44I literally looked at him and burst into tears and left the room.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47He said, "Are you OK?" and I said "No. I feel like I've failed."
0:07:47 > 0:07:51It shouldn't be coming out of a plastic container, it should be coming out of me.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55You've given yourself such a high bar to reach in terms of being a mum.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Why is that?
0:07:58 > 0:08:03Um, I've wanted kids my whole life, so whereas little girls are planning their marriage
0:08:03 > 0:08:05and wedding when they're five or six,
0:08:05 > 0:08:09I was planning how I wanted to raise my children. That's just who I am.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13How long do you think you can go on like this?
0:08:13 > 0:08:16I honestly don't know.
0:08:21 > 0:08:26'I admire Emma's determination, and it really reminds me of the pain I felt.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30'I wonder if it's just a matter of time before she gives up.
0:08:30 > 0:08:36'Unlike Emma, the majority of teenagers in the UK won't give breastfeeding a second thought.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41'Less than half of all under-20s will actually give it a go.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44'To find out why they're so against breastfeeding,
0:08:44 > 0:08:49'I've come to Ashton-under-Lyne to meet a group of pregnant teenagers and young mums.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53'Before I meet them I have a cup of coffee with support worker Jenna,
0:08:53 > 0:08:58'who herself was a teenage mum not so long ago.'
0:08:58 > 0:09:01As a young parent you feel everything, every vibe.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03So when you're walking down the street
0:09:03 > 0:09:05and there's lads wolf whistling at you
0:09:05 > 0:09:08and you've not got a baby and you feel sexy,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11you're young and everything's fine, it's a nice thing.
0:09:11 > 0:09:16But when you've got a baby and you're walking down the street, they look at you in a different sense.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19More like, "Yeah, you're sexy, but you're a mum and you're easy,"
0:09:19 > 0:09:23and it's obvious you've had sex and you've had a baby, and that's how they see it.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25So breastfeeding is one step ahead.
0:09:25 > 0:09:30You're not only declaring you've had sex and a baby, you've got your boobs on show.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34What do you think could be done to help young girls breastfeed?
0:09:34 > 0:09:38I think if you get another 19-year-old girl who has breastfed,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41has had a baby, has breastfed, I did get mastitis, did go through pain,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44but has still got a smile on their face to explain that,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46they're more likely to open their mind to it.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50'And on that note, we meet the girls.'
0:09:50 > 0:09:53What are your plans for when your babies are born?
0:09:53 > 0:09:55Do you have any feeding plans?
0:09:55 > 0:09:57Bottle feeding.
0:09:57 > 0:09:58- Why's that?- I don't know.
0:09:58 > 0:10:03I just don't imagine a baby on my nipple.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06I'm quite shy with things like that, and I wouldn't want to do it in public.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11There's a lot of people who look down their nose at you, even though it's for your baby,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13and especially if you're young they will as well.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17If you were out in a restaurant and you got your boob out
0:10:17 > 0:10:21and you get chavs calling you a slag
0:10:21 > 0:10:25because you've got your boobs out and you're a young teen mum.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29You're just automatically a slag.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31But it's true. People do look at you funny.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Even if it is for your baby, they'll still look at you funny as if to think,
0:10:34 > 0:10:36"Why get your boobs out in public?"
0:10:36 > 0:10:39You've got to do it. But they'll still look at you funny.
0:10:39 > 0:10:44'The next one in line to give birth and really face these issues is 17-year-old Jessica.'
0:10:44 > 0:10:48The type of women I expect to breastfeed are like
0:10:48 > 0:10:54posh people with a few kids and a husband and a big house.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59Boobs are for...sex. And showing off.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01That's what they're there for.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07It really confirms to me meeting these girls that if you're young
0:11:07 > 0:11:11and you've got a baby and you're breastfeeding, you need to be really confident.
0:11:11 > 0:11:17You need to be really confident to get over the fact that people are going to look at you
0:11:17 > 0:11:20and make negative comments,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23cos it hurts.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27'Bitchy comments are always painful, regardless of how old you are.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31'I'm going to come and catch up with Jessica once she's had her baby.'
0:11:31 > 0:11:34For everyone I've met so far,
0:11:34 > 0:11:38'breastfeeding is either a world of discomfort or they don't want to do it.
0:11:38 > 0:11:44'It's time for me to see the other side and meet someone who finds it easy and fulfilling.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48'In Brighton I've come to meet 22-year-old Maya and daughter Yara,
0:11:48 > 0:11:52'who are in full, blissful breastfeeding swing.'
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Hiya. Come in.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59- Hello! Hello! Is it in here?- Yeah.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01Great.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09- Oh, dear!- Why did you want to breastfeed initially?
0:12:09 > 0:12:12I was breastfed, my boyfriend was breastfed,
0:12:12 > 0:12:13so why wouldn't I breastfeed?
0:12:13 > 0:12:16It's all I've ever known and it's all he knew,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19so it made sense to breastfeed my baby.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Obviously there's the financial benefits,
0:12:22 > 0:12:26but then I started researching all sorts of things on the internet,
0:12:26 > 0:12:30and the benefits of breastfeeding just massively outweigh those of formula.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34What are the most important things for you about breastfeeding?
0:12:34 > 0:12:38Currently it's the convenience. I don't have to sterilise bottles,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41I don't have to warm anything up, I don't have to mix anything.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44I just have to take out my boob, give it to my baby.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46It's sterile, it's at the correct temperature,
0:12:46 > 0:12:51it's tailored specifically to her, what she needs at this point in her life.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53Do you enjoy breastfeeding?
0:12:53 > 0:12:59I absolutely love it. It's given me a bond with my daughter that nobody will ever have.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02It's a special mummy and daughter thing that we've got.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Yeah, and we'll have it for as long as she wants to be breastfeeding.
0:13:05 > 0:13:11The appeal of drinking breast milk has caught on with the rest of the family.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Have you ever tried her breast milk?
0:13:14 > 0:13:17- Yes, on a few occasions.- Really?
0:13:17 > 0:13:22- Yeah, there's just so much of it. - How have you tried it?
0:13:24 > 0:13:27- I've tried it on cereal. - You've tried it on cereal?
0:13:27 > 0:13:30You've actually had her breast milk on your cereal?
0:13:30 > 0:13:31Yes.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35What does it taste like?
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Sweet. Sweeter than cow's milk.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43You haven't just tasted it. I mean, you've gone to town with that!
0:13:43 > 0:13:45It's free,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48it's in the fridge,
0:13:48 > 0:13:52and you only get about three days of it being safe in the fridge.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56Go on, then, show me. I'll believe it when I see it.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59So this is your favourite?
0:13:59 > 0:14:03- Crunchy nut!- And...
0:14:05 > 0:14:07See, that's quite full.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09Cornflakes with breast milk.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14I'm impressed.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17'Not wanting to waste what mother nature has given her,
0:14:17 > 0:14:21'Maya has bigger plans in store for her breast milk.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23'I'll be back to discover what she has in mind.'
0:14:26 > 0:14:30But not everyone has been blessed with the breastfeeding fairy,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34and unlike Maya, teenager Emma is still struggling.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Night-time is proving exhausting.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41BABY CRIES
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Time to feed her.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05What's happening?
0:15:08 > 0:15:13It's 2am. I'm trying to make her latch on, which she isn't doing.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15BABY CRIES
0:15:15 > 0:15:17Olivia.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21SHE WINCES
0:15:23 > 0:15:28Was that painful just there? Can you describe it to me?
0:15:28 > 0:15:30I've been describing it to you, Humphrey.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33I've described it to you five times.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36It's the same pain, it's not going to change.
0:15:36 > 0:15:41I just want to sleep. I can't reiterate that any more.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46I sound like an ongoing record, I just want to sleep.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50Please stop smiling, Humphrey.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03After more sleepless nights, Emma's arranged to see a breastfeeding support group.
0:16:03 > 0:16:10The clinic offers free advice to struggling mums, and they waste no time.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Nose to nipple.
0:16:12 > 0:16:17Bring her chin in first, so her chin touches your breast first. Now bring her onto you.
0:16:17 > 0:16:18Big, wide mouth.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20It still hurts.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24Try and hold her behind the shoulders, not the back of the head if you can.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26No, I don't think she's on properly.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Just slide your finger in and let's try again.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34That's it.
0:16:34 > 0:16:39You have to move very quickly before she closes her mouth.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43That's it. You see the tongue there? When you see that lovely big mouth with the tongue down,
0:16:43 > 0:16:49- that's the point to bring her on. - That works. This arm is going dead, though.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51You should take your nipples on holiday after this.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54Leave you at home with Daddy's nipples.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59That's it. Well done.
0:16:59 > 0:17:00Well done. That was a good one.
0:17:02 > 0:17:08She's being amazing, but I must say, if I were her I would be in floods of tears right now.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12Her nipples look really sore and inflamed and purple.
0:17:12 > 0:17:13It's such a faff!
0:17:13 > 0:17:19The baby kind of scratches her nipple which hurts, she can't get onto the right position.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23There just seems so many problems.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26I just can't believe Emma is still breastfeeding.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31I really, really respect her for that, because I would have given up.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33Thank God for places like this.
0:17:33 > 0:17:40'And places like this exist up and down the country and are open to anyone in need of help.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44'Time will tell if Emma's breastfeeding has been improved.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50'Meeting such determined breastfeeders makes me wonder why
0:17:50 > 0:17:55'our breastfeeding rates are the second-lowest in 32 countries.
0:17:55 > 0:18:00'To find out more, I've arranged to meet consultant paediatrician Dr Colin Michie.'
0:18:00 > 0:18:04Why are breastfeeding rates in the UK so low?
0:18:04 > 0:18:08The long and the short of it is breastfeeding is no longer popular.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11I always feel the system at some point has let us down.
0:18:11 > 0:18:12We haven't designed a system
0:18:12 > 0:18:15that promotes breastfeeding sufficiently powerfully.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19It is better than formula, on all the systems of measurement that we have.
0:18:19 > 0:18:26Is it a bit better than formula, or is it in a different league to formula?
0:18:26 > 0:18:29You'll be protecting your baby against infections.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33There's a group of benefits to do with protecting the mother,
0:18:33 > 0:18:38so lactation and feeding one's baby protects one against certain sets of cancers.
0:18:38 > 0:18:44If you breastfeed your baby, you bond and communicate with that baby differently to if you had a bottle.
0:18:44 > 0:18:50There's a set of different measurements and systems you can use to say breast is better than bottle.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54Is there any scientific proof that breastfeeding your baby
0:18:54 > 0:18:59directly from your boob actually increases the bond with them?
0:18:59 > 0:19:06Yes. There's a set of studies to do with hormones and neurological messages between the two.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09So yes, to your question, most definitely.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12I had incredibly bad mastitis.
0:19:12 > 0:19:17My boobs were red and burning, and it was agony.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21I couldn't breastfeed, but I was told by the midwife to keep breastfeeding.
0:19:21 > 0:19:29Your midwife had it right in that what you need to do is get the milk flowing and get the milk out,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32because engorgement with milk will cause inflammation.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36But it was getting to the point where I was looking at her and crying
0:19:36 > 0:19:39because I couldn't bear another feed.
0:19:39 > 0:19:44So how can that be healthy for a mum to carry on breastfeeding when she's in that kind of state?
0:19:44 > 0:19:49If infection develops, which it sounds like it did in your case,
0:19:49 > 0:19:54you will get bugs growing inside the milk that's engorged in the breast,
0:19:54 > 0:19:56and that is terribly, terribly painful.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58That is so gross!
0:19:58 > 0:20:05Infection in the milk within the breast is incredibly painful and can cause abscesses
0:20:05 > 0:20:08and can damage your breast forever, so it's important to treat that.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12But that's a slightly different problem and that is also called mastitis,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15but the problem is one of infection in that case.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18The early problem is cured by feeding the baby.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22Later on if you develop infection, you need to be treated for infection,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25and to re-establish feeding after that sort of situation is really hard.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30And it is hard to return to breastfeeding.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32There's no way I could have gone back,
0:20:32 > 0:20:38'but hearing how important breast milk is doesn't make me feel like a great mother.
0:20:40 > 0:20:48'I keep wondering - does breastfeeding get any easier when you have another baby?
0:20:48 > 0:20:51'I've come to Colwyn Bay to meet second-time mum 35-year-old Lucy,
0:20:51 > 0:20:55'who's due to have her baby any day now.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59'I want to find out if breastfeeding experience counts for anything.'
0:20:59 > 0:21:02- Hello.- Hello. Hi, Cherry. I'm Lucy.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06- Nice to meet you.- And you.
0:21:06 > 0:21:07Have you got a birth plan?
0:21:07 > 0:21:10I just want it to try and be as natural as possible
0:21:10 > 0:21:13because I had a difficult birth with James.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15He got stuck.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20But I'm hoping this time round cos I've done it once that it's going to be a lot easier.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24- Do you know the sex? - It's a little boy. Benjamin James.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28James, after his brother.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32So, you had a child, James.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Yes, and he unfortunately passed away last year.
0:21:36 > 0:21:43He had heart failure, and died within a matter of 24 hours of being in hospital.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48- It's your worst nightmare. - Yes. Absolutely. It was just...
0:21:48 > 0:21:50Absolutely completely devastated us all.
0:21:50 > 0:21:57Has getting pregnant again helped you? Has it made it harder to deal with his death?
0:21:57 > 0:21:58No, I think it's helped.
0:21:58 > 0:22:04But, say I'd been older and wasn't able to have any more, I don't know what would have happened.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06That was my little light at the end of the tunnel.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14- You've had your baby shower.- I have.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18That was from the neighbour over the road, bless her.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20How long did you breastfeed for?
0:22:20 > 0:22:25I breastfed James for six months until he started eating solids and things,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28and then I went back to work then as well and because I was on the road,
0:22:28 > 0:22:30I thought it would be a bit hard to express.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34Did you find that you enjoyed the breastfeeding?
0:22:34 > 0:22:37I did. You've got that special, unique bondness with your baby,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40and no-one else has got it.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43You're providing them with their food and everything,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46and it so helps you connect to each other, it's unbelievable.
0:22:46 > 0:22:51Do you think you can have the same bond if you bottle-feed?
0:22:51 > 0:22:53No, not at all.
0:22:53 > 0:23:01I think breastfed babies are a lot closer to their mothers, I think, than bottle-fed.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04But that's personal opinion.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08Oh, wow! Oh, look!
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Why have you got one of these?
0:23:10 > 0:23:16I had it with James. Just to reassure yourself.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20He normally has hiccups quite a lot of the time.
0:23:20 > 0:23:21You can kind of hear it already.
0:23:24 > 0:23:30'On my way home I couldn't stop thinking about my painful decision to formula-feed Coco,
0:23:30 > 0:23:32'and it hammered home the guilt I feel.'
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Lucy didn't even know my story.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37She has no idea whether I bottle or breastfed.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41So it wasn't her judging me at all, she was just speaking her mind.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44The judgment absolutely came from me,
0:23:44 > 0:23:49which is so weird. I didn't realise that I felt like that.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53I thought that I was really happy with my decision and really empowered by my decision,
0:23:53 > 0:23:59but actually, when somebody starts saying bottle-feeding is bad
0:23:59 > 0:24:05I get really defensive and I want to justify why I made that decision.
0:24:05 > 0:24:10I almost don't want to hear how amazing breastfeeding is
0:24:10 > 0:24:15and how it helps your baby's IQ to be better and the health benefits and the bonding.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19Oh! It makes me feel really guilty.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23But that's not, that's not...
0:24:25 > 0:24:29It doesn't mean that someone shouldn't say the benefits of breastfeeding.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33It's just quite hard for me to hear.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37'Just days later, and Lucy welcomes her second son into the world.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40'Go on, Lucy. Go on, darling.'
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Go on. Go on. And again.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Nice and big. Right into your bum.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Go on, go on. Keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going.
0:24:48 > 0:24:49Keep it coming.
0:25:02 > 0:25:03Thank you.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21No, not quite.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27Hey, get your little handy out. Ow! That's my nipple!
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Ow!
0:25:31 > 0:25:34He's got a good hold there, look.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37That's it. Open wide.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45It's hard work, this, isn't it?
0:25:45 > 0:25:49There we go. It's just getting that right.
0:25:54 > 0:25:55No.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Oh, that's it.
0:26:02 > 0:26:03That's better.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07Trying to get him on.
0:26:07 > 0:26:08He did it better.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Baby Ben has finally managed to latch.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15Back at home, Lucy's been keeping a diary cam.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20Wide. Good boy.
0:26:20 > 0:26:21Ow!
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Toe-curling moment.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37Just tried feeding Ben again and my nipple started bleeding.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39He wouldn't suck.
0:26:39 > 0:26:46Lucy's proof that experience doesn't necessarily mean an easy breastfeeding start.
0:26:48 > 0:26:53I've been wondering - what happens if you want to continue feeding your baby breast milk
0:26:53 > 0:26:54when maternity leave is up?
0:26:54 > 0:27:01Just 16% of women are provided with facilities to express their milk once they resume work.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Combining the two has got to be tough.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08What do you do if you're a workaholic career woman?
0:27:08 > 0:27:14'During my pregnancy whilst making the birth programme, I met mum-to-be Tijen,
0:27:14 > 0:27:15'a glamorous entrepreneur,
0:27:15 > 0:27:21'who had particularly strong feelings about breastfeeding and her enhanced boobies.'
0:27:21 > 0:27:24I don't like the idea of a baby latching on.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Why would I enjoy looking at my boobies?
0:27:27 > 0:27:29My beautiful boobies have become udders.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Why would I enjoy that?
0:27:31 > 0:27:36'And now, over a year later, I'm off to catch up with Tijen,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39'who surprisingly is expecting her second baby.'
0:27:39 > 0:27:44- Hello?- Hello, Tijen! - Hi! Come up.- Thank you.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50- Oh, my God!- Hello!
0:27:50 > 0:27:54Hello! Hi, darling!
0:27:59 > 0:28:03- Let's not beat around the bush here, let's talk about boobs.- OK.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Did you breastfeed? Are you breastfeeding?
0:28:06 > 0:28:07What's the story?
0:28:07 > 0:28:10OK. I gave up breastfeeding.
0:28:10 > 0:28:15So I did breastfeed from day one to 11 months.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18Wow! What?!
0:28:18 > 0:28:20You breast...?!
0:28:20 > 0:28:22- I'm truly shocked!- I know, so am I.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24You breastfed for 11 months?
0:28:24 > 0:28:27I thought, there's no way Tijen's going to breastfeed.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30- She's got a business, you're really busy. - I was never going to breastfeed.
0:28:30 > 0:28:36I didn't want to have a child hanging off my boobs.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39- Really. I was just like, you know.- Yeah.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43I just don't... didn't feel like that was me.
0:28:43 > 0:28:49Um, as soon as she was born, midwife said,
0:28:49 > 0:28:53"For the first three days it's the best for the baby.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56"You can't buy it, money can't buy it. It's like..."
0:28:56 > 0:28:58- What do they call it? - Colostrum.- That's it!
0:28:58 > 0:29:01"Colostrum's the absolutely best for the child
0:29:01 > 0:29:05"and it's, like, three days' worth, that's all you've got to do."
0:29:05 > 0:29:08So I thought, "Oh, sod it.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10- "It's three days, it's nothing."- Yeah.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14So, did it and she latched on great
0:29:14 > 0:29:16and she would eat
0:29:16 > 0:29:21and I would just not look... so that I wouldn't...
0:29:21 > 0:29:24- Feel weird.- ..feel... I don't know.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26I just didn't want to see what she was doing.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30But this was, like, the first time or the second time.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34After that I was just, oh, stop being such a pathetic person, you know.
0:29:34 > 0:29:35Get over yourself.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39She's a baby, she needs to be fed and this is her food.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42How is your relationship with your boobies changed
0:29:42 > 0:29:44now their function has changed?
0:29:44 > 0:29:46When the baby comes, they're on loan,
0:29:46 > 0:29:49we'll deal with it and when baby's old enough,
0:29:49 > 0:29:51I'll have them back,
0:29:51 > 0:29:55and then I'll go and get them sorted out!
0:29:55 > 0:30:01'I open up to Tijen about my own anguish and the guilt I still feel.'
0:30:01 > 0:30:05I suppose it's one of those things I can't change and I tried my hardest.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09But you obviously love your daughter, I can tell,
0:30:09 > 0:30:12and I love my daughter passionately,
0:30:12 > 0:30:16and to think I've jeopardised my relationship with her
0:30:16 > 0:30:18because I didn't breastfeed...
0:30:18 > 0:30:22- That's rubbish.- Do you think? - Absolutely garbage. That's just...
0:30:22 > 0:30:24- Really?- You need a smack.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26What a stupid thing to say.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28You love your child any less
0:30:28 > 0:30:32because you didn't give them your breast or you did.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34That's just rubbish.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37That doesn't mean you love your child any less or any more.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41No way, and no-one has the right to judge. Who are they to judge you?
0:30:43 > 0:30:47Meeting Tijen has helped reassure me about my bond with Coco
0:30:47 > 0:30:49and that I'm not a failure.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53I gave breastfeeding my best shot and tried as long as I could.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57Going back to work and breastfeeding worked out well for Tijen
0:30:57 > 0:31:01as she has the flexibility of her own business.
0:31:01 > 0:31:06Government initiatives now aim to increase private expressing rooms in the workplace.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08But what's the reality actually like?
0:31:08 > 0:31:12In Paignton, I've come to meet Caroline, who's about to return to work
0:31:12 > 0:31:15after giving birth to Freddie five months ago.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19- Hello. Come on in. - Hi. Nice to meet you.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21What is the main reason you're going back to work?
0:31:21 > 0:31:22Money!
0:31:22 > 0:31:25Yes. I wouldn't be going back
0:31:25 > 0:31:28if I didn't have to, as much as I love my job!
0:31:28 > 0:31:33How have work been about you going back to work and wanting to express?
0:31:33 > 0:31:35My boss is really supportive.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37He's arranged for a little room for me in the office,
0:31:37 > 0:31:39which we can lock and put a blind on
0:31:39 > 0:31:41and then I can go and express in there.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44Were you nervous about asking work
0:31:44 > 0:31:47that you wanted to keep on producing milk?
0:31:47 > 0:31:51I'm nervous about feeling embarrassed, to be perfectly honest,
0:31:51 > 0:31:54because I'm there in a working environment,
0:31:54 > 0:31:56I'm planning to go to work in suits
0:31:56 > 0:32:00so that I feel switched off from being a mum, that's my work mode.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04But I have colleagues and I'll know they're right in the room next door.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07It's time for bed for all of us.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10I'm going to come back at the crack of dawn
0:32:10 > 0:32:13for Caroline's first morning as a working mum.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18- Good morning. How are you?- Tired.
0:32:19 > 0:32:24Oh, it's so sore. It's just really, really hard.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30Caroline needs to express milk for Freddie before work,
0:32:30 > 0:32:34but expressing on demand is not a quick fix.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43So, how much did you get?
0:32:43 > 0:32:46- I got...nearly three ounces. - How long did it take you?
0:32:46 > 0:32:50Oh, what was that? Half an hour? Yeah.
0:32:50 > 0:32:51Rubbish!
0:32:51 > 0:32:56Before we leave, I grab a few ounces of Caroline's reserved breast milk.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00- Oh, my...- In date order! - ..God, there's loads!
0:33:00 > 0:33:04- I love that you've got it with the prawns.- Yeah! Yeah...
0:33:04 > 0:33:06Look at that!
0:33:06 > 0:33:08That was a good day. Was that a ten...? A nine.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10- We have some tens.- That's nine...
0:33:10 > 0:33:12You're good at this.
0:33:12 > 0:33:13But while you're there,
0:33:13 > 0:33:17could you grab two of the pouches on the left, the earliest ones,
0:33:17 > 0:33:19because we'll take those to nursery.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24And we're off to the nursery for Freddie's first day.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28Hello. I've got Freddie for the nursery.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31Time to de-robe the little man and a quick goodbye.
0:33:31 > 0:33:36Bye-bye, lovely. I'll see you later.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38Ta-ta.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41Stop here. How you feeling?
0:33:41 > 0:33:45Horrible. He's going to have a really good time.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48He's going to love it. He'll be great, he's going to love it.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50What you feeling right now?
0:33:50 > 0:33:54It's like someone's ripped my heart out.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57That's it now. I'm a part-time mum now.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00- I'm not going to be with him all day, every day now.- Come here.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02Oh, I think you're amazing.
0:34:02 > 0:34:07I leave Caroline to begin her routine at work as a breastfeeder.
0:34:07 > 0:34:11I really hope she can make a go of it.
0:34:11 > 0:34:18Statistically, just 3% of UK women exclusively breastfeed their babies at five months.
0:34:18 > 0:34:23You have to be incredibly committed to breastfeeding,
0:34:23 > 0:34:26to keep going whilst working.
0:34:26 > 0:34:31I can totally understand why a lot of women when they start work decide to formula-feed.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34The Government promote breastfeeding,
0:34:34 > 0:34:40but in actual day-to-day practice, it's not easy to do.
0:34:42 > 0:34:50Teenager Jessica, who I met earlier in my journey, has given birth to a tiny four-pound-six baby girl.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53I return to Ashton to catch up with her.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57Adamant she was going to formula-feed, Jessica has stuck to her guns.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01- Hiya. Come in.- How are you? - Fine, thanks.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05I want to know why she's still against the idea of breastfeeding.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08Hearing horror stories hasn't helped.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11I don't like the fact that you have to get your boob out.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15I don't like the fact that the baby is sucking on your nipple
0:35:15 > 0:35:19and your nipples go all crispy and start bleeding and get all cracked.
0:35:19 > 0:35:24Did anyone help you or talk to you about how to bottle-feed?
0:35:24 > 0:35:27We did a parenting group,
0:35:27 > 0:35:31but it was just one of them like everyone was talking over each other
0:35:31 > 0:35:33and no-one could get a word in edgeways
0:35:33 > 0:35:36and no-one was really listening.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40- Have any of your friends decided to breastfeed?- No.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44Why do you think most teenage girls choose not to breastfeed?
0:35:44 > 0:35:49It's not normal when you're a teenager to breastfeed.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51You just see teenage mums bottle-feeding,
0:35:51 > 0:35:56so I think some of it's just, like, what you see, you do.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59With older women, like, I see older women breastfeeding,
0:35:59 > 0:36:02so older women, to me, breastfeed and teenagers don't.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05Teenagers bottle-feed.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08# Everybody look at me, me... #
0:36:08 > 0:36:12It's not just teenagers that avoid breastfeeding becuase they see their boobs as sexual.
0:36:12 > 0:36:17They also include glamour models such as Jordan and Nicola McLean
0:36:17 > 0:36:21For many teens, glamour girls are their new role models,
0:36:21 > 0:36:24so I'm not surprised their actins may have knock-on effects.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29If we're more familiar with breastfeeding,
0:36:29 > 0:36:32if you saw celebrities doing it and saw it on telly,
0:36:32 > 0:36:34do you think that would make it more appealing?
0:36:34 > 0:36:36I think it would.
0:36:36 > 0:36:41Cos, like, you see Rihanna with red hair, and my hair's red.
0:36:41 > 0:36:46Like, cos celebrities do it, you do it.
0:36:46 > 0:36:47It's one of them things.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49Do you feel guilt ever?
0:36:51 > 0:36:53Yeah.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57And what do you feel guilty about?
0:36:57 > 0:37:01Because it is better for her and cos she's so small,
0:37:01 > 0:37:03it probably would be better for her,
0:37:03 > 0:37:06but...I just couldn't do it.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12It's surprising
0:37:12 > 0:37:15that the most confident formula-feeder like Jessica
0:37:15 > 0:37:19can still share the demons of guilt I experienced.
0:37:19 > 0:37:24If teens are going to start breastfeeding, it's going to have to become cool.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27You'd think that the benefit of breastfeeding -
0:37:27 > 0:37:29helping you shed weight much quicker -
0:37:29 > 0:37:32would be a big draw to body-conscious teens.
0:37:35 > 0:37:36For 19-year-old Emma,
0:37:36 > 0:37:40it's been six weeks since Olivia arrived into the world.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43They've finally got the latch right and turned a corner.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45I've seen all the breastfeeding counsellors
0:37:45 > 0:37:48and been to lots of the groups and the best advice
0:37:48 > 0:37:50I can give anyone is go to the groups,
0:37:50 > 0:37:52they really, really do help.
0:37:52 > 0:37:57The more you go, the more you'll learn and the better it'll be.
0:37:57 > 0:38:03I'm delighted that Emma's conquering her breastfeeding problems.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05I catch up with her in a busy restaurant,
0:38:05 > 0:38:09but it seems there are other challenges she has to face when feeding Olivia.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12Hi, guys! Hi. How are you?
0:38:12 > 0:38:15Hiya! How are you guys doing?
0:38:15 > 0:38:19- Is she OK?- Yeah. She's just hungry.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22So, it's toilet time now.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26BABY CRIES
0:38:26 > 0:38:28Yeah, it's not great.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32So, you sit in here for 40 minutes?
0:38:32 > 0:38:34If that's how long she wants to feed, then, yeah.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36Do people not knock on the door?
0:38:36 > 0:38:39Sometimes, and I just say, sorry, I'll be out in a minute.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42But you won't be out in a minute, you'll be out in 40 minutes.
0:38:42 > 0:38:47- I hope that they give up.- Oh, my God! That must be so stressful!
0:38:47 > 0:38:51This is frustrating, but I can't imagine how frustrating it would be
0:38:51 > 0:38:53if I had to make up a formula bottle
0:38:53 > 0:38:57and they said they couldn't heat one up, or I didn't have formula on me
0:38:57 > 0:38:59or I'd forgotten to take a bottle.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03That, to me, is way worse than having to come and sit in the toilet.
0:39:03 > 0:39:08I want to explore Emma's nervousness about breastfeeding in public.
0:39:08 > 0:39:14What do you know about whether you're actually legally allowed to do it?
0:39:14 > 0:39:15Absolutely nothing.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19I know if I was walking around completely topless in the street
0:39:19 > 0:39:23I'd probably get arrested for it, so I don't know.
0:39:23 > 0:39:24I don't see how it's...
0:39:24 > 0:39:27I see how it's different, but as far as in the eyes of the law,
0:39:27 > 0:39:30I don't see how that's different if I get my boob out.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37Like many women, Emma didn't have a clue that the Equality Act of 2010
0:39:37 > 0:39:42prevents any discrimination against women who are breastfeeding in public.
0:39:42 > 0:39:47Part of Emma's fears are that people will stare, especially men.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49But what's the issue for guys?
0:39:49 > 0:39:55I've come to an Essex football club to meet a team of burly blokes.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00What are boobs for?
0:40:00 > 0:40:03LAUGHTER
0:40:03 > 0:40:06- For girls to get boyfriends. - For girls to get boyfriends.
0:40:06 > 0:40:07To play with.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09Breastfeeding.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13Has anyone here had any experience of breastfeeding?
0:40:13 > 0:40:16THEY LAUGH
0:40:19 > 0:40:21You think it's going to be easy,
0:40:21 > 0:40:23the baby's going to latch on and that's it,
0:40:23 > 0:40:25but some woman can do it, some can't.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29The first couple of times we saw the midwives, they were like,
0:40:29 > 0:40:31you should try it, here's a pamphlet on it.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35My missus was like, I don't want to do it, and they were trying to push her,
0:40:35 > 0:40:37When we went to the midwife last time
0:40:37 > 0:40:40we said, yeah, we're going to breastfeed, to shut them up.
0:40:40 > 0:40:45We couldn't be bothered to go through the aggro of having an argument with them.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47She doesn't want to do it, but they do push you.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51Anyone think it's not right to breastfeed in public?
0:40:52 > 0:40:54LAUGHTER
0:40:57 > 0:40:59Why's that? Why's that?
0:40:59 > 0:41:01It's disgusting.
0:41:01 > 0:41:05- If the baby's hungry, the baby's got to eat.- Definitely.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07- Like me.- Like him.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09LAUGHTER
0:41:10 > 0:41:15Is it difficult if a woman breastfeeds for a long time and they're off-limits?
0:41:15 > 0:41:22I've got a five-month-old and the first couple of weeks when it's still producing, I'm like, please!
0:41:24 > 0:41:28I've been around friends who have had their babies
0:41:28 > 0:41:31and we've all been sitting and chatting
0:41:31 > 0:41:33and his missus has been breastfeeding their son
0:41:33 > 0:41:36and I've not realised for the first five, ten minutes.
0:41:38 > 0:41:42It seems to me that boys don't mind either way what the girl decides.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44They're really supportive.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47If a girl wants to bottle or breastfeed,
0:41:47 > 0:41:50they just want what's right for the baby and for the girl.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54Back in Brighton, I've returned to see earth mother Maya,
0:41:54 > 0:41:59who's taken her love for breastfeeding to a whole new level.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03Her and daughter Yara belong to a network of breastfeeding activists,
0:42:03 > 0:42:08AKA the lactivists, and today I'm going to meet them.
0:42:12 > 0:42:17- What are your feelings on breastfeeding? - It's what boobs are for.- Yeah.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19And the idea of this tiny child
0:42:19 > 0:42:27that's just been in your body, then putting a plastic teat in their mouth with cow's milk in,
0:42:27 > 0:42:28it's quite odd.
0:42:28 > 0:42:32I'm kind of lumped as now someone who's breastfeeding long-term,
0:42:32 > 0:42:37- whereas... Sorry. - She asked for it, didn't she?
0:42:37 > 0:42:39Um...
0:42:39 > 0:42:43For me, it was never about fitting into that group,
0:42:43 > 0:42:48it was just about doing what's best for her and then fitting my stuff around it.
0:42:48 > 0:42:49So, that's how I see it.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53Giving to your child the breast milk of another mammal
0:42:53 > 0:42:55that is designed to feed another mammal,
0:42:55 > 0:43:00why do that when you've got milk that's perfectly designed for them?
0:43:02 > 0:43:08These guys don't just bang on about breastfeeding, they actually do something about promoting it.
0:43:08 > 0:43:12Come rain or shine, they take to the streets in a crusade
0:43:12 > 0:43:16to urge coffee shops to display "breastfeeding welcome" stickers in their windows
0:43:16 > 0:43:19to try and normalise breastfeeding in public.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23If there was a scheme where you could put a sticker in the window saying,
0:43:23 > 0:43:28"we're happy to have women breastfeed in our establishment", would you partake in that?
0:43:28 > 0:43:31- I'm pretty sure that we'd happily fly the flag.- Cool. All right.
0:43:31 > 0:43:35Although their passion can come across as quite extreme,
0:43:35 > 0:43:39I wish my own breastfeeding experience could have been more like theirs.
0:43:39 > 0:43:44I hope their campaign enables more women to feel comfortable about breastfeeding in public.
0:43:47 > 0:43:53Maya's still got an abundance of breast milk, and rather than letting Warwick drink all the spares,
0:43:53 > 0:43:56she's making plans for it.
0:43:56 > 0:43:57What do you do if you have too much?
0:43:57 > 0:44:01Personally, I'm thinking about donating some milk to a milk bank
0:44:01 > 0:44:06because I can pump it off and give it to them and not have to deal with it!
0:44:06 > 0:44:07What is a milk bank?
0:44:07 > 0:44:11Some hospitals, I don't think all hospitals, have milk banks
0:44:11 > 0:44:12where women can donate milk,
0:44:12 > 0:44:15and I believe they use it for intensive care babies
0:44:15 > 0:44:20because some babies can't tolerate formula when they're severely premature.
0:44:22 > 0:44:26I'd never heard of milk banks
0:44:26 > 0:44:29and with an invite from an intensive care baby unit,
0:44:29 > 0:44:32I'm off to find out a little bit more.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34- Hi.- Hello.- I'm Cherry.
0:44:34 > 0:44:38- I'm Audrey. I'm the matron for the neonatal unit. - Nice to meet you.- And you.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41- Would you like to come through? - That would be amazing.
0:44:41 > 0:44:43Because the babies are born prematurely,
0:44:43 > 0:44:47they're not able to suck until they're at least 34 weeks of gestation.
0:44:47 > 0:44:52So, what we do is we tube feed them and we use breast milk wherever possible.
0:44:52 > 0:44:54Due to the stress of being born early,
0:44:54 > 0:44:57often mum's aren't producing enough milk,
0:44:57 > 0:44:59so therefore we rely on donor breast milk.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02How many mums donate milk? Do you have enough?
0:45:02 > 0:45:05Sometimes we have lots of donors and we get a big storage of milk,
0:45:05 > 0:45:08and other times, we've used a lot and we run out.
0:45:08 > 0:45:10What happens when you run out?
0:45:10 > 0:45:15You can buy it from milk banks, if you need to, at a quite large amount of money.
0:45:15 > 0:45:17It's a very valuable resource.
0:45:17 > 0:45:21If I wanted to buy a bottle of breast milk, how much would I have to pay?
0:45:21 > 0:45:24Well, I think we were being charged about £100 a litre.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27- CHERRY GASPS - Yeah. It's like gold dust.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30- 100...?! It is, it's like gold!- Yeah.
0:45:30 > 0:45:32- £100 a litre?!- Yes.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35So, it's pretty bloody valuable.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38It is valuable, definitely, and certainly to the babies.
0:45:40 > 0:45:44So why, when they come out so prematurely, do they need breast milk?
0:45:44 > 0:45:47The sooner you can get the gut working, the better,
0:45:47 > 0:45:50so to do that, we stimulate it with a little bit of breast milk
0:45:50 > 0:45:54because we find that's more easily tolerated by an immature gut than formula milk.
0:45:54 > 0:45:56Oh, wow!
0:45:56 > 0:45:59Look at that. Oh, it's lunchtime!
0:45:59 > 0:46:05So the feeding process, it seems to be one of the most important aspects of a baby's recovery.
0:46:05 > 0:46:09It is a very important part of the recovery, and we have to get it right.
0:46:11 > 0:46:17It's amazing to see these midwives with these little syringes of breast milk
0:46:17 > 0:46:22delicately and carefully feeding it to these tiny, fragile babies.
0:46:22 > 0:46:25It does make you view breast milk in a different way.
0:46:25 > 0:46:30They treat it like this very, very precious medicine.
0:46:30 > 0:46:34It's not just like some white stuff that leaks and is really annoying,
0:46:34 > 0:46:36which is how I viewed it before.
0:46:36 > 0:46:38It was just annoying and making my top wet.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41Get a pad, quick. Throw the pad in the bin.
0:46:41 > 0:46:43I just can't believe I did that.
0:46:43 > 0:46:48I'm starting to understand the importance of breast milk now
0:46:48 > 0:46:50and why it is so precious.
0:46:52 > 0:46:56But when IS the right time to stop giving your baby this precious food?
0:46:56 > 0:47:02I'm off to meet one woman whose situation is thought of as controversial.
0:47:02 > 0:47:06I'll give you a little clue - how long is too long?
0:47:06 > 0:47:13Why is breastfeeding a child that's older than two so weird?
0:47:13 > 0:47:16I mean, I think about it and I think...whhhh!
0:47:16 > 0:47:18I do think it's really weird.
0:47:18 > 0:47:24I think the time to stop breastfeeding is when there's a full set of teeth.
0:47:24 > 0:47:28I think if your child can eat a ham sandwich,
0:47:28 > 0:47:32that's time to put the booby away.
0:47:32 > 0:47:37In Southampton, I'm going to meet Carol, who's still breastfeeding her two boys -
0:47:37 > 0:47:41three-year-old Matthew and five-and-a-half-year-old Joel.
0:47:41 > 0:47:46- Hello.- Hiya.- Hi. I'm Cherry. - I'm Carol. This is Matthew.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49- Hello. Nice to meet you. - Come on in.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52- I'll stick the kettle on. - That'll be lovely.
0:47:52 > 0:47:57'And it seems Joel is full of beans.'
0:47:57 > 0:48:01- Booby, booby! - And he knows what you're talking about and filming about.- Yeah.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03Let me sit on the chair at least.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06Shh. Gently.
0:48:08 > 0:48:11Be careful, won't you? Gentle, then you have to swap.
0:48:11 > 0:48:16Ready? And you ping off when I ask you, OK?
0:48:16 > 0:48:18Ping off when I ask you.
0:48:22 > 0:48:23Will that calm you down a minute?
0:48:23 > 0:48:27- In a minute.- OK. - Calm you down a bit?
0:48:27 > 0:48:32Yep. This is what they do. Right. Come here, then.
0:48:32 > 0:48:35Ping. Ping on.
0:48:37 > 0:48:40Keep that snuggled up, OK?
0:48:42 > 0:48:43Snuggly.
0:48:43 > 0:48:48I was a bit nervous about seeing you breastfeed.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50- I thought I won't know where to look.- Yeah.
0:48:50 > 0:48:54- I was shocked the first time I saw somebody feeding an older child.- Were you?
0:48:54 > 0:48:57- Yeah.- What did you think? Did you judge it?
0:48:57 > 0:49:04I... I had to sort of stop and think why was I reacting?
0:49:04 > 0:49:07- It was kind of almost my problem. - That's so interesting.
0:49:07 > 0:49:10I had to stop and think, "OK, no, actually, that's fine and then carry on."
0:49:10 > 0:49:15I think the judgement over it is quite interesting. It says a lot about our culture.
0:49:15 > 0:49:17Yes, definitely.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20There's still this whole sexualised image of the whole thing.
0:49:20 > 0:49:24As much as I do enjoy breastfeeding, that's got nothing to do with it.
0:49:24 > 0:49:29Would you say breastfeeding's been quite an empowering experience for you?
0:49:29 > 0:49:33The whole being a mum, giving birth, carrying a child, nurturing a child,
0:49:33 > 0:49:35feeding, caring for,
0:49:35 > 0:49:41it's been very...affirming, I guess, is the word.
0:49:41 > 0:49:47I'm no longer floundering and looking for something I'm supposed to be good at.
0:49:47 > 0:49:51A big part of it's the message that I've had a lot over the last few years
0:49:51 > 0:49:54has been, you know what, it's OK to be yourself.
0:49:55 > 0:49:58And it's OK to be me!
0:49:58 > 0:50:03I was really surprised to discover that various experts claim
0:50:03 > 0:50:07that the average age of weaning worldwide is as old as four!
0:50:07 > 0:50:12I definitely, definitely prejudged Carol before I met her. Definitely.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15I thought it was really weird, but like everything,
0:50:15 > 0:50:20there's always something more to it than meets the eye,
0:50:20 > 0:50:25and I think that Carol is a woman who adores motherhood
0:50:25 > 0:50:28and it is her purpose in life right now
0:50:28 > 0:50:30and feeding her babies
0:50:30 > 0:50:34is one of the most important aspects of that for her,
0:50:34 > 0:50:37and who am I to judge whether that's right or wrong?
0:50:39 > 0:50:42There's still someone I want to meet.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45Unlike me, Kathryn Blundell, editor of Mother & Baby magazine,
0:50:45 > 0:50:49embraced formula-feeding without the trappings of guilt,
0:50:49 > 0:50:53but in doing so she faced the harsh politics of breastfeeding.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56"Breastfeeding - the most natural thing in the world,
0:50:56 > 0:51:01"but what if, like me, you really don't fancy it?"
0:51:01 > 0:51:06She's talking about the fact that she formula-fed rather than breastfed and why she did that.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09And it's a really empowered article.
0:51:09 > 0:51:14It seems to be saying if you've bottle-fed, it's not a problem.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16Don't feel bad, don't feel guilty.
0:51:16 > 0:51:20And she calls it creepy, which seems to be,
0:51:20 > 0:51:24from the response to this, one of the big things people have had a problem with.
0:51:24 > 0:51:28Kathryn has agreed to meet with me
0:51:28 > 0:51:30to discuss that controversial article
0:51:30 > 0:51:34and why she considers bottle-feeding a lifestyle choice.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36Were you surprised at the response?
0:51:36 > 0:51:39Yeah, I was. I wasn't expecting it to be quite so fierce,
0:51:39 > 0:51:41cos the feature itself,
0:51:41 > 0:51:45I had defended breastfeeding, I think breastfeeding is brilliant.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48I'd been very clear that the views that I had were about me,
0:51:48 > 0:51:50they weren't about anyone else.
0:51:50 > 0:51:54They weren't about you, they were about me and my body.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56Why was breastfeeding not for you?
0:51:56 > 0:52:00Psychologically, I could not get into that space to do it
0:52:00 > 0:52:03and I'm one of those people
0:52:03 > 0:52:05where it just wasn't going to work for me.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08I've spoken to loads of women who say that there's nothing
0:52:08 > 0:52:10can give you that bond that breastfeeding gives you.
0:52:10 > 0:52:14Did you ever feel any guilt about that or worry?
0:52:14 > 0:52:17Bonding actually does start in the womb.
0:52:17 > 0:52:21All things being equal there! Everyone's feeding their baby then!
0:52:21 > 0:52:26I don't feel less bonded to my children because of not breastfeeding them.
0:52:26 > 0:52:28Your child's happiness and health
0:52:28 > 0:52:31depends on so many other factors than just milk.
0:52:34 > 0:52:37I've come to meet Emma one last time.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40There's still one hurdle she wants to overcome.
0:52:40 > 0:52:45Until now, she's not managed to solve her breastfeeding-in-public problem.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48Throughout this journey I've learnt that support is key
0:52:48 > 0:52:53to getting confidence, and on that note, I try and give Emma a helping hand.
0:52:53 > 0:52:59- So, normally you'd go into the loos and wouldn't try breastfeeding in public?- Yeah. Not at all.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01- Shall we try?- If we must.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03Shall we give it a little go?
0:53:03 > 0:53:05I'll absolutely be sitting by your side,
0:53:05 > 0:53:09- and if it's too much or too scary then we can go to the loo.- OK.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12- All right?- Uh-huh. - OK, let's just have a little try.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16OK, there's a nice big space there.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19- So, how you feeling right now? - Nervous.
0:53:19 > 0:53:24It's the getting her on and undoing my bra and getting her on as quickly as possible.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27- Shall we go for it?- OK.
0:53:28 > 0:53:32- I'm actually really nervous now. - I can see you're really nervous.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34OK...
0:53:34 > 0:53:37- Oh, my God, I'm really nervous now!- Oh, dear!
0:53:37 > 0:53:41- I don't know how long this is going to take.- You take your time.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43I'm just trying to ignore everyone now.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46Just ignore it. You're doing brilliantly.
0:53:47 > 0:53:52Do you think you should be able to feed somewhere this public?
0:53:52 > 0:53:54Yeah, definitely.
0:53:54 > 0:53:55But it's one of those things
0:53:55 > 0:53:58that there aren't enough women breastfeeding in public
0:53:58 > 0:54:00for it to be the norm.
0:54:00 > 0:54:05If there was another woman on this bench, or even I'd seen another woman in here feeding,
0:54:05 > 0:54:08it would be more like, OK, this is normal,
0:54:08 > 0:54:11there's another woman who thinks this is fine, so I can do it.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14Oh, no. Let go.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18Now that you've done that,
0:54:18 > 0:54:21do you feel more confident breastfeeding in public?
0:54:21 > 0:54:26Or do you think it would take quite a few more times to make it feel comfortable?
0:54:26 > 0:54:32This public, a few more times, but I think in my head, before I fed,
0:54:32 > 0:54:35I thought a lot more people were going to look, and they really weren't.
0:54:35 > 0:54:39Well, I think you've done brilliantly today. Well done.
0:54:39 > 0:54:44- All right. Bye, you two. See you really soon. Bye!- Bye!
0:54:44 > 0:54:48'I thought Emma did so brilliantly today,'
0:54:48 > 0:54:51and it was a lot more nerve-racking than I thought it was going to be.
0:54:51 > 0:54:56I thought I was going to be there just supporting her, but I really felt her nerves.
0:55:05 > 0:55:09Solving the UK's low breastfeeding rate is a monumental challenge
0:55:09 > 0:55:12and one that isn't going to be deciphered easily.
0:55:12 > 0:55:17But I, for one, have finally managed to lay my breastfeeding demons to rest
0:55:17 > 0:55:21and am confident about my bond with Coco.
0:55:21 > 0:55:26When I first started this journey out, I felt really guilty about the choice I'd made
0:55:26 > 0:55:28to give up breastfeeding.
0:55:28 > 0:55:32If you're experiencing incredible pain,
0:55:32 > 0:55:35it's not OK to go through that.
0:55:35 > 0:55:39It's not something you should just swallow and suck up.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43I wish I'd asked for help. I wish, I wish, I wish
0:55:43 > 0:55:47I'd gone and asked for help and not just suffered in silence.
0:55:47 > 0:55:52Every one of the women I've met on my journey has taught me something.
0:55:52 > 0:55:57For teenagers like Jessica, unless breastfeeding starts to look cool in the mass media,
0:55:57 > 0:56:00they will stay well clear.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03Maya's shown me how precious breast milk actually is.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06For second-time mums like Lucy,
0:56:06 > 0:56:09you can never predict how smooth your breastfeeding ride is going to be.
0:56:09 > 0:56:12And as for those suffering like Emma?
0:56:12 > 0:56:16She's shown me that with the help of support groups,
0:56:16 > 0:56:20it's possible to overcome the hurdles that breastfeeding can present.
0:56:20 > 0:56:26I've realised that breastfeeding is a lot tougher for many women than anyone would like us to admit.
0:56:26 > 0:56:30Some will struggle and others will find it the most natural thing in the world,
0:56:30 > 0:56:32but if we all try and give it a go,
0:56:32 > 0:56:38we can ensure that our babies get the best nutrition at the start of their lives.
0:56:38 > 0:56:43One thing's for sure - if it doesn't work out for you then don't beat yourself up.
0:56:43 > 0:56:48# The dog days are over
0:56:48 > 0:56:52# The dog days are done
0:56:52 > 0:56:54# The horses are coming
0:56:54 > 0:56:58# So you better run
0:56:58 > 0:57:00# Run fast for your mother Run fast for your father
0:57:00 > 0:57:03# Run for your children For your sisters and brothers
0:57:03 > 0:57:07# Leave all your love and your loving behind
0:57:07 > 0:57:10# You can't carry it with you if you want to survive... #