By Georgine Obwana
The subject of breast-feeding is one that is emotionally uptight, from mothers who desire feeding their babies without public humiliation to those who struggle with getting started immediately after birth. For some time now, breastfeeding has been the focus of prominent health bodies like World Health Organization (WHO), numerous research and books, activists and advocates, and even opinions from social media brigade. Then there are challenges that tag along with the practice such as gnawed-on nipples, failing to produce enough milk, awful bras and the latest biggest elephant in the room, COVID-19. Question is, Why not protect breastfeeding with some shared responsibility?
It saddens to know that many mothers feel incapable to breastfeed because of the nature of their work which often times is the source of their livelihood. Karungi (not her real name) a journalist working with a prominent radio station in south western Uganda is but one of the many breastfeeding mothers who is finding it extremely difficult to balance between her highly demanding job which is her only source of livelihood in the current pandemic and exclusively breastfeeding her daughter.
“Am so grateful that I still have my job in this COVID where many people have been rendered jobless. Being a first time mother it is so challenging to balance between my work which I need more than ever and breastfeeding my girl. I am so unlucky that I produce less milk so it is impossible to pump” she says.
“It deeply hurts me to have introduced my baby to formula milk so early all in the name of returning to work so as to safeguard my job. I need to work so that I can provide for my child. What I have tried to do is to breastfeed her in the evening once I return home and continue through the night. This also helps me bond with her” Karungi adds.
She advises mothers to breastfeed exclusively for the recommended period of time if they are capable but those who are in a similar situation as her, husbands, employers, family, policy makers and advocates should support and protect them.
As for Salma (not her real name) a mother to 3 month old baby girl and a journalist with a TV station in Tanzania had to bite the nail and quit her job to breastfeed her baby. “I was fixed in a corner to choose between my child’s wellbeing and my TV job but remember it is this very job that provides for us” Salma states.
“Am so grateful to my husband and family for supporting me in this breastfeeding journey, I will try finding another job even if COVID-19 has affected many people’s employment” she adds.
With hundreds of thousands of babies born, there is remarkable opportunity to help more mothers and babies build a well-established breastfeeding relationship. All nursing mothers benefit when breastfeeding support comes from within their existing network.
The World Breastfeeding Week 2021 running from 1 st – 7 th August purposes to highlight the enormous benefits that breastfeeding can bring to both the health and welfare of babies, as well as a wider push for maternal health, focusing on good nutrition, poverty reduction and food security.
This year the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), working alongside World HealthOrganization and Unicef themed the event; “Protecting breastfeeding: A shared responsibility”.
This breastfeeding week targets to raise awareness of the health and wellbeing outcomes of breastfeeding and the importance of supporting mothers to breastfeed for as long as they wish.
Of course there are many diverse demands on busy mothers, meaning that women who may want to breastfeed their babies have not always had the support to continue this. Busy working schedules, alongside the many other challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic which has made mothers feel that breastfeeding their child is something that is an inaccessible option to them.
Civil Society Alliance for Nutrition Uganda (CISANU) is currently championing an online breastfeeding awareness campaign under the hashtag #yourtakeonbreastfeeding to preach the gospel of protecting the practice as well as supporting mothers to exclusively breastfeed their children.
Georgine Obwana, the author is a Program Officer at Civil Society Alliance for Nutrition Uganda (CISANU)
Tel: +256 774 354150 / +256 795 228801 – Watsup Email: georginemarine@gmail.com
