Reasons Why Mothers Must Engage in Exclusive Breastfeeding

The Department of Health (DOH), as part of the celebration of “National Breastfeeding Month” this August, once more reminds mothers and the public, in general, about the beneficial effects of exclusive breastfeeding of the babies.

DOH Secretary Janette L. Garin said that breastfeeding a baby after birth is the best and natural way of nurturing a child during the 2015 Breastfeeding Summit conducted at the Citystate Tower Hotel in Erminta, Manila on Thursday.

“A newborn baby has only three demands — warmth in the arms of its mother, food from a mother’s breast and security in the knowledge of a mother’s presence. Breast feeding fulfills all these,” Secretary Garin stressed in a speech delivered for her by DOH Assistant Secretary Paulyn Jean B. Rosell-Ubial.

Secretary Garin said that mother’s milk is the safest, cleanest, can be easily digested and complete food of a baby in his/her first six months of survival.

She explained that mother’s milk gives the baby protection against certain illnesses like diarrhea, colds, pneumonia and others.

In addition, the baby’s immune system is also strengthened as the child gains antibodies to fight different viruses and bacteria.

The DOH chief noted that if the infant will not get sick, that will give the mother and the father extra savings as they need not spend their money on seeking treatment in hospitals.

“On the part of the mother, she can save the money and set that aside to purchase other basic needs instead of buying infant formula milk because her breast milk is free, safe and complete to satisfy the needs of her baby,” Dr. Ubial said in a press briefing during the summit.

She explained that a mother’s milk contains all the necessary nutrients needed by the baby like fat, vitamins, proteins, and other nutrients.

In addition, she said that a “close bonding” between the mother and the baby is also taking place in the intimacy that they develop together as the mother breastfeed him/her wherein she can communicate to the baby the warmth of her love.

She also mentioned that breast milk makes the baby intelligent as he/she grows up.

Another reason why breastfeeding is good is it also serves as a natural family planning method wherein the mother who exclusively breastfeeds on the first six months will not ovulate and easily get pregnant.

She clarified that exclusive breastfeeding will mean that the mother will not give the baby any other milk substitute, and even water, juices, tea, or “am” (the sticky whitish liquid portion that appears on top of a rice nearly cooked).

Dr. Ubial said that the mother’s milk alone already contains and can supply the water needed by the baby so there is no need for water and other milk substitute on that period.

She also said that vitamin is also not recommended because that is already present in the mother’s milk.

On questions on the frequent reason of some mothers in not engaging in breastfeeding because they do not have milk or no enough milk can be produced, she said that such is not true.

She added that mother’s milk naturally comes out through continuous sucking by the baby.

“In the first few days, there are cases that some mothers will fail to deliver breast milk to their babies, prompting them to think that they do not have the milk to provide. Milk production is actually encouraged through suckling. What happens is if no milk comes out, they immediately develop the wrong belief that they do not have the capacity to supply the milk demand of the baby and switch to infant formula milk which we really discourage,” Dr. Ubial said.

She explained that in cases wherein no milk is being produced, the mother has to wait first and switch “temporarily” to a manner of giving the “substitute milk” in a bottle and not in infant feeding bottle while waiting for her milk to flow out as they engage at the same time in continuous suckling.

She said they do not advise the manner of feeding the baby during that temporary basis through “suckling” directly in the nipples of the infant baby bottle so that the baby will not be confused once the milk of his/her mother is already available or pouring naturally.

She added that once the milk of the mother flows (which usually happens on the day she gives birth or until three days after), it will be easy for the baby to appreciate suckling the breast milk from the nipples of the mother because the baby does not get familiar with the nipples on the feeding bottle.

To prepare mothers for successful breastfeeding once they have delivered, they can go to health centers or ask their physician’s advice on the lactation massage that they can engage into.

To ensure also the availability of proper nutrients in the mother’s milk, the mother is advised to take healthy diets and, of course, ensure that she is having regular pre- and post-natal check-ups wherein she is given folic acid, ferrous sulfate and other vitamins to take to make her healthy during the pregnancy.

Another reminder from Dr. Ubial is that there is no truth on the “thought” that the milk acquired by the baby from the mother is not sufficient or enough to fill the needs of the infant.

“In frequent breastfeeding, the milk of the mother naturally increases to answer the growing demand of his/her baby,” she said.

She also said that after six months of exclusive breastfeeding, the mother can already give complementary foods.

She added that such complementary foods will be nutritious for the baby if they are “natural” such as boiled potatoes, bananas and other table foods which are mashed.

Within that period also, she said a mother can still continue to provide the breast milk for her baby until the period of two years as she combines it with the complementary foods.

In case the mother is working, she can also learn the method of collecting the milk from her breast (through breast pump) and storing it so that she can continuously provide that for her baby’s need.

As part of adherence to ensure that breastfeeding is promoted in the country, Republic Act No. 10028 has ben enacted.

With this law, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has issued Department Order No. 143, Series of 2015, providing guidelines for setting of lactation stations in the workplace of private and public companies.

A lactation area is a facility of the company designated for mothers who are engaging in breastfeeding.

The facility is required to be not located near or in the toilet room, free from any form of contaminants like chemicals and possible source of infection, and complete with other needs that support lactation.

The law also specifies that the lactation break will not be less than 40 minutes in the eight-hour work period.

According to the DOH, working mothers and young professionals nowadays who understand the benefits of breastfeeding are the ones who usually adhere to the call for breastfeeding.

The DOH said that continuous advocacy on the promotion of the benefits of breastfeeding is needed to reach out to those in the lower social brackets of society to switch in valuing the benefits of breastfeeding and making it a part of their awareness that can be shared and handed out to others. (PNA) SCS/LSJ