The number of babies who were being breastfed at the time of their first public health nurse visit rose by 5% between 2019 and 2021, to 59%, new figures from the HSE have shown.

The figures were highlighted to coincide with National Breastfeeding Week, which runs from October 1-7. The theme of this year’s event is ‘Expert Help for Every Step of the Way’.

While 63% of mothers try breastfeeding as the first feed after birth in hospital, these numbers tend to steadily drop in the days and weeks afterwards. A lack of adequate support is partly to blame, although the HSE has recruited 20 additional infant feeding and lactation posts within nursing and midwifery services to support breastfeeding parents and all 19 maternity hospitals now have a specialist lactation support service available.

More infant feeding/lactation posts are being recruited to ensure nationwide availability within primary care services. Furthermore, following the Covid pandemic, 110 breastfeeding groups have now resumed meeting in person. These are key to providing important peer-to-peer support for parents who choose to breastfeed.

According to Laura McHugh, the HSE’s national breastfeeding coordinator, while breastfeeding rates are increasing nationwide, “we want to continue to build on this progress by supporting every parent who may need help on their breastfeeding journey”.

“I welcome our colleagues taking up the new infant feeding and lactation roles around the country and although not everyone will need their services, their support will make a big difference for parents who do.

“As well as the new posts, we have breastfeeding preparation and antenatal classes, our midwives and public health nurses and a growing number of in-person groups resuming post pandemic. There are also a range of online resources such as our ‘Ask Our Expert’ live chat on mychild.ie,” she explained.

Dundalk mother, Sarah Heaphey, was shocked to go into pre-term labour with her daughter, Annie. After the birth, Ms Heaphey focused on expressing her breastmilk for Annie who was being cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

“I attended an antenatal class in the hospital in January at around 33 weeks during which I learned about breastfeeding and thank God I did as five days later Annie arrived almost seven weeks pre-term.

“Annie had some complications and in the chaos of it all a nurse said to me that the best thing I could do for her was to concentrate on getting my milk for her. It was overwhelming at the beginning but the midwives were so supportive. They sourced me a pump in no time and I was expressing almost straight away,” she explained.

Annie is now aged eight months and is thriving.

“I’m delighted I breastfed for as long as I did and I am certain it benefited her no end. It gave me something to focus on while Annie was in hospital and it was a major way for me to help her,” Ms Heaphey added.

This week, the HSE will be sending out information packs to maternity hospitals and primary care centres nationwide promoting mychild.ie and the message that expert help is available for parents who choose to breastfeed.