Breastfeeding in Maara Sub-County
Breastfeeding is one of the major challenges facing young mothers in our communities in the Maara Sub-County. Most of the mothers we have met with during our maternal health clinic have not been able to breastfeed their infants for the recommended six months after birth. The fact that they do not breastfeed for six months is due to a lack of knowledge and information. I joined Village HopeCore International in May 2014 and for the last ten months, I have gained experience in various sectors in the public health department, for example, maternal and child health.
Additionally, I have learned and shared my knowledge on various other health topics through our MCH clinics and health education lectures. Through this blog, I would like to share my observations related to breastfeeding in our community in Maara Sub County. I have observed that most of the mothers in our community introduce their children to food before they are six months old. The early introduction of food has led to babies developing problems and getting sick regularly because of the lack of perfect nutrients provided by breast milk.
Most parents are unaware of the advantages of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months. These benefits of exclusive breastfeeding include helping the digestive system to mature properly, lowering the risk of infections in children, and minimizing allergies in young children. Breast milk also promotes the development of the eyes and brain as children grow and develop. Similarly, mothers also gain benefits from breastfeeding, as it helps to keep their health in good condition and also improves the bonding between the baby and the mother.
Mothers should breastfeed their babies as often as they want to. The mother should breastfeed their baby at least 8 times in 24 hours. As they do this they should ensure that the babies empty the breast before they offer the other one. While mothers are breastfeeding there are several challenges that mothers are likely to encounter. These challenges include milk leaking out of the baby’s nose as they breastfeed, trouble in maintaining a good seal with the mother, mothers can also experience children with a weak suck, mothers should also ensure that the child is not swallowing much air, mothers should ensure that they hold the child properly to avoid choking the child.
It should also be clear to mothers that babies do not need extra water in hot weather as long as they are breastfeeding. Mothers in our community tend to believe that cow’s milk or formula milk is better than breast milk. We work to educate women that, as long as the baby is below six months old, and the mother is able, exclusive breastfeeding is better and children should only take medications only provided by the doctors. Mothers who are HIV positive should breastfeed but should be on ARVs so as to decrease the risk of the HIV virus spreading to baby’s milk.
Mothers should also be careful, and look out for cracked or bleeding nipples and present themselves to the healthcare professionals if it occurs. Bleeding can increase the risk of transmission of the HIV virus from the mother to the baby. Pregnant mothers who are HIV positive are advised to visit the hospital as requested by the doctors or nurses. Mothers should know that when breastfeeding they should be comfortable so that their babies can breastfeed as they need, they should also be patient and also avoid any other unnecessary duties as they breastfeed. Mothers should also support their infants physically and emotionally before starting to breastfeed their babies, this will provide them with more energy and morale in feeding their babies.
With well-breastfed infants or children in our community, as well as society, we are likely to have more children free from many diseases or infections that arise from poor breastfeeding. Out of the nine months I have worked in the community I have learned how to equip the mothers with the knowledge that they require in order to breastfeed their babies, access appropriate family planning methods, and provide proper nutrition to their children. My favorite part of my work with HopeCore is being in the field working with mothers and trying to improve their health and the health of their children too. I enjoy how we, as Community Health Workers and HopeCore staff, relate with the mothers in the field and how we exchange ideas.
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