Since it's National Breastfeeding Week, we've been looking at the subject from various angles: Tamsin wanted to know your experiences of the 'breast is best' campaign; Jenny reported on campaigners who wanted the anti-formula slogan dropped; and I discussed the fact that breastfeeding's not always as easy as you might expect.

If you're planning to breastfeed, I hope our mixed experiences haven't put you off. And here's a tip for you if you want breastfeeding to work: don't buy bottles or formula before you've had the baby.

Many pregnant women have told me that they've bought bottles just in case breastfeeding doesn't work out.

But the truth is that breastfeeding is often difficult at the start. You may be exhausted from a round of cluster feeds that just don't stop. You may be worn out by the umpteenth broken night. You might have difficulty with latching on, leading to sore boobs and nipples.

Most supermarkets in the UK open for very long hours. If you absolutely did need a bottle or formula, you could get one pretty quickly. But there is a big difference in having the bottle right there to hand, and having to go out and get one.

If you don't have a bottle, you are less likely to use it, and soldier on with breastfeeding. Because once you get through those early weeks, it all gets much easier. It's not a failure if breastfeeding doesn't work out and you do make the decision to switch to bottles. Just make sure that it is a conscious choice.

I know not everybody will agree with this, but I have been there twice, breastfeeding babies when it didn't go well at the start. There were many times at 3am when I was worn out and would have used a bottle of formula if I'd had one. But because I didn't I had to keep going, and once you make it through the tough nights, things do get brighter in the morning.

What do you think? Is it better to have bottles on standby even if you intend to breastfeed? Leave a comment below