Long-term breastfeeding poses many challenges — but help is out there

It's recommended women breastfeed for the first two years or more of their baby's life, so they both can enjoy the health benefits. But without the right supports in place, the numbers who do so are likely to remain low  

Ireland's breastfeeding rates remain among the lowest globally. 

Ireland's breastfeeding rates remain among the lowest globally. 

“The latest Irish statistics from the HSE (2019) reveal that most women in Ireland are choosing to breastfeed their babies, with the majority having breastmilk as their first feed (64%),” says Lynn Carroll, La Leche League Leader. “However, the numbers exclusively breastfeeding drop dramatically by the time they are discharged from our maternity hospitals (45.7%), and by three months are only 31%. Unfortunately, there are no up-to-date published statistics to show how long babies in Ireland are being breastfed past the three-month mark.”