Community Healthcare Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo
A very successful coffee morning for HSE led Breastfeeding Support Groups/Breastfeeding Mothers was held in Cavan to mark National Breastfeeding Week.
Over 70 people attended the event in the Errigal Hotel, Cootehill, Co. Cavan. These included a combination of mothers, babies/toddlers, HSE Public Health Nurses, Midwives, and Health Promotion Officers.
This year, the Cavan and Monaghan Hospital and Community Lactation Consultant nursing teams Aileen Doyle, Annemarie Rice and Mairead Mc Cahill collaborated to celebrate National Breast Feeding Week alongside the HSE-led breastfeeding support groups within the two counties. There are a total of six HSE-led breastfeeding support groups in operation in Cavan and Monaghan and can be found in Virginia, Cavan Town, Belturbet, Cootehill, Carrickmacross and Clones.
The Breastfeeding support groups help to normalise breastfeeding whilst supporting mothers to reach their feeding goals. This is achieved through peer support and providing the "village network" that is missing for some mothers as they embark on their mothering and breastfeeding journeys.
The positive impact of the collective support of midwives, PHNs, Lactation Consultants, and breastfeeding peer support groups is being demonstrated throughout Cavan and Monaghan by mothers continuing to breastfeed for longer durations and well into toddlerhood.
This extended breastfeeding has added long-term health benefits for both mother and baby. For the mother it protects against osteoporosis; and reduces the risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, endometrial cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and cardiovascular disease. Breastfeeding is also useful for birth spacing.
Children who breastfed for longer have lower risks of chest, ear, and tummy infections. Research shows that breastmilk contains more antibodies when your child is a toddler and enhances the continued development of the immune system. Contrary to popular opinion, breastfeeding into toddlerhood continues to provide vital nutrition to a child.
In a child’s second year (12 to 23 months), 448mls or 15 ozs of breast milk provides:
- 29% of their energy requirements
- 43% of their protein requirements
- 36% of their calcium requirements
- 75% of their Vitamin A requirements
- 76% of their Folate requirements
- 94% of their Vitamin B12 requirements
- 60% of their Vitamin C requirements
This year’s theme, "Making our communities and workplaces more Breastfeeding Friendly", is supported by recent changes to the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023. The period during which employers must provide new mothers with breastfeeding breaks was recently extended from six months to two years from the date of the child’s birth. Employees can take up to 1 hour of paid time for an eight hour working day.
The "We're Breastfeeding Friendly" Monaghan Initiative was also launched during National Breastfeeding Week. The 'We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Initiative' is funded through the Community Healthcare Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan Sligo (CH CDLMS) and Monaghan Children and Young People’s Services Committee (CYPSC) Healthy Ireland fund.
Supports for mothers beginning breastfeeding and for those who wished to continue on their return to work and beyond were highlighted for HSE National Breastfeeding Week 2023.
This campaign reinforces the theme for National Breastfeeding Week 2023 by helping to improve the health and wellbeing of breastfeeding mothers, babies and their families by encouraging businesses, organisations and communities to become ‘Breastfeeding Friendly’.
Ciara Ní Chionnaith, who is the We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Development worker based in the Teach na Daoine family resource centre, Monaghan, thanked the 70 businesses and community groups/services that have, thus far, signed up for the We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Monaghan Initiative. Teach na Daoine is leading out on this project. Other agencies involved are the Cavan General RCSI Hospital, La Leche League and Healthy Monaghan LCDC.
Last updated on: 19 / 10 / 2023
