2023-08-01 01:46:30
World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from August 1 to 7 and seeks to promote breastfeeding and the benefits it offers for both babies and mothers. The motto of the week this year 2023 is Breastfeed and work: let’s make it possible!
The World Breastfeeding Week It is held the first week of August each year, with the support of the World Health Organization (OMS), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF for its acronym in English) and many Ministries of Health and civil society partners. The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action He was) is a global network of organizations and people in favor of this cause that also collaborates and promotes this celebration.
The date was officially proclaimed in 1992 coinciding with the Anniversary of the Innocenti Statement, formulated by senior officials of these two organizations in August 1990 in order to protect, promote and support breastfeeding. However, in Europe, and also in Spain, since August is the height of the holiday period, Breastfeeding Week is celebrated in October. This date was chosen because, if a pregnancy began on January 1, the probable date of delivery and the start of lactation would be in the 41st week of the year, so it was decided to move it to the first Sunday of October.
Making breastfeeding and work compatible is this year’s motto
This year’s theme focuses on breastfeeding in the workplace, a strategic opportunity to defend the fundamental rights of mothers who wish to breastfeed. It seeks to promote the implementation of policies that support breastfeeding, such as maternity leave of at least 18 weeks, ideally extending it to more than 6 months, and adaptations in the workplace to facilitate the continuity of breastfeeding once mothers return to their work. These are crucial and urgent questions to ensure that women have the ability to breastfeed for as long as they wish to.
In fact, the OPS (Pan American Health Organization) has organized a Web seminar on August 3 to support breastfeeding in the workplace.
More than 500 million working women do not have access to provisions related to maternity
Shockingly, more than half a billion working women lack basic childbearing provisions, limiting their ability to breastfeed adequately. In addition, many more women do not receive the necessary support when they return to work after the period of maternity leave.
Only 20% of countries require employers to provide employees with paid breaks and facilities for lactation or milk expression. In addition, less than half of children under 6 months are exclusively breastfed, which is the WHO and UNICEF recommendation for all newborns. In this sense, the WHO has set itself the challenge of increasing the rate of exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months to at least 50% by 2025.
According to WABA only 43 countries worldwide have ratified the Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No. 183) of the International Labor Organization (OIT), which establishes a maternity leave of not less than 14 weeks. Although most countries have included some form of maternity leave in their laws, there are wide disparities with only 18 countries meeting or exceeding the 18-week standard recommended by ILO Recommendation 191.
In addition, around 70 countries do not provide the right to breastfeeding breaks, and many of them only allow six months of breastfeeding breaks or leave, despite the fact that breastfeeding is recommended for two years or more.
In this context, it is essential to promote measures that support breastfeeding in the workplace and promote a culture of support for lactating mothers. By implementing policies that protect the rights of motherhood and provide facilities to continue breastfeeding after returning to the world of work, it contributes not only to the well-being of mothers, but also to the optimal development and health of babies.
Purported benefits for mother and baby
Breastfeeding offers a wide range of benefits for both the baby and the mother.
For the baby:
Healthy Nutrition: Breast milk contains all the essential nutrients that the baby needs for healthy growth and development during the first months of life.
Protection against diseases: Breast milk contains antibodies that help strengthen the baby’s immune system and protect it against various diseases and infections, such as respiratory or gastrointestinal, therefore reducing infant morbidity and mortality.
Lower risk of allergies: Breastfed babies have a lower risk of developing food allergies and eczema compared to formula-fed babies.
Cognitive development: Some studies suggest that breastfeeding is associated with better cognitive development and a higher IQ in childhood.
Prevention of obesity: Breastfed babies have a lower risk of developing obesity in childhood and in adulthood.
Lower risk of chronic diseases: Breastfeeding has been shown to be associated with a lower risk of developing chronic diseases in adulthood, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
For the mother:
Postpartum recovery: Breastfeeding stimulates the release of oxytocin, which helps the uterus to contract and return to its normal size after delivery.
Improves women’s health: Breastfeeding has been associated with a lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer in mothers. In addition, it favors the increase of time between pregnancies.
Emotional benefits: Breastfeeding can strengthen the bond between mother and baby, promoting greater emotional connection. Most women have a sense of satisfaction when successful lactation is achieved.
Calorie Burn: Breast milk production requires energy, which can help some mothers lose extra weight gained during pregnancy.
Greater protection against postpartum hemorrhage: Breastfeeding can reduce the risk of excessive bleeding after delivery.
Ease and Cost Savings: Breast milk is always available and requires no preparation, making the feeding process easy and saving money on formula and bottles.
It is important to note that each experience is unique and that some women may face challenges in breastfeeding. In these cases, it is essential to have the appropriate support and guidance from health professionals to ensure the well-being of both mother and baby.
Debunking some myths about breastfeeding
For decades, health authorities have emphasized the benefits of breastfeeding, backed by solid scientific evidence..
However, as to the cognitive benefits for breastfed children, questions have been raised. Some studies indicate that these benefits could be attributable to other factors, such as being raised in homes with better resources and educational advantages provided to children.
The challenge for researchers lies in the design of unbiased studies. Most previous research has not been able to randomly assign infants to different study groups, which makes it difficult to neutralize factors such as socioeconomic and psychological characteristics of mothers that may influence the adoption of breastfeeding.
Recently, UNED research has attempted to address this problem by studying the correlation between breastfeeding and educational results in a context less affected by selection biases. Using data from more than 3,200 children from the Chinese Family Studies Panel, it is hoped to shed light on the connection between breastfeeding and educational performance, providing a more comprehensive and accurate perspective on the effects of this practice.
Judgments and destructive criticism against women who do not breastfeed
Society is advancing rapidly in pursuit of equality and human rights, but it is also facing controversies that affect freedom of choice. A clear example is the controversy surrounding maternity, where mothers They are harshly criticized due to different approaches to parenting, whether they opt for breastfeeding or formula, among many others..
Issues such as breastfeeding, co-sleeping or going back to work generate thousands of opinions and constant attacks among mothers with divergent views.. This diversity of opinion is not the problem, but rather the fact that some attacks can make some women feel like bad mothers.
It is essential to promote respect and mutual understanding in this area, so that all mothers feel supported in their decisions and do not face judgments and destructive criticism..
Parenting as a new form of slavery
The book The woman and the mother from French philosopher, Elisabeth Badinter, goes further and addresses a debate that has raged for two decades: breastfeeding. The author argues that parenting has become is a new form of slavery for women. As a renowned feminist author, Badinter argues that society has established the belief that the “good mother” is one who breastfeeds her child.
This approach has generated controversy and polarization between different sectors of society. Badinter’s analysis on this topic questions the stereotypes and expectations associated with motherhood and defends the importance of respecting the individual choice of women regarding the upbringing of their children. Her work raises profound reflections on freedom of choice and the diversity of experiences that can coexist in motherhood.
Parenting with progressive overtones that takes women back home
The author of the book Mammalian mothersEva Millet, questions a system of upbringing with progressive overtones but linked to the elites, which seems to bring women back to the home. According to Millet, mothers in the past did not feel guilty, but today they are pressured by expectations that require them to be perfect, respectful and attached mothers to their children.
This parenting approach is based on pillars such as natural and demedicalized childbirth, prolonged breastfeeding and on demand, co-sleeping and babywearing.. However, the writer and journalist, Eva Millet, argues that these postulates are not always possible or desirable for all women, who also play other roles in society.
Millet argues that this upbringing can generate feelings of guilt in mothers for not being able to comply with all these guidelines. Therefore, he questions this perspective, stating that parenting should be adapted to the individual needs of each woman instead of following a rigid and unscientific lifestyle..
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