Rebecca O'Donovan, lactation consultant in Cork, says it is very rewarding to see mothers breastfeeding and enjoying their babies
I get up at 6.30am and leave at 7.20pm. I live in Inniskeen, approximately 25 miles from Erinville.
I work between Erinville and St Finbarr's hospital, together called the Unified Maternity Services.
My day is 8am-5pm Monday to Thursday and 8am-1pm on Friday. Monday is practice development day, where I do a lot of clinical work on the wards working with the mothers and as a resource to staff.
Tuesday morning and Wednesday afternoon there are support groups, in Erinville and St Finbarr's respectively. I'm also involved in ante-natal education, usually about two sessions in the month.
The rest of the week I spend on Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative work, educational work, development of guidelines and my colleague and I are also involved in a breastfeeding committee, which usually meets every month or second month.
As well as that, there's the telephone support line, which I man during working hours 8am-5pm Monday to Thursday and 8am-1pm on Friday.
I have a great interest in breastfeeding. I breastfed my two little boys and I just loved it.
I was delighted to be appointed to this job earlier this year because it's what I love doing and it's lovely to be able to enjoy what you're doing.
You are dealing with mums and their babies, dads and grannies and whatever, you're dealing with staff, and you're seeing mums who've been discharged a few weeks ago coming back to the support groups.
You are dealing with mums ante-natally and all the joy and expectation that brings with it.
It's very varied, it's very rewarding and it's lovely to see them coming back and getting settled into breastfeeding and enjoying their babies - that's what it's all about really.
Some days are busier than others. Working between the two hospitals certainly is a challenge, but when you take a break the batteries are recharged.
I might have breakfast in Erinville, particularly on Tuesday mornings.
I was based in St Finbarr's post-natal ward, so when I'm over there I do tend to have lunch with the girls there.
They are women who delivered my babies and I was there when they had theirs, so there's a good bond and a nice friendship there.
It is a lovely working environment where there's such joy and when you work together as a team, it's essential that there's a good working relationship between everybody.
It takes me about 45 minutes to get home in the evenings - we've been blessed with the new Ballincollig bypass and it's made life a lot easier.
My husband, Michael, and my boys Kevin (9) and Gearóid (8) are a great support.
I've worked full-time almost all my married life and the boys are great and very supportive, doing some household chores.
We have a great childminder, Margaret, who minds them two days a week.
I'm very lucky to be able combine work and home in a lovely way.
Telephone support line for Cork service: 021-4921570.
National Breastfeeding Week takes place this week with the theme Breastfeeding: Perfectly Natural. It will be officially opened by the Tánaiste and Minister for Health Mary Harney at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin.