12/5/2008

Charlotte Church today (Monday) called on other young mums to consider breastfeeding after new statistics revealed that only 42% of Welsh mothers under 20 start to breastfeed compared to 76% of mothers over 30.

The singer is backing a major Welsh Assembly Government drive launched at the beginning of Breastfeeding Awareness Week (May 11 to 17) aimed at tackling this generation gap.

She will help kick-start the campaign at the Wales Millennium Centre where she will join other mums, Children’s Minister Jane Hutt and health experts from across South Wales to urge more young mothers to consider the protection that breastfeeding gives both to them and their babies.

21-year-old Charlotte, who breastfed eight-month old Ruby Megan, says shedding her baby weight quickly was only one of the many benefits of breastfeeding.

"It was really reassuring knowing that Ruby had extra protection from chest, ear and stomach infections, as well as from diabetes and allergies. On top of that, breastfeeding is free and really convenient – especially in the middle of the night.

"Experts say that young mothers are less likely to breastfeed due to a lack of understanding combined with social pressure from people who themselves may never have breastfed.

"Feeding Ruby myself has been such a positive experience and I would definitely recommend to other mums that they try it. I don’t know why so few young mums choose to breastfeed but I think there are a lot of myths out there. It’s important they hear from real mums like me and have all the information they need to make their minds up."

Breastfeeding Co-ordinator for Wales Sue Sky said: "There is a great deal of evidence to show that breastfeeding provides important health benefits for both mum and baby. Breastfed babies visit the doctor less often than those who are fed infant formula, and they are less likely to have heart disease when they get older. For mums, it reduces the risk of ovarian and breast cancer and helps them to get their figures back faster.

"It is concerning that so few young women choose to breastfeed when you consider all the benefits. This campaign is designed to show that breastfeeding is a free and convenient way to give babies the healthiest start in life.

"Charlotte Church is a fantastic example of a young mother deciding that breast really is best and we hope that she will serve as a role model to her many thousands of female fans."