'If everybody around us is eating why can my baby not feed?'

Could a simple sign in shop windows and public spaces help increase breastfeeding rates?

Northern Ireland has the lowest breastfeeding rate in the UK, according to the Public Health Agency (PHA).

There are now almost 1,500 venues and organisations across Northern Ireland's 11 council areas signed up to the Breastfeeding Welcome Here scheme.

While some mothers are unable to breastfeed - for medical reasons, for example - others can face barriers including stigma and a lack of support.

"To me, it is my right. My baby needs fed and if everybody around us is eating why can my baby not feed?," breastfeeding mother-of-three Katy Dillon told BBC News NI.

Fewer mums in Derry and Strabane choose to breastfeed compared to the rest of Northern Ireland, the PHA said.

Aimee McIlwaine said that she ended up feeding her baby in public toilets due to stigma and a lack of support.

"I didn't know anyone else who breastfed and I had latch issues - I found going out and about difficult," said the mum-of-two who welcomes the scheme.

Katy is currently breastfeeding two-year-old Rose and four-month-old Bertie.

"I honestly think that if more people knew what it was like, how easy and hassle free and cheap it is they would do it," she said.

"I go to the local mart in Rathfriland and I breastfeed there and it is quite male-orientated and I have never had any negativity there.

"The mart is literally 99% men and is probably the most daunting place that you are going to feed.

"Generally I have adaptable, specific breast-feeding clothes. They have a small hole or a slit so there is not a lot to see. It is very inconspicuous."

While Katy had the confidence to breastfeed in public, she said there was a lack of information available for mums, particularly in antenatal classes.

"Don't get me wrong - it is difficult at the start, the first week is pretty hard but if you get past it the sacrifice is worth it," she said.

"It needs to be the normal."

The founder of Breastival - a festival which aims to celebrate and support breastfeeding parents - has noticed a positive change around attitudes in recent years but said there was still work to be done.

"It is just a part of normal life, it is not a big deal, it is just the same as sitting down and eating a sandwich, sitting down and baby is having a wee feed," she said.

"One of the concerns with social media is that there is an awful lot of misinformation - and so people are looking to social media for information, support and advice when actually the quality of that advice is not guaranteed.

"There are some excellent influencers and accounts out there that will provide good evidence-based information but I would urge people to always go and look at the trusted sources of information from the NHS and the Public Health Agency."

Orlaith Moley, who is a senior health improvement officer at the PHA, said: "The Breastfeeding Welcome Here scheme plays an important role in helping mothers feel confident and supported to breastfeed whenever and wherever they need to.

"Breastfeeding provides significant health benefits for both babies and mothers, helping to give children the best possible start in life while also supporting maternal health and wellbeing."

Belfast City Council area has the highest number of Breastfeeding Welcome Here-registered venues, with 352 organisations signed up, followed by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, with 131.

"Every organisation that signs up helps to normalise breastfeeding and contributes to a culture where mothers feel comfortable, respected and valued when feeding their baby outside the home," Moley said.