Laois locals shine at La Leche League Ireland’s 60th anniversary
Pictured (L-R): Lynn Carroll, co-area coordinator of LLL Ireland leaders, 'half a millionth mum' Joanna Murnaghan, and Heather Rice, artist and LLL leader Portlaoise. Picture courtesy of La Leche League Ireland.
LA LECHE League (LLL), the international breastfeeding information and support organisation, recently celebrated 60 years since the formation of its Irish branch at an annual conference held in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Blanchardstown.
The conference took place between 6-8 March. Laois-based LLL volunteers and local leaders Jenna Healy and Heather Rice played major roles in the conference; Jenna acted as conference organiser while Heather, who is an artist, created textile banners for two conference podiums.
Heather also painted a scene of a mother sat beneath a tree, breastfeeding her baby. This was presented to Joanna Murnaghan, who was acknowledged as the ‘half a millionth mum’ to avail of LLL’s support.
Heather has been a member of the LLL for the past 30 years. When she had her first child, she experienced some difficulties breastfeeding. She sought help through LLL.
“I got support,” she says, adding: “It was like finding my tribe, finding my people, the philosophy and the support of La Leche League, I found wonderful”.
“That's why I'm still there helping others 30 years on,” she continues.
LLL is run by accredited volunteers. There are six leaders in Laois alone, including Heather and Jenna.
Members meet regularly through meetings and coffee mornings. Says Heather: “If a mum comes with a bump or a baby, whatever stage they're at, we look after whatever their needs are first, and then we just keep the philosophy going by doing a series of meetings.” At the coffee mornings, she says, “our moms can just drop in and get any questions they have answered, meet others, get support and help.” On the fourth Tuesday of each month, Heather and one of her co-leaders run an online all-Ireland group for people nursing babies over nine months.
The World Health Organization recommends continual breastfeeding for up to two years, stating that infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, followed by continued breastfeeding alongside a complementary diet until the age of two or beyond.
This means that many mothers will be breastfeeding as they return to work. The online group was established to support these parents, says Heather. “It's a special group because not everybody will know someone else at that stage near them.”
Heather says she has probably helped over 1000 mothers since she has joined, and in the digital age, support can be offered at any time of the day.
“We do phone help. We'll do home visits if needed and try to get moms to come to meeting if they can … In the modern world we do video calls if that's easier than doing a phone call … [We use] WhatsApp and Messenger and Instagram.
“When I started, we had landlines and physical meetings and post, now we have the World Wide Web, so it's a different universe.” The Minister of Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, attended the anniversary conference and closed proceedings by congratulating LLL and thanking the group for 60 years of service.
LLL Portlaoise has been operating since 1989. The group meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 10am in the Treo Nua Resource Centre in Portlaoise.
