The theme of World Breastfeeding Week 2020 (every year from 01 August to 07 August) was “Support breastfeeding for a healthier planet”. In line with this theme, WHO and UNICEF sent out a call for governments to protect and promote women’s access to skilled breastfeeding counselling, which is considered to be a critical component of breastfeeding support.
Breastfeeding provides every child with the best possible start in life. It delivers health, nutritional and emotional benefits to both children and mothers. And it forms part of a sustainable food system. But while breastfeeding is a natural process, it is not always easy. Mothers need support – both to get started and to sustain breastfeeding. (Source: WHO website)
This post is not to give you information about Breastfeeding or such like. It is just to bring to your attention that we all know someone or the other who will breastfeed or would have already breastfed at some point in their lives. In our roles as fathers, mothers, mothers in law, grandmothers, uncles, aunts, husbands, friends and well wishers, we can influence people who matter about the benefits to babies and their mothers from breastfeeding. We can all provide some form of breastfeeding counselling which can help mothers to build confidence while respecting their individual circumstances and choices. Counselling can empower women to overcome challenges and prevent feeding and care practices that may interfere with optimal breastfeeding, such as the provision of unnecessary liquids, foods, and breastmilk substitutes to infants and young children. (Source: WHO website)
If you are an employer, you can provide facilities to your staff for those who need to breastfeed their babies or give them time off during the day for this. If you are an employee, you can be supportive of those who need to breastfeed their babies. If you are just a well wisher, who wishes babies and their mothers well, encourage and support breast feeding.
A set of posters were released during the World Breast Feeding Week of 2020 , to create awareness amongst people. Please download them and share with all those who matter to you. Be a baby’s best supporter today. Spread the information around.
If you are a doctor or a nurse in a hospital or a clinic, Delta Zulu’s consultancy service can help you make your facility a “Baby Friendly Facility“. I have done this with great satisfaction all around (not just from babies) for many facilities in India and abroad. Just for your information , there is even certification available under the Baby–friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) which was launched by WHO and UNICEF in 1991, following the Innocenti Declaration of 1990. The BFHI is a global effort to implement practices that protect, promote and support breastfeeding. However, you need not even go the whole hog… you can just institute systems and policies in place to ensure that your baby customers are happy customers.
Public Health Advice for the Corporate Sector 