Breastfeeding Support: Close To Mothers
1-7 August are the designated days for this year's world breastfeeding week. it's an avenue to create more awareness on the importance of breastfeeding our children.
This year's breastfeeding week highlights breastfeeding peer counselling even when mothers are able to get off to a good start, all too often in the weeks or months after delivery there is a sharp decline in breastfeeding rates and practices, particularly exclusive breastfeeding. The period when mothers do not visit a healthcare facility is the time when a community support system for mothers is essential. Continued support to sustain breastfeeding can be provided in a variety of ways. Traditionally, support is provided by family. As societies change, however, in particular with urbanization, support for mothers from a wider circle is needed, whether it is provided by trained health workers, lactation consultants, community leaders, or from friends who are also mothers, and/or from fathers/partners.
1-7 August are the designated days for this year's world breastfeeding week. it's an avenue to create more awareness on the importance of breastfeeding our children.
This year's breastfeeding week highlights breastfeeding peer counselling even when mothers are able to get off to a good start, all too often in the weeks or months after delivery there is a sharp decline in breastfeeding rates and practices, particularly exclusive breastfeeding. The period when mothers do not visit a healthcare facility is the time when a community support system for mothers is essential. Continued support to sustain breastfeeding can be provided in a variety of ways. Traditionally, support is provided by family. As societies change, however, in particular with urbanization, support for mothers from a wider circle is needed, whether it is provided by trained health workers, lactation consultants, community leaders, or from friends who are also mothers, and/or from fathers/partners.
The peer Counseling program is a highly productive way to
reach a larger number of mothers more frequently. Peer counselors can be anyone
from the community who is trained to learn to support mothers. Trained Peer
Counselors, readily available in the community become the lifeline for mothers
with breastfeeding questions and issues. “The key to breastfeeding practices is
continued day-to-day support for the breastfeeding mother within her home and
community.”
objectives of this year
1. To draw attention to the importance of Peer Support in helping mothers to establish and sustain breastfeeding
2. to inform people of highly effective benefits of Peer Counseling and unite efforts to expand peer Counseling program.
3. To encourage breastfeeding supporters regardless of their educational background, to step forward and be trained to support mothers and babies.
4. To identify local community support contacts for breastfeeding mothers, that women can go to for help and support after giving birth.
This is an excerpt from the homepage of www.breastfeedingweek.org
Kindly click on the link for more info on world breastfeeding week.
More to come this week on breastfeeding.
Cheers
Teewhy
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