Breastfeeding week celebrated

COLOSTRUM HARVESTING HELPS MUMS GET OFF TO BETTER START

Sligo mum Katie Loftus and baby Louis

An initiative at Sligo University Hospital to help breastfeeding mothers was launched to coincide with National Breastfeeding Week

SLIGO ANNOUNCES ITS PLAN TO BECOME MORE BREASTFEEDING FRIENDLY

Sabina Higgins; Marla Kennedy, CMM2 Antenatal Education, Sligo University Hospital; and Meena Purushothaman, HSE Assistant National Breastfeeding Coordinator.

The antenatal education team in Sligo University Hospital are distributing Colostrum Harvesting Packs to pregnant women as a way to increase breastfeeding initiation rates. The packs, which were launched by breastfeeding advocate Sabina Higgins, contain storage syringes, labels and an information leaflet with a link to an information video. The video instructs women on how to hand express, collect and store colostrum which is so beneficial for newborn health.

Women who can express and store colostrum before their baby is born will have the peace of mind of knowing that if they have to be separated from their baby immediately after the birth, their baby will still have a supply of breastmilk and the risk of supplementing with formula is reduced. Antenatal expressing of colostrum can assist in the promotion of successful, exclusive breastfeeding for women and their babies.

Colostrum is produced at around 20 weeks of gestation and it is generally safe for women express colostrum at either 38 weeks or two weeks from their expected delivery date. It is normal to express tiny amounts of colostrum but it has immense health benefits for women and their babies for the rest of their lives.

In launching the packs, Marla Kennedy CMM2 Antenatal Education, Sligo University Hospital, said, “In our hospital we believe that empowering, enabling and protecting the breastfeeding journey is of the upmost importance. Breastfeeding comforts a new baby and also helps prevent against common infection and illness. We are delighted to make Colostrum Harvesting Packs available to women attending Sligo University Hospital and we encourage pregnant women to come to a breastfeeding preparation class where our midwifes and lactation specialists will answer any questions you have.”

An exciting new initiative, Sligo’s ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly’ was launched to coincide with National Breastfeeding Week. Breastfeeding publically in Ireland is protected by law and no person or premises can deny you the right to feed your child. ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly’ Sligo aims to improve the health and wellbeing of breastfeeding mothers, babies and their families by encouraging businesses, organisations and communities to go the extra mile and become even more ‘Breastfeeding Friendly'. Speaking at the launch, Katie Loftus, a breastfeeding mother from Sligo, welcomed the initiative. “I’m really pleased that Sligo Town and County have adopted this campaign. This is a hugely positive and progressive move and it makes me much more confident that I can feed anywhere when I am out and about with my baby,” said Katie. This sentiment was echoed by another breastfeeding mum, Lorna Hanmore, also from Sligo, who said, “It’s so important for mothers to see other mums breastfeeding, to make this normal.” By signing up to ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Sligo’, private, community and statutory organisations across Sligo can show they welcome and support breastfeeding by some easy and zero-cost actions. Any business, community group or organisation that has premises open to the general public is eligible to join. Hotels, community centres, sports and recreation facilities, cafes, restaurants, libraries or health centres can all fall under the breastfeeding friendly banner.

BELOW: Maeve Whittington, Breastfeeding Friendly Steering Group; Liz King, Steering Group; Liz Martin, Steering Group; Cara O’Neill, HSE Head of Health and Wellbeing CHO1; Frank Feighan, Minister of State for Public Health, Wellbeing & the National Drugs Strategy; Kate Donnelly, Steering Group; Sarah Murphy, Project Coordinator.