Áine, RGN, RM, DipHE, Specialist Neonatal Nurse, IBCLC is passionate about supporting families to build close and loving relationships with their babies and feels very strongly about helping them reach their Infant feeding goals.

She has worked as an RGN, RM, Neonatal Charge Nurse and Infant feeding Co-ordinator in London for over 30 years having recently returned to the Sligo area. After becoming a mother to Maitiú over 16 years ago her passion for breastfeeding increased. She went on to become an IBCLC and played a key role in bringing a London Hospital to Baby Friendly Accreditation and subsequent reaccreditation.

She’s been involved in the implementation of family integration care in the NICU. Carrying out regular audits, staff education, infant feeding family classes, developing policies and procedures to include a DEBM Policy are some of the things she’s been doing.

Supporting women to exclusively express for their preterm or ill babies until then can transition to the breast is what she’s worked on for many years, using DEBM as a bridge in the early days. Closeness and skin to skin are an integral part of this care.