World Breastfeeding Week – How You Can Protect Breastfeeding

World Breastfeeding week is observed each year from 1st August to 7th August to encourage breastfeeding which directly improves the health of babies. This week-long celebration in 120 countries has been observed since the 1990s when the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) created the “Innocenti Declaration” to promote and support breastfeeding. In 1991 to promote breastfeeding an association was formed which is known as “World Association of Breastfeeding Action” and since 1992 a week has been dedicated for promotion of this campaign. The theme for World Breastfeeding Week 2021 is “Protect Breastfeeding : A shared responsibility”. UNICEF has stated that “Breastfeeding is among the most effective ways to protect maternal and child health and promote healthy growth and optimal development in early childhood”. Infants ideally need to be breastfed within the first hour of birth and exclusively breastfed for the first 6  months, followed by breastfeeding along with semi-solid, soft and solid foods recommended by the doctor for the first two years of a child’s life to fully provide the benefits of breastfeeding. 

Significance of Breastfeeding 

Breastfeeding is extremely important for the health of the child and may have a few advantages for the breastfeeding mother. 

Some of the benefits of breastfeeding for the baby include – 

·         Breastfeeding helps boost the immune system of the infants. 

·         Lowering the infant mortality rate. 

·         Lowered risk of developing infections such as respiratory tract infection.

·         Reduced risk of developing diabetes.

·         Lowered risk of allergic diseases as well cancers such as childhood leukemia. 

·         Enhancing the cognitive function of the baby.

·         Providing the baby with adequate nutrition.

·         Helping the baby maintain adequate weight. 

Breastfeeding is essential for babies and their optimal development and growth but it also has a range of benefits for the breastfeeding mother. The benefits of breastfeeding for mom are seldom discussed and hence it’s important that we bring this aspect of breastfeeding to notice. It is important to discuss the benefits for both the mother and the child to promote breastfeeding. 

Some of the benefits of breastfeeding for the breastfeeding mother include – 

·         Faster weight loss after giving birth. 

·         Reduction in bleeding that might happen after giving birth. 

·         Protection from cancers such as breast cancer and ovarian cancer. 

·         Prevention of diseases such as Osteoporosis.  

Breastfeeding provides a range of benefits for the mother and the child and is also a good bonding activity. It is vital that breastfeeding is promoted and supported through the collaboration of the members of the society, healthcare workers, the governments and the civil societies. 

Breastfeeding and the Society 

Breastfeeding is a natural part of childbearing and upbringing and yet breastfeeding is not something that is commonly discussed. International Breastfeeding week is a good time to introspect how society has been treating women who breastfeed and limiting how they can breastfeed their child safely. Society still fusses over women breastfeeding in public and access to breastfeeding facilities remains a difficulty in public places. Women often face a lot of shame and stigma due to the unsolicited opinions, advice, and glares. 

It is imperative that women are provided with maternity leaves that allow working women to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months. Paternity leave should also be provided as breastfeeding in the initial days may require a partner’s assistance. It is essential that public places have breastfeeding facilities where women can feel safe to breastfeed. 

It is important that people are educated and counseled by healthcare experts about the benefits of breastfeeding, people are educated about pumps or hand expresses, the benefits of breast pumping for mom, how to breastfeed a baby as a working woman, and how can the partner help fulfill the baby’s requirement to be breastfed at regular intervals throughout the day. 

Systems need to be put into place that promote breastfeeding on a societal level. Breast pumps should be provided to women at a subsidised price so that they can continue feeding their child even as they return to work. Breast Milk Banks need to be established so that infants can be fed breast milk. Breastfeeding support systems need to be put into action so that women find it easy to breastfeed.

Breastfeeding and Covid-19 

Breastfeeding during the Covid-19 pandemic has induced a massive sense of insecurity amongst mothers. They do not want to risk their child’s health but this deprives the child of the benefits of breastfeeding. The experts say that Covid-19 cannot be transmitted through the breastmilk hence it is safe to breastfeed. 

The child can be breastfed after consulting with a doctor about how to ensure safety while breastfeeding. Managing personal hygiene, wearing a mask, and regularly sanitizing are important methods to ensure safety while breastfeeding. 

If a woman who is Covid-19 positive wants to breastfeed, she can consider using a breast pump. Another lactating member of the family or breast milk from the breast milk bank may be provided to the baby if the doctor recommends it till the mother can feel healthy enough to feed the baby herself. 

It is important that pregnant and lactating women consider getting vaccination against Covid-19 to safeguard themselves and their baby from Covid-19 if their doctor recommends it. 

Protect Breastfeeding : A shared Responsibility 

It is important that society realises the importance of breastfeeding and helps ensure that babies can be breastfed adequately. There needs to be a cultural, societal, environmental and systemic shift in how we view breastfeeding and ensure that our homes, our workplaces, our public places, and our viewpoints are more exclusive of lactating mothers and babies, to ensure that breastfeeding is normalised. It is important that we do our bit to ensure that lactating mothers and babies are able to reap the benefits of breastfeeding and society is able to become healthier when our mothers and babies are healthier and well nourished.

 Source: https://ivfjunction.com/blog/world-breastfeeding-week/ 

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