Topic: Breastfeeding Awareness Week: How to Empower Mothers to Breastfeed
Celebratory periods, such as Breastfeeding Awareness Week, help new mothers learn about the positive role breastfeeding plays in a child’s developmental process. When other individuals insert themselves into the lives of new mothers, offering constant advice about how to mother, monitor the baby’s eating and sleeping patterns, and more, this may cause young mothers to feel wary and less confident. This also has the potential to impact their decision of whether or not to breastfeed. Instead, there are measures that can be taken that empower mothers to make the right decision for them and their child when it comes to the subject of breastfeeding.
Education is Key
Educational awareness is one of the primary ways that new or young mothers can be empowered to make the decision that is best for them and their newborn, especially in terms of breastfeeding. Science has continually pointed to the benefits of breastfeeding and making individuals aware of these benefits is an important key to empowerment.
Curating a Support System
One of the goals behind Breastfeeding Awareness Week is to curate a support system where mothers do not feel alone in their decision-making process. A support system builds confidence and takes away the angst involved in making the decision of whether or not to breastfeed.
Breastfeeding Services and Programs
Hospitals such as Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital have actively taken measures to support breastfeeding. For example, this particular hospital has been certified by the Utah Department of Health Stepping Up for Utah Babies Program as a 5-star breastfeeding-friendly hospital. Furthermore, the hospital permits mothers and their babies to stay in a room together 24/7. This bonding time is instrumental and also allows mothers to begin seeing, hearing, and understanding hunger cues from the child. Other services, such as virtual prenatal classes, offering mothers a personal-use breast pump, educating them on rights in the workplace that pertain to nursing mothers, and offering outpatient services designed to help women who are having problems breastfeeding, also promote breastfeeding through educational awareness and personalized help.
Key Takeaway
Health experts have used periods such as Breastfeeding Awareness Week to help educate and support mothers considering breastfeeding. The goal is to help build their confidence and help them make the decision that is best for them and their child. In addition, some certified hospitals, such as Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital, work to empower mothers by providing breastfeeding services and programs so that they can receive any help and support they need throughout the breastfeeding process.
Discussed Topic: Breastfeeding Awareness Week: How to Empower Mothers to Breastfeed
