August 1st to 7th is marked world breastfeeding week all around the world, this means that these 7 days are dedicated to creating awareness on the benefits of breastfeeding for infants and new mothers.
The WORLD ALLIANCE FOR BREASTFEEDING ACTION is an organization that aims at highlighting the benefits of breastfeeding for both mothers and children. Their main aim is to protect new mothers, promote quality breastfeeding habits, support breastfeeding by mothers around the world.
This program was created to curb the practices that were against breastfeeding especially in cases where the new mom works at an office that barely gives her time to breastfeed her newborn thereby leaving her to depend on formulas to feed her newborn baby.
Breast milk is the ideal food for every infant, it contains every nutrient necessary for the child’s development and growth. This milk with all it contains protects the child from a range of infections or diseases that would otherwise cause harm to the child.
Breastfeeding goes beyond being a feeding system for the child, it helps to develop deep bonds between mother and child, breastfeeding routines provide skin-to-skin contact this allows the child to quickly learn to associate certain smells and touches with that of the mother.
Breastfeeding is a public health responsibility as it protects the child from illnesses that would otherwise have attacked such a child. When kids are protected from birth and nurtured in this way, there is a lower risk of mortality.
The breastfeeding practice that most mothers are advised to follow is the exclusive breastfeeding model, which advocates for mothers to only feed their children breastmilk for six months before introducing formulas or other types of meals into their routines. This feeding process ensures the child receives maximum protection from infections and a wholesome meal complete with everything needed for growth and proper development.
Mothers are advised to initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth to give the child its very first vaccine and to create an instant bond between mother and child. Though there seem to be lots of myths working against accepting this rule as key to a child’s health, it still doesn’t change the truth that breastfeeding is essential for the proper development of a child’s health.
Working-class women struggle with breastfeeding their newborn infants, especially if they try to stick with the exclusive feeding regimen. Some face Stigmatization at the office, others are not given sufficient work leave to allow them to care for the newborn, and bringing the child to work is not an option hence they juggle both responsibilities leading to burnout in the nearest future.
Some mothers experience post-birth depression, this is a case where the new mom goes through feelings of sadness, resentment, and anger when she passes through this phase, she most likely would detest reminders of what triggered such moods. This will cause her to disassociate from her baby and she might not breastfeed the child as required.
This first week of august, use this article to explain to new mothers the benefits of breastfeeding and how important it is in the lives of their infants.