32-years old Sneha Mukherjee was exclusively breastfeeding her new born, until one day a visit to the paediatrician revealed that the baby wasn’t gaining proper weight. Panicked, Sneha immediately introduced the formula milk in her baby girl’s diet. And why won’t she- when the doctor gave her a compelling and logical reason to do so.
New moms are giving their new-borns paediatric milk; as a matter of fact some even abandoned breastfeeding completely. How ironical isn’t it, despite of aggressive marketing of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of the baby, the reality is far from the truth.
Breastfeeding is supposed to be a normal process for every mother out there whether they like the idea or not. But it seems the reality is different. New mothers are suffering because of ignorance both from hospital staffs and caregivers. Educating a new mom is the first responsibility of the nurses, matron but it seems they are not doing their job properly.
According to Dr Vijaya Krishnan, “The new born should be breastfed in the first 48 hours. It is the most crucial period for the baby and mother. I know and have witnessed that many nurses are coming up with different ideas and that’s where the problem created.” Lack of encouragement from the nursing staff to breastfeed her new-born is creating difficulty. Instead of throwing light on why they need to breastfeed even if a mom is tired, the nurses are giving formula feed to the baby if the mother is not feeling up to it.
It is important that the baby spend maximum time next to their mother. In fact it is advisable instead of keeping the baby in their crib, mothers need to make their baby lie next and make them feed. A perfect latch is all a baby needs for that particular period.
We all are victims of misinformation. When a baby is born, he/she needs to be given utmost care and not put on unnecessary formula milk. Don’t feel ashamed of feeding your baby when it is needed, be it in metro, bus or any place. Remember, neither the surrounding nor the people are your priority but the baby is.
P.s Just don’t give up yet new moms, learn and read a lot…remember, breastfeeding is the best!
