Colostrum isn’t dirt!

Source : Kutlwano

Author : Calviniah Kgautlhe

Location : Gaborone

Event : Health feature

“Some men have a tendency of sucking women`s breasts, ladies don`t let the men suck your breasts and deny your baby colostrum,”

Article: Calviniah Kgautlhe

After enduring an overly intense moment of p---u--shing and, p---ushing, and you finally hear your baby`s first cry, then you know you have done it, yes!

The moment the midwife hands you your beautiful bundle of joy exposing that cute innocent face, it fills you with delight.  

“This is the time when a mother begins to bond with their new born, and it is a very crucial moment of introducing your baby to your breast,” says Sefetoleng Bogwasi, principal registered nurse midwife at Princess Marina Hospital.

 “Any size of the breast or nipple is able to produce milk, so ladies stop making excuses!” says Sefetoleng.

Sefetoleng says as health officials they encourage mothers to breast feed their babies for six months. That means the baby is fed with nothing else but breast milk during this period.

However, the baby can be given vitamins, mineral supplements or medicines, if need be during the six months period. Afterwards, “this should be followed by timely, adequate, safe and appropriate complementary feeding, while continuing breastfeeding for two years and beyond.”

She says the most important aspect of breastfeeding is ensuring that you feed your baby with colostrum. “O seka wa e gamela fa fa fatshe jaaka bangwe ba tle ba dire ba re ke leswe”.

The midwife says colostrum plays a key role in establishing the baby`s digestive tract. “It lines the baby`s stomach, coats it to protect it from infections and diseases. It is produced in the breasts by the seventh month of pregnancy and continues through the first few days after birth.  In appearance, colostrum is thick, sticky, and clear to yellowish in colour,” says Sefetoleng.

“Some men have a tendency of sucking women`s breasts, ladies don`t let the men suck your breasts and deny your baby colostrum,” advises Sefetoleng rather rhetorically.      

 She says multitudes of children die on daily basis world-wide due to poor feeding practices, adding that some children suffer long-term effects from poor infant feeding practices including impaired development, malnutrition, and increased infectious besides chronic illness. Rising cases of obesity in children are also linked to lack of breastfeeding.

Principal Health officer, Kehumile Modise, also at Princess Marina, dismissed as a myth that breastfeeding causes breasts to sag. She says as one grows old ‘force of gravity acts on them.

“Young women, breastfeeding does not cause you to lose your cleavage, it will go anyways, those breasts are for feeding your baby,” adds Modise. ENDS

Teaser:

“Some men have a tendency of sucking women`s breasts, ladies don`t let the men suck your breasts and deny your baby colostrum”