The first seven days of August are dedicated to World Breastfeeding Week.
The week aims to highlight the huge benefits breastfeeding can bring to the health and welfare of babies and their mothers, as well as a wider push for maternal health.
Life Roseacres Hospital hosted a special presentation last Tuesday in honour of World Breastfeeding Week and invited mothers-to-be and mothers to attend to gain vital information about breastfeeding.
Sr Waheeda Rahim and Sr Makhosazana Mlauza, unit managers for the neonatal intensive care unit (ICU) and maternity ward respectively, spoke to guests about the ins-and-outs of breastfeeding.
During Mlauza’s presentation, she taught those in attendance several different latching potions, and how to ensure that your baby latches properly.
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She also shared many of the benefits of breastfeeding.
“Breast milk contains everything your baby needs for the first six months of life, with the possible exclusion of vitamin D,” Mlauza said.
“It is loaded with antibodies, especially immunoglobin A, which can prevent or fight illness in your baby.”
It was then Rahim’s turn and she spoke about a rather sensitive topic, what happens if your baby is admitted to neonatal ICU.
“Many mommies, who have babies in neonatal ICU, are left panicked and stressed because they feel they are not bonding with their babies as they should be, and they are unable to breastfeed as they would in a ward,” Rahim began.
She explained that this is normal because many people have not been into the neonatal ICU unit.
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“When you see it for the first time, it can be a very strange and stressful experience,” she said.
She reassured the guests that even if the baby is in neonatal ICU, it can still be breastfed, just not by traditional methods depending on why it is in the unit.
“We ask our neonatal mommies to express milk which is then fed to the babies through a tube, which is fed through the nose and directly into their tummies,” she explained.
“As soon as the baby is able we will allow mommies to feed skin-to-skin as normal.”
Attendees were given the opportunity to interact with Mlauza and Rahim during and after the presentations, and were encouraged to ask questions.
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