In recent years new mothers have tried to de-stigmatise breastfeeding in public - even sharing photos of intimate moments nursing their babies online.

And while breastfeeding selfies might still divide opinion, it turns out the yummy mummies of Instagram were far from the first to pose for this kind of picture.

These photos taken in America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries show new mothers proudly breastfeeding their children in front of the camera.

It's thought that, as photography became more widely available, it sparked a fad for Victorian mothers using the new technology to pose for portraits while nursing their newborns.

While wealthy families in the UK and the rest of Europe hired wet nurses, American mothers at the time were proponents of the 'breast is best' approach, it seems.

The trend died out in the 1940s as breastfeeding became something of a taboo following the invention of formula, which doctors then encouraged over breast milk.

Scroll down to see striking portraits of turn of the century women breastfeeding their babies over 100 years ago...

As photography became more widely available women would pose for pictures breastfeeding their children

The pictures show new mothers eager to embrace the new technology by capturing the special moments between them and their new babies

This busy mum fed her baby while her other child stared unconvinced at the camera lens

Time out: This mother sat down outside while she nursed her baby with her breast

Proving nothing's changed, this exhausted looking mum took a rest while she fed her baby

Vintage: An impeccably dressed woman enjoys the sunshine while she breastfeeds her baby

Pose: This woman posed for a formal portrait while feeding her young child

The earliest breastfeeding selfies: In a very old photograph this glamorous looking woman wears a white lace veil to feed her child

Way back when: This mother looked totally engrossed in breatfeeding her baby

A mother's love: This intimate-looking picture shows the special bond made by breastfeeding

This mother and baby duo shared a happy moment as they paused for a feed

Breastfeeding didn't become taboo until the 1940s, when women started to cover up during feeds

Retro: This woman looked content as she paused to feed her baby in a vintage photograph

A stern looking woman embraces the new trend for breastfeeding photographs

Glamorous: The old photos show that times and styles may have changed by the bond between mums and babies has always been strong

Busy mum: This mother posed with her affectionate elder child as she breastfed the new baby

Throwback: The pictures also show how fashion and hairstyles have changed over time

This mother looks on proudly as she feeds her baby in an old Victorian photograph

The Victorian era saw developments in different technologies, including in photography

The women would dress up in their finest clothes and pose for very formal photographs while breastfeeding