I'm a new mum - and forcing mothers to pay for breastfeeding help is unacceptable

Sports star turned TV presenter and new mum, Anna Geary, was one such influencer who spoke recently about getting the help of a private lactation consultant. Anna pointed out in the post that just because breastfeeding is a natural thing, doesn’t mean it’s easy.

“Don’t be afraid to seek help - like from a credible lactation consultant,” said Anna.

There’s nothing new in the statement that breastfeeding is not easy. Perhaps there’s an illusion that it might be easy but it’s hard. For mums feeding their babies and the HSE spending millions on marketing the message that ‘breastfeeding is best’ should it not be the case that free support should be provided when it is needed?

The hiring of a lactation consultant could cost a new mum around €250 per visit. This is big money and begs the question as to why there is such a lack of investment in providing the support of a lactation consultant in maternity hospitals.

As someone who had their third baby recently and their first nine years ago, very little has changed when it comes to the drastic lack of support offered to new mums in maternity hospitals.

This time around, in CUMH, I joked with one of the nurses a few hours after giving birth that it would probably be easier to have the Pope visit me than a lactation consultant. 

I was under no illusions that I wouldn’t get a visit from one of the lactation consultants that the HSE say are in every maternity ward in the country. 

I remembered nine years previous when in Holles Street in Dublin and had no idea how to breastfeed but really wanted to how hard it was to get support. 

Sure, the midwives were great but they are also there to take your blood pressure, administer drugs, help with baby. The list goes on. They are not solely focused on helping new mums breastfeed but the lactation consultants are. 

Naively I asked could I see one after my first baby. I’m still waiting to see her. I was in hospital that time for five days and didn’t get one visit. When I had my second baby, two years later, I asked again. No visit. 

This time around I knew there would be a lack of support in the hospital. Instead I paid €400 for advice from a private lactation consultant who visited my house a few times.

A survey was conducted among new mums by a group called Bainne Beatha and the top roadblock mentioned by the mums surveyed was the lack of support they received in hospital. They pointed out that that was the biggest barrier to breastfeeding.

Over a third of the women surveyed said midwives were too busy to help them with breastfeeding and 60% of women spent an average of €440 to get help with breastfeeding by hiring a private lactation consultant or buying other items like breast pumps or having a tongue tie procedure. 

The group have at the top of their list the need for more lactation consultants to be available in maternity hospitals 24 hours a day.

Maria O’Sullivan is a lactation consultant and mother of three, based in Cork. She said that she agrees with this call and said that what is really needed for new mums is 24 hour access to a lactation consultant in maternity wards.

“I don’t think it’s as simplistic as the lack of lactation consultants in the hospitals. There is a lot of ongoing work to provide more in the hospital and the community settings which is great by the HSE. 

"Unfortunately most of the hospital posts are Monday to Friday and babies don’t stop arriving at the weekend. These early days are crucial to establishing breastfeeding and supply and if the support isn’t there it can be very difficult on the families.

" Likewise it can be difficult on the lactation consultants arriving in on Monday to so many mothers needing so much support.” 

The HSE pointed out that there are now 57 lactation consultants in maternity settings, which they say is double what was there in 2021. 

Not exactly something to be proud of when according to the CSO around 1,100 babies are born each week in Ireland. That’s a lot of people needing support and that support should be there for them if the HSE is encouraging mums to breastfeed.

Breastfeeding is an acquired skill and it was by far the hardest part of the new baby phase for me. However it was also one of my favourite parts. I loved feeding but was terrified. Even on my third baby.

Maternity wards need more lactation consultants. The public health nurse can be a good support but they are also run off their feet. I was one of the lucky ones as I had amazing support from my mum. Not everyone will have that and the stats speak for that.