HSE staff recently gathered at a Waterford award-winning mural to highlight the importance of breastfeeding. The ‘Annabelle and Billy’ mural in Ballybricken, completed by London-based French street artist Zabou, is on the gable end of Mulligan’s Pharmacy, at the junction of Ballybricken Green and St Patrick’s Terrace in the town.

It was commissioned through Waterford Walls, a project that impacts communities through artistic collaborations, and it was successful in winning the Media Feature Art Work Of The Year category at the Friends of Breastfeeding annual awards ceremony earlier this year.

The project was initiated by the Breastfeeding Friendly Waterford Interagency Working Group. Participants in the group include the HSE, Waterford City and County Council, the Sláintecare Waterford Healthy Communities Initiative, Cuidiú (parent-to-parent breastfeeding support group), Réalta Centre for Arts and Health, Waterford Libraries, Autism Friendly Waterford and the Children and Young Peoples Services Committee Waterford.

Brianna Connaughton, HSE Health Promotion and Improvement Officer, who chairs the Breastfeeding Friendly Waterford Interagency Working Group, explained how the Ballybricken mural delivers a “powerful health and wellbeing message for everyone,” adding that she is “thrilled that its significance as a public art installation has been recognised in a national awards scheme.”

Maeve Roche, Clinical Nurse Manager 2, Infant Feeding and Lactation, added that the mural “ties in with the HSE’s own 2024 national breastfeeding message of supporting you from bump to baby and beyond. It is important to remember that there are numerous breastfeeding support resources available throughout Waterford, including support groups in Cappoquin, Dungarvan, Tramore and in Waterford City. And of course, they are available nationally too.”

According to Grace Walsh, Clinical Nurse Manager 2, Early Transfer Home Scheme and Outreach, for anyone interested, expert advice is “available at all times from the HSE by way of the My Child website, featuring a guide to pregnancy, baby and toddler health, trusted information from experts, and information on and contact details for health services and support.”

Speaking at the mural in recent days, Claire Bulfin, Lactation Consultant, University Hospital Waterford, stressed how “improving breastfeeding rates will help to improve long-term population health. Breastfeeding supports your child’s health now and over the long term. It’s also important for mothers too, supporting their recovery after birth and reducing their risk of breast cancer and diabetes.”

She concluded that she would “encourage mothers to attend breastfeeding classes and get advice for their own situation in the antenatal period, to prepare them for what to expect in the early days and weeks. The most rewarding part of my job is seeing mums surprise themselves at how well they do, gaining confidence with every feed and enjoying breastfeeding their baby.”