According to nutrition specialists at the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and Nutrition International, an NGO, nursing has no effect on a mother’s breast firmness.
On Monday in Abuja, experts announced this during a media orientation on optimal breastfeeding in observance of the 2023 World Breastfeeding Week (WBW).
While emphasising the benefits of optimum breastfeeding, Dr Temidayo Odebunmi, Head, Infant and Young Child Feeding, Nutrition Division, FMoH, refuted the myth that breastfeeding caused the breast to distort and sag.
“Breastfeeding does not cause a child to eat less or cause the breast to sag.
“You must feed the babies with patience, little by little, and with a range of nourishing foods to ensure adequate breast milk flow for the child to thrive on.”
Breastfeeding, she claims, does not cause drooping; rather, factors such as lack of exercise, an imbalanced diet, a lack of proper supports such as bra wearing, and others contribute to breast sagging.
“As a woman gets older, her breasts sag because the firmness of a breast is affected by age and other factors, not necessarily breastfeeding.”
Similarly, Mr Babajide Adebisi, Deputy Director of Nutrition International, emphasised the importance of following optimal nursing practises to ensure a kid receives appropriate nutrients from breast milk.
Adebisi, who also stated that breastfeeding does not cause breast sagging, recommended moms to eat good foods, live a healthy lifestyle, and ensure that their babies were exclusively fed breast milk from birth to six months.
Governors’ wives and stakeholders want a 6-month maternity leave programme.
He also urged workplaces to provide a welcoming and flexible environment for parents to properly nurse their children.
Mrs Grace Mogekwu, Chief Scientific Officer, FMoH, emphasised the importance of good breastfeeding practises one hour after delivery, exclusive breastfeeding for six months, continuous breastfeeding, and complementary feeding for at least two years.
“We do not encourage the use of infant formula except on rare occasions when it is required due to a variety of factors.”
“And when it is introduced, it must be practised under strict hygienic conditions in secure storage facilities,” she added.
According to Mogekwu, the benefits of nursing include ideal nutrients, readily digestible efficiency, protection against infection, lower costs, helping to delay a new pregnancy, and protecting the mother’s health.
She also advised against using feeding bottles, fake teats, or pacifiers on infants and young babies, citing them as risk factors for illness.
Mr. Sunday Baba, Director, Public Communication and National Orientation, Federal Ministry of Information, stated that the programme was designed to provide skills to the Food and Nutrition Media Team in order to promote nutrition in the country.
“It goes without saying that a healthy population is a profitable one, and a healthy population is unattainable without food and good nutrition,” he remarked.
As a result, Baba urged the media team to use their various platforms to promote breastfeeding, thereby addressing the issue of malnutrition and other health issues impacting mothers and children. (NAN)
