Sonia spells out all the best reasons for breastfeeding

OLYMPIC silver medallist and mother of two Sonia O’Sullivan, was so astounded by Ireland’s low breastfeeding rate that she volunteered immediately when asked to support National Breastfeeding Week.

Less than four-in-10 Irish mothers breastfeed their babies, compared to around seven in 10 in Britain and Northern Ireland and just over six in 10 in the US.

For Sonia it was the most natural thing in the world to breastfeed four-year-old Ciara when she was born in London. Her youngest child, Sophie, almost 2, was born in Australia, where almost 90% of babies are breastfed.

Fortunately, Sonia, who wanted to give her children the best from the start, had no difficulty feeding her babies herself. It is estimated that about 2% of mothers cannot breastfeed for medical reasons.

As well as increasing the bond between herself and her daughters, breastfeeding also helped Sonia to get back into shape quickly.

"It was probably easiest and most convenient for us because we were travelling so much. I never really considered anything else as long as they were happy," she said yesterday.

National breastfeeding coordinator Maureen Fallon, was aware that Sonia had breastfed her children and wrote to her personally asking if she would endorse the campaign.

The theme of this year's campaign is Reasons Why Breast is Best and will highlight the numerous health benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and child.

Babies who are breastfed are less likely to be hospitalised with gastroenteritis, chest, ear or urinary infections. Breastfeeding also offers some protection against insulin-dependent diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and allergic condition like asthma and eczema later on in life.

Ms Fallon said almost everybody in Ireland GPs, public health nurses, midwives, grandparents and new parents were coming from a bottle-feeding culture. "The expertise that a new mother needs to breastfeed is lacking at every level. When she experiences difficulties, she is handed a bottle."

She said the challenge now was to re-establish breastfeeding.

"When we get to a critical core number of women breastfeeding, it will sell itself," she said.