This Morning - Breast feeding

Breast-feeding

In light of the new law being passed, allowing mothers across the UK to breast feed their babies in public, we take a look at other issues stirred by breast-feeding.

There is no doubt breast-feeding is good for your child - it reduces the risk of tummy upsets, allergies, obesity and a host of health problems in later life. But mum Stella Onions, 45, believes her kids can't get enough of a good thing.

Her children, five-year-old Josephine and her three-year-old brother Zac are still being breastfed. Stella believes her son and daughter are among the oldest in the country still being given their mother's milk and Stella has no plans to wean them off "Mummy milk" in the near future.

Stella explains: "I grew up in South Africa where the women see breasts as something to feed your children with, not something sexual. Some people are squeamish about it, especially in public, but you wouldn't throw a blanket over a sheep feeding a lamb in a field, would you? It's what nature intended."

Stella believes her unorthodox approach has had physical and mental benefits. "Lots of studies have been done and, in general, babies fed on formula are more likely to get gastric infections and urinary and respiratory problems, some studies even suggest that there is an increased risk of certain childhood cancers.”

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Breast-feeding