World Breastfeeding Awareness Week

Nothing beats the immunity and nutrients provided to a baby via its mother’s milk. A newborn’s first immunity shot and a mother’s emotional connect – it all comes with breastfeeding. Though a very obvious thing for many societies and countries across the world, there are millions of newborns who do not get their chance at their mother’s breast milk. To ensure every newborn gets their best shot at life in its initial days, WHO observes the first week of August i.e. from the August 1st to August 7th each year as World Breastfeeding Awareness Week.

This year’s theme for this week is “Support breastfeeding for a healthier planet.”

Though it is presumed that breastfeeding comes naturally to new mothers, it is really not so. New mothers need support in initiating as well as sustaining breastfeeding their newborn. This support is provided primarily by healthcare professionals and lactation counsellors who help women understand how to go about feeding their baby. This support may be provided at the healthcare facility right after delivery, at home and even in community programmes. However, in the current scenario of COVID-19, many of these programmes have been disrupted and require innovative ways to ensure women get the support they need for breastfeeding their baby.