Breastfeeding
Trinity is a Breastfeeding Friendly Campus and supports breastfeeding as a normal way to feed babies. If you would like to get involved in making Trinity more supportive of breastfeeding, email Martina on health.promotion@tcd.ie.
Breastfeeding Group in Trinity
La Leche League with the support of the Healthy Trinity, Breastfeeding Committee and Catering run a coffee morning in Trinity. Details below:
What is the group?
Elizabeth McCarthy Quinn, a La Leche League Leader and PhD student in Trinity, will facilitate this group as part of her work with La Leche League. The format is an informal group of parents meeting and chatting, all of whom have breastfeeding in common. Elizabeth has vast experience of supporting breastfeeding mothers and is available for those who need support.
Where and When is the group?
Venue 1: The Pavilion Bar, College Green Campus. Tea/coffee/food are available for purchase.
Time: 10.30am to 12.30
Dates: 1st Thursday of every month
Venue 2: Institute of Population Health, Tallaght, Russell Building, Tallaght Cross West, Dublin. D24 DH74
Post-Grad Room 5.05, Floor 5
Time: 11am-1pm
Dates: 3rd Thursday of every month
Who can attend?
All are welcome. That includes students and staff of Trinity as well as people from outside Trinity. Some people will be breastfeeding mothers, some will be expectant mothers and some will be people who support breastfeeding.
How do I get involved?
Come along on the day, email Elizabeth on quinneliz@gmail.com or Martina on health.promotion@tcd.ie.
Updates
To receive regular updates about Trinity's La Leche League coffee morning like this page.
To receive Healthy Trinity updates, like this page.
Breastfeeding Rooms in Trinity
Main Campus:
Trinity staff and students can use the following rooms for breastfeeding or expressing milk:
- Room Room B119 in the TBSI. This is a shared resource which is used for Nursing mothers, Phlebotomy, and a Sick Bay. Keys can be signed out from attendants at reception. Ask at reception for the key and you will need your Trinity ID to enter the room. If you would like to ring security to confirm the room is available (though that's not necessary), call 01 896 3989. The room is available in the evenings and at weekends.
- Room 1.12 in D’Olier Street is available. Open from 7.30am to 6.15pm on weekdays. Ask at reception and they will welcome you. If you would like to call them (though that's not necessary) their number is 01 896 3891.
- College Day Nursery: If your child is in the Day Nursery, you can feed or express milk there.
Tallaght Hospital
Trinity Enterprise Centre: There is no dedicated space in the Trinity Education Centre for Breastfeeding but they are very supportive of breastfeeing and with a little notice will ensure a private room is available. Please email or phone Damian O’Connor on oconnd20@tcd.ie / 01 896 3817
The Main Hospital: A room in Parent Accommodation is used for breastfeeding in Tallaght Hospital. Marian Connolly is the contact for breastfeeding spaces. You can email Marian on Marian.Connolly@amnch.ie or if you call the hospital, her bleep code is 7304.
Trinity Policies that Support Breastfeeding
Support for student breastfeeding is expressed in Trinity's Policy on Supports for Student Parents, Student Carers and Students Experiencing Pregnancy. It states that Trinity is a Breastfeeding Friendly Campus.
Staff who are breastfeeding can take one hour per working day to breastfeed/express. Although the law requires this entitlement up until a child is six months, Trinity so supports breastfeeding, that this arrangement is applied for as long as the working mother chooses or until the child is two years old.
We're looking for Breastfeeding Champions
The Healthy Trinity: Breastfeeding Committee is piloting the implementation of the School of Nursing and Midwifery's Breastfeeding Policy in selected Schools/Offices in Trinity.
A copy of the School of Nursing and Midwifery's policies are below.
Staff Policy: download here
Student Policy: download here
Would you be willing to be the key contact in your School or workplace and to champion the implementation of the policy there? If so please contact Professor Louise Gallagher in the School of Nursing & Midwifery on louise.gallagher@tcd.ie.
Non-Trinity Support Organisations
Everyone tells you breast is best but where do you go to get the support you will need to establish and continue feeding? The list below may help or you can email us here in College Health on health.promotion@tcd.ie.
Trinity Based Lactation Consultation
Elizabeth McCarthy Quinn is a research fellow in Trinity who offers lactation consultations. More information is available on her website. http://breastfeedingmothers.org/about/
La Leche League
A voluntary organisation that provides information and support to women who want to breastfeed their babies. They hold regular support groups. A list of the groups is available here: https://www.lalecheleagueireland.com/groups/. La Leche League also provide telephone support. If you're having difficulty or are feeling like you need support, we strong recommend you call them.
Cuidiu, the Irish Childbirth Trust
See the list of local branches for parenting and breastfeeding support in at www.cuidiu.ie. They run general parenting support groups as well as having breastfeeding support volunteers.
Public Health Nurses
Your local Public Health Nurse may run a breastfeeding group in your area. Ask in the hospital or when your public health nurse visits you after your baby is born. This list of health centres that may run breastfeeding is available here.
Useful Websites
www.breastfeeding.ie – HSE website on breastfeeding
www.rollercoaster.ie – Forum for new parents
www.askdrsears.com/topics/breastfeeding - Parenting website from America
Song for a Fifth Child
by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton
Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing and butter the bread,
Sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I’ve grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren’t her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
For children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.
Appendix A
List of Cuidiú branches - Please note contact details change regularly due to the voluntary nature of Cuidiu. Use the details below but they may need to redirect you.
Athlone branch
Covers Athlone and all surrounding towns and villages
Co-ordinator Caitriona Manser 087 6960853
Carlow Group
Covers Carlow and surrounding areas
Contact Sinead Mead 085 7071359
Cork branch
Covers Cork, Carrigaline and Midleton
Co-ordinator Aoife Bhreatnach 087 1355649 or 021 4295904 http://www.cuidiucork.net/
Drogheda group
Covers Louth, Meath area - Drogheda, Slane, Garristown, Dundalk, Navan and surrounding areas.
Co-ordinator Sofia Khokhar 087 7903033
Dublin North County Branch
Covers Dublin North County, including Howth, Portmarnock, Malahide, Swords, Donabate, Lusk, Rush, Skerries and west to Ashbourne
Co-ordinator Eleanor McQuinn 086 3285780
Dublin North East Branch
Covers East Wall, Fairview, Marino, Donnycarney, Clontarf, Raheny, Bayside, Sutton, Howth, Portmarnock, Santry, Killester, Baldoyle, Artane, Beaumont, North Strand, Whitehall, Griffith Avenue.
Co-ordinator Fiona Peacham 086 862 8896 cuidiu.dne@gmail.com
Dublin North West branch
Covers Cabra, Stoneybatter, NCR (D7), Navan Road, Blanchardstown, Castleknock, Clonsilla, Drumcondra, Glasnevin, Phibsborough, Broadstone & parts of Finglas, Whitehall, Beaumont & Clonee Co.Meath.
Co-ordinator Georgie Kavanagh Hoff 087 237 8984
Dublin South East branch
Covers areas south of the city e.g. Sandymount, Donnybrook - along the coast as far as Loughlinstown/Shankill and inland as far as Sandyford, Leopardstown, Stillorgan.
For all Branch contacts and events go to http://www.cuidiudse.ie/
Dublin South West branch
Covers Dundrum, Lucan, Leixlip, Rathfarnham, Knocklyn, Terenure, Firhouse, Lucan, Tallaght, Tempelogue, Maynooth, Mountmellick and all surrounding areas
Co-Ordinator AnnMaire O'Keefe 085 2773191
Enniscorthy branch
Covers the area of Enniscorthy town and surrounding areas
Co-ordinator Anne Marie Roche 086 8180699 or 053 9239828
Kilkenny branch
Covers the area of Kilkenny town and surrounding areas
Co-ordinator Lucy Glendenning 056 771 2878
Mullingar branch
Covers Mullingar, Delvin, Castlepollard, Kells, Tyrrellspass, Multyfarnham, Streamstown, Lonford and surrounding areas
Co-ordinator Ruth Rooke 087 1210247
North Wicklow branch
Covers Bray, Shankhill, Greystones, Delgany, Ashford, Glenealy, Kilcoole, Kilbride, Kilquade, Rathdrum, Inch, Gorey, Arklow, Aughrim and surrounding areas
Co-ordinator Paula Ryan 086 0238335
Waterford branch
Covers Waterford city and surrounding areas
Co-ordinator Marie Keating 051 380669
Contact for South Tipperary and South Kilkenny Wendy Micklis 087 6125918
Wexford Branch
Covers Wexford town, Castlebridge and surrounding areas
Co-ordinator Mathew Brophy 087 1501895