Breastfeeding - why is it worth it?
Breast milk contains all the most necessary nutrients for a baby. Experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend exclusive (no other foods) breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby's life. This does not mean, however, that breastfeeding cannot last longer. It can, and how long it lasts depends primarily on the needs of the baby and the mother.
- We know that breastfeeding is important and is the gold standard - said Aleksandra Wesołowska, MD, PhD, head of the Laboratory of Breastmilk and Lactation Research MUW and president of the Women's Milk Bank Foundation, during the debate. - The benefits of breastfeeding are manifold and do not relate solely to the mere aspects of feeding a child. Aleksandra Wesołowska, MD, PhD, stressed that there are many well-documented meta-analyses available that speak to the beneficial effects of breastfeeding on maternal health as well, including lowering the likelihood of hypertension. Data also indicate that each additional month of breastfeeding reduces the risk of many cancers, including breast and ovarian cancer. Breastfeeding also has a psychological dimension, because, as Wesołowska, MD, PhD, stressed, it is an extraordinary time to build a strong bond with the child.
Breastfeeding vs. social media communication
Asked about the difficulties faced by mothers starting to breastfeed, Magdalena Łosik, a midwife with more than a dozen years of experience, who runs numerous "birthing school" courses, spoke about the negative influence of social media. She stressed that many times people with no factual basis speak on the issue, and successful feeding is seen through the prism of not what to do, but what to buy. Therefore, in her opinion, it is extremely important that women who have started or are continuing to feed are the recipients of messages that are truthful and competence-building. And also supportive ones. - The suckling mechanism is a duo that has to work - Magdalena Losik stressed. - It is inherent in nature. Let's face it: feeding starts in the head, but it's not just a matter of the head. It is not zero-one, it is not easy, you have to try to be flexible. And that's why it's so important to support the psyche of moms - she said. Fortunately, there is pre-natal education and help from community midwives or lactation educators that new mothers can take advantage of after giving birth.
Pregnant and nursing women rights
According to information published on the website of the Medical Center MUW, almost 95% of non-working Polish moms declare their desire to return to work. And as Dr. Iwona Jaroszewska-Ignatowska, a legal counselor and doctor of legal sciences, pointed out during the debate, Poland has a legal code that is quite favorable to moms, and nursing women can enjoy additional privileges. At the same time, it poses an organizational challenge for the employer, which, however, he is able to meet, as long as he receives in advance all the information necessary to properly comply with the provision. Therefore, as Dr. Jaroszewska-Iganczewska stressed, it is very important to change attitudes and maturity on both sides in employee-employer relations.
The conference was held on Wednesday, August 2 at the Sports and Rehabilitation Center MUW. Participants in the discussion included: Marzena Pilaż-Herzyk (author of the momaprawniczka.pl blog), Marek Kubicki, managing director of Care Experts at Damian Medical Center, and Agnieszka Krzyżak-Pitura, sponsor and founder of the "Parent in the City" Foundation. The debate was moderated by Justyna Mieszalska, president of the Medical Center MUW. During the break, the participants of the debate had the opportunity to move with Margaret Perl from the Exercise is Medicine Foundation, who demonstrated some very simple exercises for moms.
The conference partners were: Creative Women's Foundation, Exercise is Medicine Foundation and Women's Milk Bank Foundation.
More about World Breastfeeding Week
