WITH Northern Ireland repeatedly exhibiting the lowest rates for breastfeeding in the UK, support groups such as Enniskillen Breastfriends are often a lifeline for first-time and experienced mums in Fermanagh.

According to the Infant Feeding Survey (IFS) 2010, breastfeeding initiation in Northern Ireland was just 64 per cent compared to the overall UK figure of 81 per cent.

And breastfeeding duration is shorter here too.

At one week from birth, 26 per cent of mothers have stopped breastfeeding their babies. By six months over three quarters have stopped.

Last year the Department launched a strategy to tackle the low figures across the North.

‘Breastfeeding: A Great Start’ describes breastfeeding as a “fundamental public health issue”.

The 10-year strategy aims to “protect, promote, support and normalise” breastfeeding.

The Department says there are various reasons as to why mothers stop breastfeeding before the recommended six months, or don’t initiate it at all.

But while all breastfeeding stories and journeys are unique, for many mums the most obvious reason for reaching for the formula milk is that breastfeeding is by no means easy and support from family, friends and health professionals is a necessity to succeed.

A regular attender at Enniskillen Breastfriends, Susan Rogers from Enniskillen is a second-time mum.

Originally from Edinburgh, she and her husband moved to Fermanagh nine years ago.

She exclusively breastfed her first daughter, Poppy, (now two-and-a-half years-old) for the first five months of her life.

“I had a good enough experience,” she says, “I felt I had a lot of support.

“It is definitely easier the second time around. You know what’s normal and what’s not.

“When you’re having a bad day, you know that it’s not going to be like that forever. But I did find it hard in the beginning with Poppy, I don’t think anyone would tell you that breastfeeding is a complete breeze!” Now a mummy again with her second daughter, four-week-old Olivia, she says she wishes she could have breastfed for longer with Poppy.

“I probably would have kept going only I went back to university,” she says, “In the early days I found it tough, just with positioning and the ‘feeding frenzies’ that newborn babies have!

“I felt that Poppy wasn’t getting enough. But I know now that at that age they can only feed little and often and so at the start the feeding is fairly continuous.

“As a first-time mum that was hard -- when you are tired. Feeding is very much on demand. At the start I could have been feeding Poppy every hour, some times even every half hour! Housework was on hold for a while!

“And she would have clusterfed a lot in the evenings. It could have been fairly constant for a couple of hours in the evening which made it hard to get anything done!

“And I didn’t really understand why she was doing that until I came to the support group in Enniskillen and it was explained to me that it’s not that she’s not getting fed, she is just taking in more milk before bedtime.

“I suppose that can be one thing that puts people off the breastfeeding -- the amount of time you have to commit to it. At the start they can feed all day and all night. With my first I thought -- I can’t do this forever!” A confident, happy mummy, Susan admits that the majority of her friends have been bottle-feeding mums.

“But I was adamant I wanted to breastfeed. I did a lot of research into it beforehand. I knew that breastmilk is far better for your baby and it’s just so natural and so easy.

“My husband was such a big support to me with Poppy, and now again with Olivia. I think that is really important. I’m not sure how a mother could breastfeed without that kind of support from your partner.

“I can understand why people give up on breastfeeding, but it was something I felt very strongly about.” Sharon Hunter, the proud mummy of five-month-old Seth, had a harder experience with breastfeeding initially.

After having a caesarian section to deliver her beautiful baby boy, it took a while for Sharon’s milk to establish properly.

And Seth also had problems with latching on at the start.

But Sharon was determined to persevere with breastfeeding.

“I got great support in hospital,” she says, “But when we came home, he wouldn’t latch on again. I tried to express milk and give it to him in a bottle. He seemed to take to the bottle more easily.

“When the midwife came out three days later she put me in touch with the support group in Enniskillen.

“I was absolutely wrecked the first day I came into the group. I was feeling very emotional. But everyone at the group has been a huge support and they have all really helped me. I know I wouldn’t have been able to keep going with breastfeeding without their support.” It was almost a month before the issues with latching on were resolved for Sharon and Seth.

Such was Sharon’s determination to breastfeed that she actually had to use nipple-shields in the beginning.

Now a healthy, happy baby, Seth has clearly benefitted from his mummy’s resolve not to give up on breastfeeding.

But the other side of the coin is that he still wakes up frequently at night.

“When I had the section I felt I had to keep at the breastfeeding -- there was just something in me saying that I wanted to succeed at this because of the section. I know that might sound strange, but it is just something personal for me that I wanted to accomplish as a mum.

“Sometimes at night I think: ‘should I give him a bottle?’. But then I think: ‘no, I will persevere with this’.

“And when I weigh him and see how well he is growing and developing, I know that it is worth it and that I have given him the best start.

“I feel I have worked so hard at breastfeeding him that the idea of a bottle now doesn’t even appeal to me!

“I had always said when I fell pregnant that I would give it a go.

“I go on the Breastfeeding NI Facebook page sometimes when I am up at night with Seth and there is always someone else up who is going through the same thing as you! It’s very reassuring.” Sticking to the health guidelines, Sharon wants to hold off until the six month mark before introducing solids.

“I just want to leave it and see what feels right.

“Seth is starting to show a little bit of interest in what we are eating. But I want to do it when I feel the time is right,” she says, adding that her husband has been a huge support throughout her breastfeeding journey.

Both support group mums say there were slightly nervous about their first experience of breastfeeding in public.

“No one ever made me feel uneasy about breastfeeding in public,” says Susan, “But the first few times I was a bit fingers and thumbs!

“I’m not one of those people who would just get them out in the middle of Costa Coffee! I just did it discreetly and I’m a lot more confident now than I was initially.

“There is definitely still a bit of a stigma about mums breastfeeding in public. “And I definitely had people telling me that I should just try giving Poppy a bottle instead of continuing to breastfeed on demand.

“I actually had people telling me to give her a spoon feed, and she might have only been about seven weeks old!

“I think to be a breastfeeding mum, you have to really want to do it, because it is a hard thing to do.

“I would always say to mums: ‘it’s tough in the beginning, but that doesn’t last very long’.

“The difference is that it is only you who can feed your baby, so when you are super tired and feel like crying, you still have to get up and feed your baby. But to me, the benefits far out way anything else.

“it is such a lovely thing to do and when I stopped breastfeeding Poppy, I missed that closeness -- it was a lovely time to just sit down and have some uninterrupted time with your baby.

“This time round I want to breastfeed just as long -- if not longer. I had a lovely breastfeeding experience with Poppy.

“I think that yes, breastfeeding is quite heavily promoted. And I’m sure mums who don’t want to do it may feel that it’s pushed on them.

“But you shouldn’t feel pushed into doing it or feel guilty for not doing it. It’s an individual choice and you do what is right for your baby and your own situation.

“A lot of friends had done it and given up on it soon after -- they said they didn’t have the milk supply that their baby needed.

“But I asked for all the help I could get -- I was lucky. And that’s why the support group in Enniskillen is just so invaluable.” Enniskillen Breastfriends meets every Thursday at Fermanagh House from 11am until 1pm.