NEARLY 90 per cent of Warrnambool mothers choose to breastfeed but almost half will give up before their baby is six months old because they don't feel they have community support.

The Australian Breastfeeding Association's Warrnambool counsellor Barb Glare said this trend had been consistent for the past 10 years.

"The figures in Warrnambool reflect the state trends which are not particularly good," Ms Glare said.

"The World Health Organisation suggests babies are breastfed exclusively, that means no other food, until six months of age."

Figures for 2004 show in Warrnambool 87 per cent of new mothers began breastfeeding while in Norway it was 99 per cent. When their baby was six months old only 50 per cent of Warrnambool mothers were still breastfeeding while in Norway it was 80 per cent.

Ms Glare said the biggest difference between Australia and Norway was the amount of support available to mothers and community attitude towards breastfeeding.

"Breastfeeding is the biological norm for babies, it's how they expect to be fed," she said.

"There are still unsatisfactory instances of mothers being asked to leave cafes because they are breastfeeding and cases of employers being unsupportive of mothers by not making it easy for them to express milk at work.

"For a new mother it's these bad experiences and community attitudes that make it difficult, even though it's a normal, natural activity and her legal right to breastfeed her baby anywhere she needs to." Ms Glare said membership of the Warrnambool Breastfeeding Association was at an all-time high, with 120 mothers. She hoped this would help improve the breastfeeding figures for the city.

"Mother-to-mother peer support is very important. New mothers can have a real feeling of isolation."

Warrnambool Australian Breastfeeding Association will host The Baby and The Child Bonanza as an opportunity for mothers to network and access community support. Featuring baby clothes and other items for sale, the event will also have a qualified breastfeeding counsellor on hand to advise and answer questions.

The bonanza will be held at St Pius Hall, Morris Road, Warrnambool, on Saturday, October 11 from 10am to 2pm.