The world breastfeeding week has ended, and the theme for the year was “let’s make breastfeeding and work, work!” as it focuses on promoting practices that can help support workplace-related breastfeeding in different countries.
Despite the yearly awareness on exclusive breastfeeding, a number of women are still unconvinced on the need to exclusively breastfeed their babies for at least six months.
Exclusive breastfeeding means, feeding your baby on breast milk only, except if the mother or child is on any form medications, or taking supplements during the period of breastfeeding.
Experts say, feeding your baby exclusively can reduce the risk of gastrointestinal infection for the baby, and help in more rapid maternal weight loss after birth, coupled with a delayed return of menstrual periods.
But a group of women, in separate interviews in some parts of Calabar, capital of Cross River State say mothers should not be forced to breastfeed their babies, as some mothers relayed their experiences.
World breastfeeding week started in 1992, in a bid to generate public awareness and support for breastfeeding, and it is officially celebrated on the 1st – 7th of August, every year.
