Breastfeeding Buddy System

Are you pregnant or a new breastfeeding mum?

Register for a FoBF Buddy using the form below!

 

The Friends of Breastfeeding Buddy is a volunteer mum in your area who has some personal experience with breastfeeding and who wants to offer support to other breastfeeding mothers. She has some breastfeeding information training but she is not a breastfeeding counsellor or lactation expert, and does not provide lactation advice. In a culture that views breastfeeding as normal, this essential and intrinsic support is usually provided by family and friends but in Ireland, due to our chronic low breastfeeding rates, this culture of breastfeeding support is absent. The FoBF Buddy system aims to fill this gap.

If you sign up for the system and are paired with a FoBF Buddy, she will be available to you over the first 3 months of you and your baby’s breastfeeding journey. She will provide you with literature and information on breastfeeding, and sources of help in your area should you need it. She can visit with you or meet you and provide moral and practical support. She will discuss what to expect of the first few weeks of breastfeeding, assuming normal newborn behaviour. She can accompany you to local breastfeeding support groups, or keep you company the first time you breastfeeding in public. Or she can provide virtual support. It is up to you, and on your terms!

 

So if you are new to breastfeeding, or are planning to breastfeed, and would like to establish a support system, register for a buddy now!

We have FoBF Buddies available for in person support in a number of regions all over the country. Simply click on your county and fill in the application form to be paired with a FoBF Buddy in your locality. If you don’t see your county on the list, simply choose ‘other’ and we will pair you with a FoBF Buddy who can offer virtual support. There are a limited number of buddies in each area, who will be assigned to mums on a first come first served basis. We hope to accommodate everybody, but cannot guarantee this.

If there is anything you would like us to know that might help us pair you with the most suitable FoBF Buddy for you, you can use the optional ‘extra info’ box to do that. For example, if you know you are expecting multiples we can try to pair you with a Buddy who has experience of feeding multiples, or if you would like a Buddy who speaks a particular language. We can’t guarantee we can meet all special requests but we will do our best.

The FoBF Buddy Service is free!

If your area isn’t covered by the Buddy System, why not check our support section to see if there is a FoBF Mum2Mum Group meeting near you?

  • MM slash DD slash YYYY
  • We need it so we can Pair you with your nearest buddy.

 

Friends of Breastfeeding is a registered charity CHY 19054.