Cradling her ten-week-old baby, Madeleine Considine recalls the moment of clarity she had after struggling with breastfeeding for weeks as a new mother.

"Once you've cracked it, it's the best thing in the world," the mother-of-two explains as she holds her son on her lap.

But at 25, Madeleine's views on breastfeeding don't necessarily match those of her peers.

According to the latest official NHS figures released on Tuesday, just over 20% of mothers in Scotland aged between 25 and 29 breastfeed exclusively, although the numbers are starting to rise.

Over the past ten years, Scottish babies are being breast fed more, thanks to a number of mothers choosing a mix of formula and breast milk and almost half of babies born during the 2015/16 period were being breastfed at their first health visitor visit at around 10 days old.

However the percentage of babies still being breastfed some six to eight weeks later dropped by around 10%.

The figures show that young mothers under the age of 20 and those living in deprived areas are less likely to breastfeed their child, while mothers living in wealthier areas of Scotland were found to be nearly three times as likely to exclusively breastfeed when their babies are six to eight weeks old.

So why is breastfeeding important?

Often cited as 'breast is best', the campaign for mothers to breastfeed their newborns stems from research which suggests infants are likely to have a reduced risk of infection, particularly those affecting the ear, respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract if fed breast milk.

Other benefits of breastfeeding have been cited as improved cognitive and psychological development, and a reduced risk of childhood obesity.

The IDS Scotland report states: "The Scottish Government has adopted as policy World Health Organisation guidance recommending exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant's life.

"It is recommended breastfeeding should continue beyond six months, alongside the introduction of appropriate solid foods, for up to two years of age or as long as the mother chooses".

For mothers themselves, there is evidence that women who do breastfeed have lower risks of developing breast cancer, epithelial ovarian cancer and hip fracture later in life.

How are parents supported when breastfeeding?

While breastfeeding is considered to be the best way of ensuring newborns and infants are getting the right nutrition into their bodies, there are some factors which mean it is difficult, painful or sometimes impossible for mothers to do.

Groups like Boob Buddies, run by the National Childbirth Trust (NCT), offer mothers a relaxed space to discuss and seek advice on breastfeeding in friendly environments across the country.

Madeleine says that the Aberdeen group was a lifeline when she had her first child two years ago, offering support she hadn't been able to find elsewhere.

"I had my first son Harry nearly two years ago and for the first six weeks of breastfeeding I really struggled," she explains.

"I had really bad cracks and being a young, first-time mum, I struggled. None of my friends who had had babies at the same time were breastfeeding so apart from my mum, I didn't have much support around me."

The group offers mothers and mothers-to-be the chance to chat and offer each other breastfeeding advice alongside trained supporters and Madeleine says it gave her the encouragement to keep breastfeeding, which she continued when her second child came along.

She says that there should be more groups available for mothers to encourage them to breastfeed and feels that some of her friends may have done so had they received more support.

Vivienne Cruddace, who has been running the the Aberdeen City and Shire Breastfeeding and Support Group since 2014, says that the goal is to offer a welcoming environment for mums to come for support and advice.

"The issues are often widely varying but a lot of women just seek reassurance and mum to mum support as learning to breastfeed is such a huge learning curve," Vivienne says.

"Many of them will report feeling much better just for having spoken to others who understand the challenges of new motherhood, and realising they aren't alone."

So why aren't more mothers breastfeeding?

As a young mother, Madeleine says that among the group of people who had given birth around the same time as her, she knew of only one who had also chosen to breastfeed their child.

"One or two have tried it, struggled and then not carried it through because they've not got the support around them," she explains.

Public embarrassment can also be a factor for mothers who don't feel they have the confidence to breastfeed in public. With stories of mothers turned away from restaurants, told to feed in toilets or leave shops when they try to breast feed hitting headlines, Madeleine feels that there is a social stigma attached to feeding.

"It makes me feel sad," she says. "First time round I was quite self conscious about breast feeding in public and what people might think, because I found that sometimes friends were sort of a bit embarrassed about it."

What is being done to support breastfeeding in public?

Businesses are starting to sit up and listen to mothers about their need for reassurance that breastfeeding in public is ok.

The Breastfeeding Welcome Scheme is a national campaign which encourages businesses to place a sticker on their premises welcoming breastfeeding mothers. Last week more than 60 establishments signed up for the scheme in Aberdeen, which is being run in partnership with NHS Grampian and Health and Social Care.

Madeleine believes it is a step in the right direction, saying: "I think it gives mums the confidence to know that you aren't going to be told to leave or go feed in a family room or in a toilet or something ridiculous like that.

"And should anyone have a problem with it, they don't really have a leg to stand on because the place that they are feeding in have said its ok."

Earlier this month, reality television star Sam Faiers was praised by the NCT and breastfeeding charities after choosing to feed her son Paul during a live interview on This Morning.

But what about mothers who can't breastfeed?

For some mothers, breastfeeding just isn't an option for feeding their baby but Vivienne offers reassurance that there is support out there for parents through groups like Boob Buddies, who can offer guidance on mixed and formula feeding.

She says: "We provi de support and evidence based information to families, including information on breastfeeding, mixed feeding and formula feeding, and tailor it to their own individual circumstances, feeding goals, and answer any questions they may have.

"We signpost parents to healthcare practitioners where appropriate, and support parents to make an informed decision about feeding their baby."

However there are some ways of ensuring infants can be fed human milk even if it is not from their own mother.

Breast milk banks are slowly on the rise, and while there may only be one north of the border, the One Milk Bank for Scotland run by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is a lifeline organisation mainly used to feed premature babies whose mothers cannot produce breast milk.

Mothers can find their body will sometimes delay producing milk, with Fiona Tarantino Poliri turning to donor milk after losing a lot of blood due to a hemorrhage to feed her newborn daughter Meena.

The service, which allowed her to feed her daughter breast milk for ten days through a tube to avoid nipple confusion was such a hit, the 32-year-old went on to donate almost four litres of her own milk to help other babies in the area.

Donors are screened and tested before their milk is donated, frozen, pasturised and labelled. With just 13 centres UK-wide, it is hoped more milk banks will open to support babies who cannot be breastfed naturally but can still reap the benefits of donated milk.