Breast milk is the best food for babies. According to the Department of Health (DH), there is strong evidence that babies do best if they have nothing but breast milk for the first six months of life. Antibodies are passed from mother to child in breast milk, so breastfeeding also helps protect babies from illness and infections. Breastfed babies are less likely to become obese and therefore develop type 2 diabetes and other illnesses later in life.

Added to this, breastfeeding is convenient, free and good for mum too. While a woman is breastfeeding, she uses on average an extra 500 calories a day €“ welcome news if trying to lose post-pregnancy weight.