City commemorates World Breastfeeding Week
Municipality empowers mothers with more knowledge on how to breastfeed and the importance thereof.
The City of Ekurhuleni marked World Breastfeeding Week (August 1 to 7) by hosting a workshop in Etwatwa to impart knowledge to young mothers on breastfeeding.
This was also to give new mothers the confidence not to forsake breastfeeding their children due to lack of private spaces as it is not a taboo to breastfeed in public.
Promise Phasha (18) is a new mother to a one-month-old.
She enjoys everything about motherhood, but has been worried about feeding her child only breast milk without supplementing it with formula milk.
Promise’s firstborn, Yakhokuhle, was born prematurely at seven months.
“Nurses encouraged me to breastfeed my child to assist with his bone development,” she said.
Read: Mothers encouraged to breastfeed regardless of HIV status
“I never thought he would survive with just breast milk, but now he is making good progress and he is healthy and strong.”
New mothers and those who have breastfed before shared their experiences and encouraged each other to breastfeed their little ones.
Challenges highlighted by the breastfeeding mothers ranged from weight gain and loss while breastfeeding, swelling of the breasts and babies refusing to eat real food after the first six months of compulsory breastfeeding.
However, the city’s health officials attended the event to allay the mothers’ fears and concerns and to empower them with more knowledge on how to breastfeed and the importance thereof.
The commemoration activities included information-sharing on family planning, sexual health education, voluntary HIV/Aids testing and child immunisation.
Ekurhuleni’s head of Women and Children Directorate, Lindiwe Khonjelwayo, encouraged mothers to register the births of their newborn babies with Home Affairs timeously, and to breastfeed and immunise them.
Have a story?
Contact the newsroom by emailing: Thelma Koorts (editor) brakpanherald@caxton.co.za
or Stacy Slatter (news editor) stacys@caxton.co.za
or Miné Fourie (journalist) minev@caxton.co.za
Remember to visit the Brakpan Herald on the following social media platforms:
Follow us:
