World Breastfeeding Week 2020: It is celebrated annually from 1-7 August to encourage breastfeeding and improve the babies’ health around the world.
Breastfeeding is important for a child as it provides the best possible start in life. It provides health nutritional and emotional benefits to both mother and children. Also, it makes part of a sustainable food system. Breastfeeding is a natural process and is not always easy. Support to the mothers is required both to get started and to sustain it.Along with the theme, WHO and UNICEF are focusing on the counselling and calling governments to protect and promote women’s access to skilled breastfeeding counselling which is an important component for supporting breastfeeding.and here are the 10 steps outlined for successful breastfeeding:
1)Hospital policies: mother’s should be supported by the hospital to breastfeed and not promote infant formula thus, making it a standard formula.
2)Staff training: healthcare workers( nurses and midwives etc) should be trained on supporting mother’s to breastfeed.
3)Antenatal care: hospitals should help to counsel/ prepare women on d need to breastfeed their babies.
4)care right after birth: skin to skin contact between mother and child to aid bonding should be encouraged .
5)Support mother’s while breastfeeding: this is achieved by checking the positioning, attachment and suckling to help mother’s with breastfeeding problems.
6.supplementing: only breast milk should be given except on medical reasons and assistance should be giving to help them formula feed properly .
7)rooming in: mother’s of sick babies should be made to stay bear their babies.
8)Responsive feeding: hospitals should help mother’s know when their babies are hungry and not limit the breastfeeding times.
9)bottles,teat, and pacifiers: mother’s should be counseled on the risk of using bottles, teats and pacifiers.
10) Discharge: mother’s should be refered to community resources for breastfeeding support.
While the government is called upon to ensure access to skilled counselling and support for women breastfeeding at the health institutional level, provision for nursing centers should be provided at work places to encourage breastfeeding.