WHEN air stewardess Connie Khaw breastfed her first child six years ago, her 54-year-old mother discouraged her from doing so.

Ms Khaw, now 33, said: 'She told me: 'You're so skinny, you won't have enough milk.'

'Waking up every two hours to feed the baby was tiring and my husband asked me: 'Why make yourself suffer?' But I thought it was worthwhile and was willing to sacrifice for my baby.'

She breastfed her daughter for four months before returning to work. And did the same for her second child, a son, now four.

However, she has been breastfeeding her third child, another boy, for 10 months now and intends to keep on doing so until he celebrates his first birthday, 'because I've read that I should for at least six months'.

More mothers like her are breastfeeding, but not everyone is keeping it up for long enough, according to figures from KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH).

About 90 per cent of the 10,000 or so women who gave birth at the hospital last year started breastfeeding their newborn before being discharged.

In 1994, just 50 per cent of new mothers who delivered at the hospital did so.

In a separate survey of 226 women by the hospital in 2001, about half of the women stopped breastfeeding after six weeks to prepare to go back to work after their two months of maternity leave.

About one-third of the children born here are delivered at KKH.

The hospital's breastfeeding specialist, Madam Cynthia Pang, said: 'It's significant that more women are willing to breastfeed because they are more aware of the benefits.

'What we need to do now is to provide them with support to make sure they can continue breastfeeding for a longer time.'

The World Health Organisation recommends that a mother breastfeeds her newborn for six months. It adds that the child needs no other source of nutrition.

Previously though, doctors and nurses recommended babies start being weaned at four months and be introduced to semi-solid food then. But in recent years, there has been evidence to show that babies benefit from being breastfed exclusively for a longer time.

The head of KKH's neonatology department, Dr Lim Sok Bee, said: 'The baby's not missing out on nutrition when he's fed only breast milk for six months. His growth is not affected and he falls ill less often.'

Studies show breast milk strengthens a baby's immunity and reduces the chances of him suffering from coughs, colds, diarrhoea and ear infections.

It also reduces his risk of developing allergies, such as asthma and eczema, as well as childhood diabetes.

And while he needs to eat other food after six months, said Madam Pang, breast milk should still be included in his diet for another two to three years.

She added that family members, especially older folk, should be more encouraging, and not believe in such myths as breast milk being 'dirty' or that breastfeeding is detrimental to the mother's health.

Companies could also help by providing rooms in the office where mothers can express their breast milk while they are at work, and offer longer periods of unpaid leave.

KKH organises breast-feeding classes for mothers-to-be, to show them what is involved. It also runs a free hotline service for those mums who encounter problems breastfeeding or need advice on this.

To mark World Breastfeeding Week last week, it held a Best Breastfed Baby Contest at United Square last Saturday. A total of 473 babies aged from three months to 24 months took part in four categories.

Where to get help

Breastfeeding Mothers' Support Group hotline: 6339-3558

Joyful Parenting and Breastfeeding hotline: 6488-0286

KK Women's and Children's Hospital lactation services hotline: 6394-8232

La Leche League (a support group run by expatriates here) hotline: 7000-555-4636