Her younger sister who came to assist her just got admission into university and could not stay longer. She did not feel comfortable with the idea of getting a house-help. Again, there was no crèche in her office where she could keep her baby so she decided to take little Jamilu to a crèche miles away. Because she wanted to follow through the six month breastfeeding advised by medical experts, she expressed breast milk for her baby. Jummai feels pain while she expressed milk from her breast, hence she could not express enough for her son while she is at work. Therefore, she introduced her son to baby milk formula.
Mrs Uju Nwankwo on the other hand says she never gave her baby any other food but breast milk. Uju who is a student at the School of Health, Keffi , says, “I always go to school with my sister. When I’m in the class and she is crying, she comes to call me to breastfeed then I go back for my lecture. It is not easy. But then, she has never fallen sick. I will encourage other mothers to breast feed their babies because it is good.”
1st to 7th of August every year is celebrated as World Breastfeeding Week. The theme for this year’s event was : Breastfeeding: A winning goal. Some women are scoring this goal and others are facing challenges to achieving this goal. Some mothers at FCT breastfeeding week shared their experience thus.
Ajuma Yakubu a nursing mother explains her experience thus.
“I had my baby through C-section so it was not easy for me to breastfeed because I was feeling pains. But then, as the surgery was healing, I breastfed
him. But then, now that I have resumed work, it’s even more difficult to breastfeed because I work from 8 a.m. to 6p.m. and I feel pains when I
try to express breast milk with breast pump, so I ask my mother to give him baby milk formula while I’m at work ”Yakubu laments.
Saudatu Garba, an advert executive in a media firm and a nursing mother had this to say. “When I was doing exclusive breastfeeding for three months, I noticed great bonding between me and my child, but now that I am taking him to a Day Care, he does not care if I am around.
Once he has his feeding bottle, he is okay with that.”
She mentioned some of the hindrances to exclusive breastfeeding. “The major challenge I see inhibiting exclusive breastfeeding is the number
of days given for maternity leave. Three months is too short. If it can be extended to six months, it will be easier for the mother to
exclusively breastfeed the child. I could not continue with exclusive breastfeeding immediately I resumed work because my child was miles
away in the Day Care, while I was at work. I will suggest that the government extends the maternity leave to six months, to enable each mum breast feed their baby for six months which is the minimum baby friendly requirement. Also, employers should consider providing crèche at workplaces, as this will encourage mothers to breastfeed their babies after they resume work. If my child was in a crèche close by, I would do my job and then go and breastfeed him, but that is not the case now,” Garba explains.
Dr Mariya Muktar-Yola is a Senior Consultant Paediatrician at the National Hospital, Abuja. She highlights some benefits of exclusive breastfeeding.
“Exclusive Breastfeeding has benefits for the baby, mother and the community. For the baby, it’s a complete source of nutrition filled with natural goodness. Breast milk contains vitamins, water, minerals, protein, carbohydrate which the child requires. It also contains nutrients that protect the child against infection. A breastfed child has a stronger immune system and a reduced risk for heart disease. Breast milk is also readily available and increases
bonding between mother and child. For the mother, it allows for personal bonding, helps the uterus to contrast fast and helps the mother to get back to shape which most mothers want. Also, for some women, as long as the breastfeed, its stops their menstruation from coming so, it serves as a means of family planning. It also helps them to burn fat.” Muktar- Yola says.
She however suggests ways in which government can help encourage Exclusive Breastfeeding.
“Government and employers generally should provide crèche in offices so breast feeding mothers can breastfeed their children while at work. Also, government already gives four months maternity leave in which mothers are advised to go on leave four weeks before delivery and spend the remaining three months with their babies. We are also advocating for six months maternity leave and also for paternity leave so the fathers can help feed the baby
with expressed breast milk when the mother is not around. We also advocate for reduction of working hours for nursing mothers so they can spend more time with their babies to increase bonding and time of breast feeding.” Muktar-Yola explains.
