Brief
World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from August 1st – 7th to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of infants around the world.
Goals of World Breastfeeding Week
- Spreading breastfeeding awareness and support it locally and globally.
- Advocating breastfeeding as a smart decision
- Engagement with individuals and organizations to achieve greater impact.
In the World Breastfeeding Week, Abu Dhabi Public Health center stresses on the importance of empowering parents to enable breastfeeding in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi,
- Given the importance of breastfeeding on the health of mothers and children, Abu Dhabi Public Health center advocates to support Breastfeeding through enabling families, communities, Healthcare providers and employers to make breastfeeding an easy choice.
Important messages for the mother who wants to breasfeed.
breastfeeding and mothers milk remains the most important immunological defense and nutritional foundation available to a newborn baby.it strengthens the immune system by directly transferring antibodies from the mother to newborn baby.
- Breastfeeding provides protection against diseases, the most important of which are viruses.
- Breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact significantly reduce the risk of death in newborns and young infants and provide immediate and lifelong health and development advantages. Breastfeeding also reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancer for the mother.
For healthcare workers, maternal nurses, lactation consultants
Breastfeed is important, and we must focus on providing the best support for those wo plan to and those who are breastfeeding. Its one of the most important responsibility we have collectively
Breast milk provides protections against many respiratory diseases, including influenza (flu). A mother with suspected or confirmed flu should take all possible precautions to avoid spreading the virus to her infant while continuing to provide breast milk to her infant.
Breast milk contains high levels of antibodies and anti-immune compounds. When the mother is exposed to a viral or bacterial infection, the mother’s body begins to produce antibodies, which in turn are excreted into breast milk, and the child takes it through breastfeeding.”
What Mums Can do ?
Before your baby is born Get the facts on breastfeeding, Speake with your Health Care worker about:
- how you plan to feed your baby.
- know the benefits of breastfeeding for you and your baby
When your baby’s is born, You’ll need help with learning to breastfeed and so well your baby . Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
your Health Care worker is there to:
- Encourage skin to skin contact between you and your baby soon after birth.
- Help you to recognize the signs when your baby is ready to feed.
- Show you how to position your baby at the breast.
While breastfeeding is natural, it can take time to learn, and it really helps to get continuous support from your family and your Health Care worker
If you face any problem, don’t hesitate to seek help so that breastfeeding is a positive experience.
What family and friends can do ?
- Provide emotional support and practical help.
- Take care of big brothers and sisters.
- Listen and be supportive, Boost mum is confident in breastfeeding.
Recommendations:
- Early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth.
- Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby's life.
- Continued breastfeeding up to two years of age or beyond, with the introduction of nutritionally-adequate and safe complementary (solid) foods at six months.
For awareness materials , Click Here