Today the first day "#Familiaedulacta: making breastfeeding visible" is celebrated in Madrid, whose main objective is make visible and normalize breastfeeding as a natural way to feed the baby.
According to Edulacta, almost 90% of pregnant women decide to breastfeed their babies, although after six months only 30% continue to do so. What are the reasons for this decline and what can we do to raise breastfeeding rates?
The importance of having professionals trained in breastfeeding
According to Pilar Martínez, a pharmacist, IBCLC and co-founder of Edulacta, the main reason why only 30% of mothers continue breastfeeding beyond six months, is due to the lack of support from health professionals.
In Babies and more The support of health workers is essential for mothers to start breastfeeding with confidence and securityAnd it is that despite dealing directly with the recent mother and answering health-related questions, most of these professionals do not have specific training in breastfeeding, because "This topic is not studied at the University", says Pilar.
"Breastfeeding is a matter of public health and health professionals have the confidence of mothers. That is why we must be aware of our deficiencies," reflects the expert.Pilar's claims are based on numerous surveys conducted in recent years to pediatricians and family doctors on breastfeeding. They reflect poor knowledge in the subject, in addition to multiple myths that, unfortunately, contribute to the failure of a large number of lactations.
"The main case I encounter is that of breastfed newborn babies who are underweight. There are many health professionals who, instead of helping the mother maintain her breastfeeding and look for the causes of this low weight gain, advise giving bottles to the baby "
"Another typical example is that of the mother with pain while breastfeeding, who instead of receiving help not to suffer, receives advice to stop breastfeeding. In this line, it is also common to find mothers with mastitis that health professionals do not know how to help, and prescribe inappropriate antibiotics or advise to stop breastfeeding while the mastitis lasts, so the mother ends up getting worse and, consequently , abandoning breastfeeding "
"There are also many doctors who are still unaware of what medication is compatible with breastfeeding, so when the mother must start some kind of treatment, doctors directly force weaning "
"And another frequent case with which I find myself is that of mothers who receive the message that after six months their milk is no longer useful, so they end up removing their babies' breast."
In Babies and more For the mother who is having difficulties with breastfeedingDespite these terrible examples that Pilar often faces, the co-founder of Edulacta recognizes that there are more and more health professionals who, being aware of their training needs, "decide to train on their own" to offer a better service to their patients:
"We don't need to know everything, but we are well informed to offer the mother updated and evidence-based information, always looking for alternatives to help you according to your needs and preferences. And in the case of not being able to help, it is important to know how to refer an International Breastfeeding Consultant or ask another professional for help. "
In addition, Pilar emphasizes the importance of treating the mother with respect, listening to her opinions and preferences, and supporting, from the information, any decision she wants to make.
Wider maternity breastplates and facilities for nursing mothers
Another point that affects the fact that most mothers end up abandoning breastfeeding after six months is the low maternal leave we have in Spain, as well as the few breastfeeding aids that many companies offer.
Pilar says that if the maternity leave was extended at least six months, it would be more feasible to achieve exclusive breastfeeding during the first half year of the baby's life, as WHO recommends.
However, Edulacta's confounder insists that the main problem lies in the lack of professional support, since it has been seen that mothers who really want to continue breastfeeding after joining work, can do so if they get the support and information necessary to Know how to proceed.
In Babies and more Do you run out of maternity leave but want to continue breastfeeding? We tell you how to do it and what you should considerSimilarly, it is important that entrepreneurs become aware of the importance of maintaining breastfeeding for society, and assure the nursing mother facilities to express the milk in a clean and adequate environment.
"Breastfed babies have less hospital admissions and, if they occur, they are shorter. They also have lower morbidity due to diarrhea, acute respiratory infections, otitis media and ear infections, as well as other infectious diseases."
"On the other hand, breastfeeding mothers receive more protection against breast and ovarian cancer, and have a lower risk of osteoporosis. All this reverts in society in general with a lower health expenditure, a lower labor absenteeism of the mother and less health problems throughout life "
Breastfeeding is the natural way of feeding babies, so it is important to make visible the social problems that exist and that force the mother to wean earlier than desired. In this sense, support and information are fundamental.
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