Bainne Beatha

After a difficult experience accessing breastfeeding support when having her son, Deborah soon discovered that there were wider systemic issues at play within the Irish maternity system. She got to work with Lucia Prihodova, Megan Etherton and Felicienne and the campaign for improved breastfeeding support, 'Bainne Beatha' was born. With two reports under their belt, including one conducted in partnership with TU Dublin which investigated the experiences of 5,400+ parents across Ireland, Bainne Beatha has presented to the Health Oireachtas Committee and driven the founding of the first ever Parliamentary Breastfeeding Committee. 

In 2021 they secured a commitment from the Minister for Health for €1.58m in funding to ensure all maternity units had lactation consultants, where previously, there had been several maternity units in Ireland without any at all.

While the struggle to secure adequate support for those who choose breastfeeding remains ongoing, Bainne Beatha, with the addition of two new team members in Louise Fitzpatrick and Catie Wilson, remains steadfast in their goal to ensure that all those who wish to breastfeed in Ireland, receive the support they need.

#supportisbest