BY OLUWATOSIN IGHOTEGUONO
SOME CAREER WOMEN HAVE CALLED ON GOVERNMENT TO INCREASE MATERNITY LEAVE TO SIX MONTHS
THIS 1S TO ENABLE THEM PRACTISE EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING MORE EFFECTIVELY
THEY SPOKE ON THE OCCASION OF THIS YEAR’S WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEK.
ACCORDING TO MEDICAL EXPERTS, BREASTFEEDING IS ONE OF THE MAJOR WAYS THROUGH WHICH MOTHERS ENSURE A HEALTHY LIFE FOR THEIR BABIES
THIS IS BECAUSE IT HAS A NEARLY PERFECT MIX OF VITAMINS, PROTEIN AND FAT, ALMOST EVERYTHING A BABY NEEDS TO GROW
IT IS IN VIEW OF THIS THAT EVERY MOTHER IS BEING ADVISED TO BREASTFEED THEIR BABIES FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF LIFE BEFORE INTRODUCING OTHER FOODS
THIS PRACTICE IS POPULARLY REFERRED TO AS EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING WHICH SOME MOTHERS HAVE EMBRACED FOR THEIR CHILDREN.
HOWEVER, SOME CAREER MOTHERS IN AKURE, ONDO STATE HAVE SAID AS MUCH AS THEY WOULD LOVE TO BREASTFEED THEIR BABIES EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS, THE ISSUE OF FOUR MONTHS MATERNITY LEAVE POSED A MAJOR CHALLENGE AS POSITED BY MRS AANUOLUWAPO DANIYAN, TEMITOPE ADEOLU AND RHEMA BAJEH.
MRS DANIYAN, ADEOLU AND BAJEH THEREFORE APPEALED TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO INCREASE MATERNITY LEAVE TO SIX MONTHS WHILE ALSO ENCOURAGING STATE GOVERNMENT TO DO SO.
SPEAKING ON THE BENEFITS OF BREASTFEEDING, A CAREGIVER, MRS JULIE MOGBO EXPLAINED THAT APART FROM NOURISHING BABIES THE PROCESS OF BREASTFEEDING FACILITATE BONDING BETWEEN MOTHERS AND THEIR BABIES
MRS MOGBO HOWEVER ENCOURAGED FAMILIES TO ALLOW PARENTS ESPECIALLY MOTHERS TO TAKE DECISIONS ON HOW TO BREASTFEED THEIR BABIES
THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR’S WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEK IS “SUPPORT BREASTFEEDING FOR A HEALTHIER PLANET”