Little Lexie Astorga will change in countless ways in the next 12 months, but her mum is hoping at least one thing will stay the same: her diet.
Giving birth on Saturday - the start of World Breastfeeding Week - Cinthia Sassi set a breastfeeding goal twice as long as the six-month recommended standard.
The Lake South mum's decision reflects longstanding advice from the breastfeeding lobby, which cites the practice as the ideal way to give babies the nutrients they need to grow and develop, and to resist illness and infection.
"I'll go at least six months, but if I can go another six months I will because it's so good for your child," Ms Sassi said.
"It's also beneficial to parents. It saves a lot of time and cost."
According to the most recent national health survey, about 83 per cent of babies are breastfed after discharge from hospital, but less than half of these are still being breastfed at six months.
CEO of Save the Children Australia Suzanne Dvorak said the community needed to help overcome breastfeeding barriers, such as workplace policies, legislative gaps and inconsistent information from health-care providers.
Community attitudes also needed shifting, she said. "Given breastfeeding provides the foundation for children's future health, one would expect it to be well accepted in society. "This doesn't seem to be the case as some people and workplaces remain unsympathetic towards breastfeeding in public."
The benefits of breastfeeding were queried last month when leading pediatrician Professor Michael Kramer claimed the supposed benefits of breastmilk could be explained by lifestyle. However, an earlier study by Prof Kramer found breastfed children grew up to be smarter.
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