When Madam Leung Pui Wei gave birth to her daughter in 2005, she had not anticipated any trouble with breastfeeding. She just assumed it would happen naturally. But her baby would not latch on, and Madam Leung suffered from painful engorgement of her breasts. She had to pump her milk.

However, Madam Leung, now 36, did not give up. She read up on the issue and bought a nipple shield to help her baby latch on.

'I was able to persist as my friends were very supportive and encouraging,' she said. She breastfed her baby for 51/2 months and feels that it helped her bond with her child. She stopped breastfeeding when she went back to work and her baby started eating solids.

We are all familiar with the mantra that breast milk is best for baby. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that babies be breastfed exclusively for six months to confer the maximum benefits of breastfeeding on both mother and child.

This is because breast milk is the most nutritionally complete baby food, says Sister Kang Phaik Gaik, a lactation consultant at Mount Alvernia Hospital.

Sister Kang helps mothers and babies who encounter latching difficulties, painful nursing, low milk production and inadequate weight gain.

For mothers, breastfeeding has been associated with a reduced risk of ovarian and breast cancers. The short-term benefits to the mother include rapid return to normal weight and delayed ovulation for those who are not ready to get pregnant again.

The National Breastfeeding Survey done in 2001 showed that 95 per cent of Singaporean mothers attempt to breastfeed their babies. The survey also showed that exclusive breastfeeding is not a common practice in Singapore.

For most mothers, breastfeeding was combined with supplementary feeds of powdered milk. Only 14 per cent of two-month-old babies were breastfed exclusively. By six months, the figure dropped to less than 1 per cent.

Common reasons for not breastfeeding exclusively or stopping breastfeeding are insufficient milk, sore nipples, engorgement, returning to work and the baby preferring formula milk.

Sister Kang's job is to help mothers breastfeed exclusively for the first six months.

And she has a solution to every breastfeeding problem: She recommends supplements such as fenugreek and papaya soup to help stimulate breast milk production. And she helps mums with serious problems, such as blocked milk ducts.

'It's really important for the mother to not give up on breastfeeding. Lactation consultants can help right after birth by encouraging the mother to breastfeed in the first hour,' she said.

Breastfeeding problems can be a vicious circle, said Sister Kang. For instance, a child may not latch on well, so the mother develops sore nipples and lets her baby feed infrequently or switches to a mix of formula and breast milk. Breast milk production will then taper off, resulting in insufficient milk supply.

'It does not have to be like this. With help and persistence, a majority of women will be able to breastfeed their babies successfully,' she said.

For more information, visit the website www.breastfeeding.org.sg

• In Singapore, less than 1% of six-month-old babies are breastfed exclusively

This article was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times on Apr 9, 2008.