An art exhibition opens in Dublin tonight which aims to normalise images of breastfeeding.
Dr Afif El Khuffash, a neonatologist and lactation consultant at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin, is also a visual artist and his latest exhibition, entitled 'Fighting the Breastfeeding Stigma through Art' features images of women breastfeeding their babies.
Dr El Khuffash says some mothers say they are still asked to breastfeed in private and what he wants to demonstrate is that breastfeeding a baby is natural and should be celebrated.
Ireland still has low rates of breastfeeding compared with other countries and as well as visibiity, Dr El Khuffash says mothers need lots of other supports, both from midwives in hospitals and in the community after they are discharged.
The exhibition also supports 'PumpPal', an organisation set up by Jan Lane Martin whose second child Caleb was diagnosed with heart problems by Dr El Khuffash at just two days old.
She then had to pump milk for her newborn and found she didn't have a lot of the equipment needed to do so.
When Caleb was discharged, she devised the 'PumpPal' kit to help other parents in her situation.
The kit includes snacks, a sleep mask and ear plugs, a freezer bag and equipment to clean the pump and is being made available in hospitals that care for sick and premature babies.
This exhibition opens at the Copper House Gallery in Dublin tonight and runs until next Thursday to coincide with World Breastfeeding Week.
