We're Breastfeeding Friendly Leitrim

25/05/2026

Try out a FREE music class with your toddler on Monday May 25th from 10.15am -11am at The Bee Park Community Centre Manorhamilton & secure a place for our 4 week term!

25/05/2026

Breastfeeding during warmer days?

Here are some expert tips to ensure both you and your baby stay comfortable and hydrated:

✅ Feed more frequently: babies may want to nurse more often to stay hydrated.
✅ Dress lightly: wear loose, breathable clothing, and dress your baby in lightweight fabrics to prevent overheating.
✅ Stay hydrated: drink plenty of water throughout the day to maintain milk supply and personal comfort.
✅ Choose cool, shaded spots: opt for well-ventilated areas to feed, avoiding direct sunlight.
✅ Use a muslin cloth: place it between you and your baby during feeds to reduce skin-to-skin contact and minimise sweating.
✅Watch for signs of overheating: be alert to symptoms like flushed skin, rapid breathing, or fussiness, and move to a cooler environment if needed.

For more detailed guidance, visit the NCT's hot weather tips: https://bit.ly/3IZYHjM

25/05/2026

People love to say breastfeeding moms are “doing too much” until they see a photo like this and suddenly realize:

Women have been surviving on strength nobody fully talks about.

This mom is running an ultramarathon. Breastfeeding her baby. Eating watermelon with one hand. Probably dehydrated. Probably overstimulated. Probably running on three collective hours of sleep and a nervous system held together by caffeine and instinct.

And somehow society still treats motherhood like it’s not physically demanding.

Breastfeeding alone burns hundreds of calories a day. Your body is literally producing human tissue, immune support, hormones, hydration, antibodies, comfort, regulation, and nutrition in real time. Add sleep deprivation, healing, carrying babies, mental load, and trying to remain a functioning human?

Honestly mothers are out here performing biological extreme sports daily and people still call it “just staying home with the baby.”

The female body is unreal. Not perfect. Not effortless. Not always magical.

But unreal.

And if you’ve ever breastfed while eating cold food over your baby’s head like a raccoon in survival mode…

you saw this picture and felt it in your soul.

25/05/2026

💜💜💜

25/05/2026

25/05/2026

✨ NORTH WEST FAMILIES — THIS IS YOUR SIGN 💚💜 ✨

Our updated Bloom Baby timetable is here… and these are our final classes before the summer break 🌼

These sessions are for everyone in your baby’s world — mums, dads, grannies, aunties, and all caregivers are so welcome 🤍

Expect gentle sensory play, music, bonding, and developmental support — all in a calm, friendly space where you and your little one can truly enjoy the moment together 💫

📍 Locations & Schedule:
Monday — Ballina (Sean Duffy Community Centre)
✨ 3-week term starting 8th June

Tuesday — Sligo (Kid’s Connect)
✨ 3-week term starting 2nd June

Wednesday — Bundoran Community Centre

Thursday — Carrick-on-Shannon (Breffni FRC)
✨ Busy Bees @ 10am
✨ Caterpillar Club @ 11am

Classes are intentionally kept small to protect that relaxed, personal feel 🤍

Ballina families — this term will only go ahead with enough interest, so if you’ve been thinking about joining, now is the time to book 💫

💻 Book now via the link in my bio or:
https://www.bloombabyclasses.com/north-west-ireland/

20/05/2026

We are delighted to announce the 2026 launch of My Little Library.
From the 8th of May 2026, all children completing the ECCE programme and starting primary school are invited to visit their local library and pick up a free book bag to support the transition to big school.
The bags will be available throughout the summer.
All families are warmly welcomed to join the library if they aren’t already members.
The books and resources in the book bag support parents and their children in the transition to primary school. The bag contains books for the children to keep, with topics such as starting school, making friends and big emotions. It also has some very useful information for parents on supporting that start in primary school and what’s on offer at each local library. Please see attached poster and QR codes.
The Department of Children, Disability and Equality run a transitions campaign every summer aimed at families of young children starting pre-school or school. For more information go to
https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/my-little-library/

20/05/2026

After the article in the Economist, there is a lot of talk about low supply.

Many people cite low supply as a reason why they stopped breastfeeding. And yes, there are some who can not make a full milk supply. The article suggests it's up to 20%. Other research suggests it's more like 5%. The truth is it is difficult to measure as so few new mums receive the support they need to establish a good supply at the start, and this can have a big impact on long-term milk production. You can, however, still breastfeed without a full milk supply! I will share more on that and how to tell you if you have a supply issue later.

For now, here is a post on the things that people often think might be low supply, but are actually completely normal newborn newborn behaviour.

1 - YOUR BABY IS FEEDING FREQUENTLY
3 hourly is often what we are told, but in reality that is the minimum a baby should be fed. Most babies prefer to feed more frequently. Babies love to cluster feed! At night, to start with and in the evenings and early mornings a few weeks down the line.

2 - YOUR BABY WAKES IN THE NIGHT
Night waking is normal. There are many periods during the first year and beyond where babies wake more, and others when they sleep a little better. This is not to do with milk production, but baby development.

3 - YOU HAVE SMALL BREASTS
Size doesn't matter. Its not what they look like but how much milk making tissue they contain, and you can't tell that from looking.

4 - YOU ARE NOT LEAKING
Some people leak. Others leak just in the early weeks. Others don't leak at all. It's nothing to do with milk production.

5 - YOUR BREASTS FEEL SOFT
Once your milk production has regulated after the first few weeks, it is totally normal for your breasts to no longer feel firm or full. A soft breast is a healthy breast.

6 - YOU CAN'T FEEL THE LET-DOWN
Some people feel their milk ejection reflex, others don't. But you can see it in your baby's feeding pattern from fast light sucks to slow deep sucks.

7 - YOU CANNOT PUMP MUCH MILK
The amount you can pump is no indication of what the baby can get.

8 - YOUR BABY WILL ALWAYS TAKE A BOTTLE
A bottle teat is a hard stimulus into the roof of the mouth. A baby has to suck it as it is a reflex. Bottles flow fast, so baby will take some milk. It's their reflexes feeding.

9 - YOUR BABY IS HAVING SHORT FEEDS
Some babies are efficient and some people have a fast flow.

10 - YOU CAN'T PUT YOUR BABY DOWN
Babies really do settle better in someone's arms. This is where they feel safe, warm and secure. We are carry mammal and designed to carry our babies all the time. When babies find themselves on their own, they call out so they do not get eaten by a predator. And they may as well have another feed to settle.

Do any of these surprise you?
Do you always question your supply?

20/05/2026

New baby sing along sessions starting 25th of May in Manorhamilton. See details below