Breastfeeding mums who struggle to supply enough milk

RELIEF is at hand for new mums stuck in a cycle of anxiety because they’re unable to breastfeed for as long they’ve been told to.

Meg Ryan enjoys a sunny moment with son Matthew, seven months, in Belrose. Picture: Justin Lloyd

RELIEF is at hand for new mums stuck in a cycle of anxiety because they’re unable to breastfeed for as long they’ve been told to.

Current federal health guidelines recommend exclusive breastfeeding until “around six months” when solids can be introduced.

But with only 15 per cent of babies exclusively breastfed until this time, that advice is set to change to more clearly promote breastfeeding for a baby’s first six months of life — but with an understanding that breastfeeding may not work best for everyone.

The strategy is being devised by health experts.

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Murdoch Children’s Research Institute’s Professor Katie Allen said advice needed to be “easy for mums to incorporate into their lives”.

Northern beaches midwife Meg Ryan, 28, said pressure on mums to breastfeed could do damage.

“I think a lot of ... stress and anxiety and even depression comes from ... pressure from society and the medical world for feeding,” she said.