Sunday isn't officially a working day for me, but I do end up getting plenty of phone-calls from people looking for advice. I teach an eight-week antenatal class for Cuidiu Irish Childbirth Trust (it means warm caring circle of support) on Tuesday evenings, and one of those classes is devoted to the topic of breastfeeding.

We do actively promote [it] but for the most part we're preaching to the converted.

Although it's the most natural thing in the world, it's not always the easiest for a new mother to master.

Great in theory but not always in practice!

Cuidiu is a national organisation, which runs Humpty Dumpty clubs and Bumps and Babes classes as well as the antenatal programme. That's how I got involved initially; I used to go to one of the groups in Bray when I had my first child and I got so much out of it I thought I should start to give something back. I trained for about two years, one Saturday a month, to become an antenatal teacher and breastfeeding counsellor and I still go to regular study days so that my skills stay up to date. You wouldn't think that things would change as much as they do. I get paid for the classes that I teach but it is really a voluntary group and the counselling that I provide is free. Most of the calls are new mothers worried that their baby isn't getting enough to eat. It's the thing that everybody worries about with breastfeeding but there are ways of telling . . . wet nappies, bright eyes, the fact that the baby's content and happy and not bawling its head off!

The other common problems are blocked ducts, mastitis, thrush, weaning and going back to work.

We're trained not to give advice but to make suggestions instead. Megan laughs at me when I'm on the phone because I'll be describing a technique and demonstrating it on myself.

"They can't see you, Mum, " she says.

I've really noticed that the age of first time mothers has increased. Most of the people who come to my classes are in their thirties and until they have their babies they really don't know their neighbours.

They're career women who work hard and keep themselves to themselves when they have downtime.

It can be a real shock to find themselves at home with no one to talk to when they bring the baby home. A lot of the calls that I get would be people just wanting to have a conversation. I can empathise, because nine years ago I was that woman!

One of the aims of the antenatal classes is that the couples taking courses will stay in touch and support each other informally after the births of their babies.

We either go to my in-laws for lunch or else head out bowling or to the pictures. I like to keep it a family day as much as possible. My Dad lives nearby and he often comes to us for dinner.

Pasquale and I both trained as chefs but he's still working as one and tends to use every pot in the house whereas I cook more like a housewife so I tend to do more of the cooking at home! The children are all in bed by 8 . . . they haven't queried yet why they all go to bed at the same time . . . and we get the uniforms and lunches ready for the next day before collapsing in front of the TV.