 News
12th May 2008
Charlotte Church to launch young mum breastfeeding
drive Charlotte Church will call on other young mums to consider breastfeeding
after new statistics revealed that only 42 per cent of Welsh mothers under 20
start to breastfeed compared to 76 per cent of mothers over 30. The singer
is backing a major Welsh Assembly Government drive launched during Breastfeeding
Awareness Week (11-17 May) aimed at tackling this generation gap. She will
help kick-start the campaign on Monday May 12 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 that 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.
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." Charlotte
Church, who will shortly be filming the third series of her popular Channel 4
chat show, said: "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." Welsh Assembly Government Children's
Minister, Jane Hutt, said: "Wales is providing a lead when it comes to the promotion
of breastfeeding and support for women who want to breastfeed. We hope to reach
out to as many young women as possible and demonstrate that there are many good
reasons to consider breastfeeding; too many to ignore in fact!" Where
to next? | 
