"We know that 90% of women who stop breastfeeding in the first six weeks discontinued before they had wanted to," said Unicef UK's deputy executive director Anita Tiessen. "As a society we are failing mothers and babies, and low breastfeeding rates in the UK are costing the NHS millions of pounds each year, as well as causing untold distress and suffering for families.

Women are actively encouraged to breast feed but as soon as you are discharged from hospital there is very little support for breast feeding mothers.

Breastfeeding is a valuable natural resource, promotes health, helps prevent infant and childhood disease, and saves money.