TV star Denise Van Outen quit breastfeeding early due to pressure of public image

Actress and presenter Denise Van Outen has admitted that she gave up breastfeeding after less than a month.

The new mother, who gave birth to her first child Betsy in May, said she did not want photographers taking pictures of her breastfeeding and felt "pressure" from people watching her every move.

The 36-year-old, who is married to actor Lee Mead, said: "I probably should have persevered a bit longer than three weeks. But I've had paparazzi sat outside every day since I had her and I can't be sitting in Starbucks and breastfeeding, because they're taking pictures.

"Anyway, I wasn't producing enough milk, and Lee wanted to be able to feed her. Another time, I was at the back of a really long queue at the Post Office to get Betsy a passport, knowing that in the next half-hour she was going to wake up and cry, wanting a feed.

"And, sure enough, when I got to the front, that's exactly what she did. And I felt so conscious of the pressure of everybody looking, tutting and waiting to see how I dealt with the situation, because they know my face. But I love the way that kind of thing bonds you with other mums."

The NHS recommends that babies are breastfed for the first six months of their life.

Van Outen, who missed out on a place on the judging panel of the BBC talent show Over the Rainbow because she was pregnant, said she was keen to return to work as soon as possible after giving birth because of competition in the industry.

She said: "It's funny how people say, 'Oh, you've had a baby. Are you taking a year out?' I can't take a year out; we've got a mortgage and bills to pay. I wouldn't want to anyway because I love what I do.

"If you are out of the picture for too long, somebody else will come along and the jobs will go to them. It's the harsh reality of the industry."