How 'myths' prevent women from breastfeeding their babies At the same time that Africa is celebrating Breastfeeding Week, the fight ...
How 'myths' prevent women from breastfeeding their babies
At the same time that Africa is celebrating Breastfeeding Week, the fight against certain ideas that prevent some women is going on. she often gives an example of herself raising a baby.
Radio listeners in Tanzania are aware of Salma's point of view on the issue of exclusive breastfeeding for babies, which she often informs parents who have doubts about breastfeeding their children.
"When I gave birth to my first baby, I faced challenges in breastfeeding," as Salma told TRT Afrika.
As a new mother, she is filled with doubt when her family tells her to give her baby only breast milk as it deprives him of other nutrients.
"That's why I'm asking for help from the hospital where I gave birth," she said. "The hospital experts help me a lot, where they made me find out that the mother's breast milk is enough for the baby in the first six months."
This is not just a city issue. In a village in Western Kenya, Sarah Khatievi was with her six grandchildren who went to visit her.
The 68-year-old woman remembers that all her eight children, she used to feed them heavy food when she nursed them.
"A baby can't survive on breast milk alone - that's what our parents taught us," said Sarah.
"For all my children, I add a little water to their food and breast milk. When they will be five months old, I start giving them soft potatoes and pate before I wean them completely from breast milk after six months."
Sarah laughed out loud when she told TRT Afrika a tale of the women of the past that was also given to her.
Her mother told her that if someone wants to know that a child has eaten and is full, the secret is to look into the baby's stomach while he is eating. "If it looks like a ball, it is a sign that the baby is full."
Same food
Exclusive breastfeeding means that the only thing he can get into the womb is his mother's milk. Not even a drop of water will be given to the baby.
The World Health Organization, WHO, recommends that every baby should be given pure breast milk, because it contains nutrients that will help the baby for at least the first six months after birth.
The agency has also advised mothers to start breastfeeding the baby as soon as he is born before he reaches one hour, although this is a challenge for many women.
"Some mothers worry that they don't have enough breast milk to feed their babies," said Victoria Kirway, a nurse specializing in newborn care at the CCBRT hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
"We often say that this may be due to the problems that occur due to the changes in the body's chemical composition, but later the milk is obtained."
Victoria said that a mother does not need to worry about the issue of producing a lot of milk, as she assures that the milk will come slowly.
"When a child is born, he does not need this milk; what the baby needs through breastfeeding is enough. Just make the child suck after two to three hours, the milk will increase."
Breastfeeding and the beauty of a daughter
Every time she talks to women who have just given birth on her radio show, Salma comes across issues about breastfeeding and the beauty of a girl child.
"Where are you listening to us from?" Tell us why you don't breastfeed," she is often heard in the second part of the program singing a Swahili song that talks about women and their beauty.
This section is popular and attracts many callers, especially young women who often say they don't breastfeed because they want to stay in shape.
“People often want to talk about this issue; the issue is not old," as Salma told TRT Afrika.
"Many young women believe that if they breastfeed, the size and shape of their breasts will change," said a mother with three children.
"What my sisters don't understand is that the size and shape of the breast is what makes a person the way he is without breastfeeding."
WHO and UNICEF stated that "infants who are not breastfed are 14 times more likely to die before their first birthday than those who are exclusively breastfed".
“We have mothers who come with sick children and when we investigate, they tell us that they have never breastfed their babies. If we investigate further, we will see that these parents have no reason to refuse to give breast milk to their children," said nurse Victoria.
According to doctors, a child who is exclusively breastfed in the first months after birth grows faster and is more intelligent.
"We often tell someone