Galway hosts events for National Breastfeeding Week
The HSE will host a series of community sessions across Galway during National Breastfeeding Week, offering guidance and support to new parents. Breastfeeding rates have risen to 65.8% at birth and 51.5% at three months, reflecting growing uptake.
Source:
HSE — Health Service Executive
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⏱️ 2 min read
The Health Service Executive is set to run a programme of events across Galway from 1 to 7 October as part of National Breastfeeding Week. The theme, “Every step forward: Strengthening support for babies and families”, underscores the value of timely information and specialist assistance for families embarking on a breastfeeding journey.
More than six in ten Irish babies are now breastfed at birth, with the proportion climbing from 63.8% in 2019 to 65.8% in 2025. At three months, 51.5% of infants are still receiving breastmilk, up from 35.4% in 2015. The HSE has bolstered its support network with 60 specialist infant‑feeding staff, community groups, post‑natal hubs and the National Infant Feeding Education Programme, which has trained 805 healthcare professionals over the past two years. Frances Burke, a lactation nurse at Tuam and Shantalla Primary Care Centres, stresses that “every drop of breastmilk promotes health for mother and baby” and encourages mothers to seek help when challenges arise. Ruth, a mother who used the Shantalla clinic, credits the service with enabling her to breastfeed exclusively for five months and giving her the confidence to continue.
Families can discover local sessions, online resources and the “Ask our breastfeeding expert” service via mychild.ie. The HSE also invites parents to share their experiences through the infant‑feeding survey on the same site, which has already gathered over 2,100 responses to inform future service improvements.
More than six in ten Irish babies are now breastfed at birth, with the proportion climbing from 63.8% in 2019 to 65.8% in 2025. At three months, 51.5% of infants are still receiving breastmilk, up from 35.4% in 2015. The HSE has bolstered its support network with 60 specialist infant‑feeding staff, community groups, post‑natal hubs and the National Infant Feeding Education Programme, which has trained 805 healthcare professionals over the past two years. Frances Burke, a lactation nurse at Tuam and Shantalla Primary Care Centres, stresses that “every drop of breastmilk promotes health for mother and baby” and encourages mothers to seek help when challenges arise. Ruth, a mother who used the Shantalla clinic, credits the service with enabling her to breastfeed exclusively for five months and giving her the confidence to continue.
Families can discover local sessions, online resources and the “Ask our breastfeeding expert” service via mychild.ie. The HSE also invites parents to share their experiences through the infant‑feeding survey on the same site, which has already gathered over 2,100 responses to inform future service improvements.
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