Norah Dorrian was finishing the fifth form at school when she fell pregnant. Aged 17 and living in County Down with her mum, her benefits paid for the tins of formula milk. She bottle-fed her daughter Sasha because she thought her breasts were small and didn't think they would provide enough nutrition.

Like many people in Northern Ireland, she had never seen a woman breastfeeding in public. She thought it was illegal and that mothers needed permission from a coffee-shop manager to undo their top.

At 24 and living in a hostel, she discovered she was pregnant again. She knew breastfeeding was good for babies from reading magazines. She now plans to breastfeed three-day-old Richard.

She felt today's research on breastfeeding was nothing new. "Sometimes it's hard to get him latched on, but I know it's so much better for his health. Once you read the facts, it's common sense," she said.

Northern Ireland has the lowest breastfeeding rate in the UK and one of the lowest in Europe. Around 54% of Ulster mothers begin breastfeeding. By six weeks only 26% are still doing so. By six months the numbers drop to 10% compared with 80% in Norway.

When the Health Promotion Agency in Northern Ireland launched its breastfeeding campaign this month, it found people not only thought public breastfeeding was illegal, they also thought it was against the law to show breastfeeding on a poster. Half the people questioned felt breastfeeding should not be seen.

At the Ulster Hospital maternity ward in Dundonald, new mothers were taking in the latest findings about breastfeeding and health. The hospital has increased its breastfeeding rate and offers an informed choice.

Kelly Cunningham, 22, a full-time mother, was weaning one-day-old Rebecca on formula milk. Her first child, Daniel, born when she was 18, was also bottle-fed. She said she was well-informed and had no regrets. She felt health scares came and went and the most important thing was a happy baby. "When Rebecca was born she went straight for me, trying to suck at my chest. I said no. After five days of pain, I was too tired to try breastfeeding."

Jennie Robinson, 31, lost her first child when he was five. She is now breastfeeding for the first time with her third child, three-day-old Matthew, conceived by IVF. She wanted to boost his immune system and heighten the "bonding experience".

"I had my first child a decade ago during a power drive on 'breast is best'. At that time, I felt they were trying to force you to breastfeed. I felt they were telling me I had to do it," she said. "Now at least I feel I had a choice, I didn't feel forced into a corner."