Breastfeeding is tricky to talk about, but we must show support

New mothers don’t need your judgement on how they feed their babies, but if they do decide they want to breastfeed they need your support

Women who don’t get to breastfeed as long as they wanted to miss out on a lower risk of some cancers, including breast.

Breastfeeding can be a tricky subject to talk about. In Ireland, most new mums now want to breastfeed. Unfortunately, many of us don’t get the support we need to get started and keep going for as long as we want.

This might look like not enough practical help in hospital or at home, discomfort of others who aren’t used to seeing breastfeeding, or even outright criticism from influential people around new mums — including partners, grandparents, employers and society at large.