Bainne Beatha

10/11/2025

Today marks President Michael D. Higgins’ final day in office. We at Bainne Beatha want to extend our deepest thanks for his and Sabina’s support over the years.

President Higgins has been a true champion for families, community, and care. Michael D and Sabina’s kindness and generosity in welcoming us to Áras an Uachtaráin each year for the Latch On events have meant so much to parents and babies across Ireland.

Go raibh míle maith agat, a Uachtaráin. You leave an extraordinary legacy of empathy and inclusion.

09/10/2025

It was such a privilege to be back at Áras an Uachtaráin for this year’s National Latching On event. We’re deeply grateful to Sabina and President Michael D. Higgins for their consistent hospitality, warmth and support over the years and we wish them all the very best in the next phase of their lives.

At the heart of Bainne Beatha’s research and advocacy is a desire to reduce the very real grief that arises when breastfeeding support is absent, delayed or inadequate in Ireland’s healthcare system.

This morning, we heard from Dr. Ameera Quideh of who has established lifesaving breastfeeding support in Gaza to help protect infants amidst a devastating formula shortage. For mothers there, the absence of breastfeeding support isn’t just a cause of grief, but a matter of life and death.

May our work here continue to honour and stand in solidarity with mothers everywhere who nurture against the odds. 💛

10/12/2024

Congratulations to all our newly elected TDs.

As part of the Parliamentary Subcommittee on Breastfeeding we look forward to working with new and existing faces including our current vice chair Deputy Senator Marie Sherlock , and other committee members including Deputy Emer Currie to continue the fight for improved supports for families who wish to breastfeed.

We are sorry to see Senator Pauline O'Reilly announce that she will not contest future elections. Pauline was one of the earliest champions of the Breastfeeding Subcommittee and has been the driving force behind it since its formation. The breastfeeding community owes a huge debt of gratitude to Pauline for her dedication to improving supports and normalising breastfeeding in society.

We are also sad to see the departure of Violet-Ann Wynne, Anne Rabbitte and Tom Pringle who have been avid supporters of us and changemakers since the start. We also wish Roisin Shorthall all the best in her retirement.

Finally, we wish to extend a thank you to outgoing Health Minister Stephen Donnelly for Wicklow While we may have been persistent with our requests, he listened and supported the programme.

We are not done yet. In order to provide mothers with the support they need, we still need to:

- Double the number of lactation consultants to ensure IBCLC support is available in all maternity hospitals 7 days per week.
- Provide free breast pumps, where needed, to mothers of sick or pre-term babies
- Fully implement the WHO Code on promoting breastmilk alternatives
- Launch a promotion campaign highlighting breastfeeding supports

09/11/2024

We ask all political parties to pledge their commitment to breastfeeding and child health.

Ireland is consistently ranked as one of the countries with the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe. Mothers, babies, children, and families need timely and skilled breastfeeding support.

We want to see breastfeeding on the political agenda and included in the forthcoming Programme for Government.

We're asking all members and friends to discuss the following with the General Election candidates in your constituency. Get the conversation going!



Stephen Donnelly for Wicklow
Simon Harris TD Micheál Martin Mary Lou McDonald - Sinn Féin Roderic O'Gorman TD Ivana Bacik Paul Murphy TD Holly Cairns TD Peadar Tóibín

08/10/2024

We were honoured to be representing Bainne Beatha at this year’s Latching On morning. Thank you to Sabina Higgins for the generous invitation and opportunity to address the room (transcription below).

"A Bhean ui huigin agus a dhaoine uaisle
For those of you who don’t know us, Bainne Beatha started as a grassroots organisation by mothers to improve breastfeeding support within the Irish health services. Under the helm of Deborah Byrne and in partnership with Dr Liz O’Sullivan from TU Dublin, it evolved from a social media campaign to producing peer-reviewed research and meeting with the Health Minister to advocate for improved breastfeeding support services.

Due to a change of membership, the past year saw us focussing on research and continuing political engagement through the Breastfeeding Subcommittee of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, co-authoring the WBTI Ireland report and meeting the Minister of State at the department of Health to discuss improvements to breastfeeding supports. I must acknowledge the huge contribution of Louise Fitzpatrick as our current chair and the face of Bainne Beatha. Also our very close partner Dr Liz O’Sullivan, who is bringing Irish breastfeeding organisations together as one powerful political voice. As Helen Keller said “alone we can do so little, together we can do so much”. I feel there is a bright future ahead for Irish breastfeeding services thanks to the work of many of you in this room. An donas amach is an sonas isteach! Thank you!"

18/09/2024

We are hopeful of breastfeeding supports in Budget 2025, and want to thank Minister and Department of Health officials for meeting with us, the Oireachtas Breastfeeding Committee, this morning. Our group is a collaboration between , and Oireachtas members.

27/05/2024

As we come close to Local Elections 2024, please talk to your candidates about how they can ensure breastfeeding is supported in your community. Along with other breastfeeding organisations, we have compiled the following list of key asks for candidates.

Give your #1 to the candidate who promises to be an advocate and ally for breastfeeding, ensuring an inclusive, supportive environment for all who wish to breastfeed.



UNICEF Ireland Cuidiú Breastfeeding Support La Leche League of Ireland Friends of Breastfeeding Baby Feeding Law Group Ireland ALCI / Association of Lactation Consultants in Ireland

17/03/2024

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all our breastfeeding sssssupporters! ☘️

11/03/2024

We are disappointed by the decision of HSE mychild.ie to stop increasing targets of those who are breastfeeding, as we continue to miss them - the increased rates of breasted babies at 3months indicate that the increased support might be working. Our research shows the need for lactation support within healthcare settings and wider community in order help those who wish to breastfeed. However this is still not universally available and we are concerned that by removing the goal of increased rates, the goal of increased support will be removed too.

Stephen Donnelly for Wicklow

The targets were set out in the national breastfeeding strategy, which has expired.

27/01/2024

Today is the World Breast Pumping Day. 1 in 10 of those who took part in our 2022 study rented a hospital grade pump. While the experience can be extremely stressful for some and pave the way for a premature end to breastfeeding, for others it can be the key that unlocks their breastfeeding journey and / or their only solution to poviding breastmilk to the their baby. We see you and advocate for better suppors for those on a similar journey!

Read more detail of experiences shared with us in our report below:

"I feel exclusively pumping allowed my breastfeeding journey to continue as long as it did."

"There should be more support and information for exclusive pumpers. It's very hard work."

07/01/2024

Today, on Nollaig na mBan, as we take down the Christmas decorations and celebrate all that is great about the women in our lives, let's also celebrate the journeys mothers around us have taken to make the best choices for their children and themselves. We remind our friends, families, politicans, healthcare providers, workplaces and wider society that supporting women in how they choose to feed their babies (and for the majority that choice prenatally is breastfeeding) is a necessity in a functioning society.

31/12/2023

From everyone at Bainne Beatha, we wish you a Happy New Year.

2023 has been an incredibly busy year for us. We have met with Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, President Higgins, his wife Sabina and numerous politicians as part of the Cross Parliamentary Sub Committee on Breastfeeding. Our 2022 report was published in PLOS ONE, a reputable medical journal. We have taken part in the WBTi report, and we have engaged with, and listened to you, our wonderful community of breastfeeding supporters. We have done all of this with a small team, most of whom have been on maternity leave.

A huge thank you to our partner in crime Dr. Liz O'Sullivan, who works tirelessly with us across all initatives, and of course to our breastmate Councillor Deborah Byrne who moved onto pastures new during the year but remains our biggest supporter.

Have a wonderful New Year's celebration, and we look forward to continuing to advocate for increased breastfeeding supports in 2024.