Mission Statement

The focus of Friends of Breastfeeding is to foster a positive breastfeeding culture in Ireland, to raise awareness about breastfeeding support options and dispel myths surrounding it. Friends of Breastfeeding provides information about different breastfeeding support options, so that mothers can make an informed decision on whom to ask for breastfeeding support. They want to connect with women throughout Ireland who wish to breastfeed but who are unaware of the support and resources that are available to them.

Aims

1.    To highlight/raise awareness about breastfeeding support options.

2.    To raise awareness about how families and communities in Ireland can be supportive of the breastfeeding woman and her baby and foster appreciation for breastfeeding in the community.

3.    To promote the Breastway website and other online resources for information and support for the breastfeeding mother and for health professionals.

4.    To recruit members

5.    To raise our profile – and thus the profile of breastfeeding

6.    To raise public awareness about breastfeeding in order to dispel myths

7.    To work with other breastfeeding-related organisations for maximum effect

8.  To work to improve policies in place relating to breastfeeding in Ireland and ensure they are being enforced

Philosophy

Core Values

1.    A culture that values breastfeeding

2.    A circle of support and encouragement

3.    Breastfeeding information and understanding in the community

4.    Excellence in our healthcare system

5.    Breastfeeding practice recommendations - National and international

6.    Protecting breastfeeding

7.    Valuing Breastmilk

8.  Working towards the Restoration of experience and expertise

9.  Facing Challenges

10. Breastfeeding is beautiful!

11. Overcoming unfamiliarity

A culture that values breastfeeding
Friends of Breastfeeding as an organisation aspires to encourage a culture where breastfeeding is truly valued for its health attributes, its convenience and the special relationship and enjoyment it gives to mothers and babies.

A circle of support and encouragement
Friends of Breastfeeding seeks to build a warm circle of support and encouragement for breastfeeding mothers that includes the support of her family, her friends, her community and Irish society generally so that she can breastfeed and parent with confidence.

Breastfeeding information and understanding
Our members will work towards achieving better sources of breastfeeding information and a greater understanding of its importance amongst the general community. This will include the challenging of common myths and misinformation generated in our culture which has allowed breastfeeding rates to fall to alarmingly low levels over a number of generations. Accurate information, realistic expectations and the skills to overcome common pitfalls will build breastfeeding confidence.

Excellent breastfeeding care in our healthcare system
All mothers are entitled to appropriate expertise and easy access to up-to-date, quality breastfeeding information and support from our healthcare system. A mother's confidence in her ability to meet her baby's need for milk and comfort has a major impact on her breastfeeding and parenting experience.

Breastfeeding practice recommendations - National and international
Friends of Breastfeeding wholeheartedly endorse the recommendation backed by the WHO, the HSE and the Department of Health and Children that recommends exclusive breastfeeding until the baby shows signs of readiness and need for solids, about the middle of the first year after birth and encourages the continuation of breastfeeding until the child weans naturally, whenever that occurs.

Protecting breastfeeding
Our organisation also supports the protection of breastfeeding by the full implementation of the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent relevant resolutions of the World Health Assembly and will work toward its achievement.

Breastmilk
Breastmilk is the ultimate designer baby food. Every mother's breastmilk is tailored uniquely to her own baby's needs at all ages and stages of development that gives the perfect balance of nutrients to ensure optimum growth and development as well as significant protection against illnesses.

Working towards the Restoration of experience and expertise
Friends of Breastfeeding will work toward a future culture in Ireland where a tradition of breastfeeding has been restored where breastfeeding experience and expertise surrounds new mothers, from within their families, among their friends and from their local communities. A tradition that is backed up by the expert and timely support of the health services.

Breastfeeding is beautiful!

Overcoming unfamiliarity

We work in a positive way to address the many social, psychological and cultural barriers to breastfeeding in order to help people in Ireland to overcome unfamiliarity with breastfeeding.