World celebrates magical bond between mothers and newborns during Breastfeeding Week

Breastfeeding has a tremendous influence on the relationship between mothers and babies. A newborn receives the best nutrition from breast milk, which also promotes growth and development. Additionally, breastfeeding can assist the mother and baby to avoid many diseases and disorders.

One of the best strategies to ensure a child's health and survival is to breastfeed them. Less than half of infants under 6 months old are exclusively breastfed, in contrast to WHO recommendations. Breastmilk continues to supply up to half or more of a child's nutritional needs during the second half of the first year of life and up to one third during the second year of life, providing all the energy and nutrients that the infant needs for the first few months of life. Children who are breastfed score higher on IQ tests, are less likely to become overweight or obese or to develop diabetes later in life, according to the World Health Organization. 

Every year in the first week of August, WHO, UNICEF, and other ministries of health and civil society partners celebrate World Breastfeeding Week. The theme for this year is “Let’s make breastfeeding at work, work,” offering a tactical chance to promote fundamental maternity rights that encourage nursing, such as workplace accommodations following maternity leave of at least 18 weeks and ideally more than six months. More than half a billion working women do not receive the most basic maternity benefits, and many more are left alone when they return to the workforce, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

Jusoor Post asked Donia Atef, an Egyptian teacher and mother of two girls, about her experiences in breastfeeding. 

“The breastfeeding journey is full of ups and downs, difficulties, and special moments,” she said, adding, “After giving birth to my first child, I faced some challenges, and I was confused whether I was breastfeeding my baby in the right way or not.”

Atef said that she had to find answers, so she started following up with doctors to discover everything about breastfeeding.

“Allah creates this cycle to fulfill the infant’s needs. Mother milk contains all the vitamins, fats, and elements that make the child’s body strong,” she said. 

Atef added that breastfeeding has another benefit for the mother as well, as early breastfeeding helped her eliminate excess fat stored in the body during pregnancy. 

Reham Hassan, an Egyptian housewife and mother of three children, told Jusoor Post that breastfeeding strengthens the psychological bond between the mother and her infants. 

“Breastfeeding my first daughter was very painful,” she said, adding, “My body was not ready for such a process, and it needed time to adapt.”

Hassan explained that the mother’s hormones change during the breastfeeding period, which can be very uncomfortable. 

“I had to be ready 24/7 to breastfeed my infants under any circumstances. My body was not mine anymore and I was not able to refuse even if I was tired,” she said, but added that “feeding my infants made me happy.”