A good breastfeeding week

KNYSNA NEWS - Women's Month coincides with World Breastfeeding Week (WBW), which was from 1 to 7 August. The theme for this year is Step Up for Breastfeeding – Educate & Support.

In light of the importance of breastfeeding, Knysna Provincial Hospital's maternity ward held an event for patients that included an informative talk by dieticians Nadene Polayya and Emma Peacock and psychologist Sharmon Reddington, as well as other fun activities.

"Babies need breast milk without any other food or fluid for the first six months of life as it contains all the necessary nutrients, which are vitamins and minerals, for good growth.

"It also protects your baby against malnutrition, chest infection and tummy bugs such as diarrhoea. Another benefit is that it is available at all times, day and night, and is easily absorbed by your baby's tummy. Breastfeeding will assist with your baby's brain, teeth and jaw development," said Peacock.

The right nutrition during the first 1 000 days (FTD), the period from conception until a child's second birthday, can have a profound impact on a child's ability to develop and learn.

Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months of life, whereafter you can introduce your baby to solid foods.

Polayya showed moms the correct latch and explained why it is so important for both baby and mom to let the baby latch correctly. She also explained that breastfeeding reduces the financial burden on families because it is low-cost.

"There is less stress on the family when mother and baby are healthy. Benefits for family and society further include less absenteeism if the baby is ill less often. Mothers can also be more productive and happier knowing their baby is healthy."

Not forgetting the mental health of moms, Reddington explained to mothers that it is normal to have baby blues the first few days and advised them to get help when the low mood does not improve with time.

"It is normal to feel tearful and overwhelmed. Your bodies and minds are exhausted and that is normal. Every mom experiences a little bit of sadness, which is very normal," she said.

"When we are pregnant our hormones are at their highest and once baby is delivered, those hormones come crashing down and you end up not feeling quite yourself, which is normal. If we see that after two weeks mommy is still feeling very sad and tearful, angry, irritated or frustrated, there is no shame and nothing wrong with you.

"There is support. Depression and anxiety are treatable, and you won't be stuck with it forever.

"If you are struggling with breastfeeding or feel overwhelmed, please reach out to a friend, nurse or sister. We spend so much time ensuring baby is warm, fed and taken care of that we forget to take care of mommy. We can only take care of baby when mommy is taken care of," she said. For most new moms, it may seem difficult to find time for themselves with a new baby in the house.

"Only by taking care of yourself can you give your baby the best possible care. Health staff will gladly assist if you struggle with breastfeeding or mental health problems. For more information on breastfeeding, visit here.

As a family member, you can support breastfeeding in many ways:

1. Work with the mother to set breastfeeding goals together as a family. Inform family members about your breastfeeding goals and ask for support as needed.

2. Learn about the importance of breastfeeding and how it works from the clinic or healthcare visits, or reliable resources such as pamphlets you can get from the clinic. Seek help from community support groups or professionals if there are challenges.

3. Communicate with the mother regularly and pay attention to when and how she wants you to be involved in breastfeeding.

4. Trust the mother of the baby – sometimes all that is needed is moral support and encouragement.

5. Create an environment that is conducive for breastfeeding at home. Share domestic tasks in and around the home and, if there are older children, take the opportunity to spend extra time caring for them. This will give the mother time to focus on breastfeeding.

6. Fathers can build their own unique bond with the baby during exclusive breastfeeding by actively interacting, carrying, cuddling and caring for the baby. After six months of exclusive breastfeeding, both parents can share the feeding of complementary foods.

7. Discuss ways to allocate and manage maternity or parental leave and how to access workplace support to enable optimal breastfeeding.