Breastfeeding Pinay, SM addresses the importance of breastfeeding in the COVID-19 pandemic

Breastfeeding is essential for infant development. Breast milk provides the necessary nutrition for the first few weeks and helps build a strong foundation for subsequent growth. In addition, by requiring breastfeeding during the COVID-19 epidemic, strengthening the immune system also helps protect against disease.

“The antibodies that a baby can get from breast milk are very protective and the ingredients vary depending on what is happening around the mother. Therefore, if the mother is actually sick, the milk it produces will contain antibodies that protect the baby.Bing Guevara, one of the founders of Breastfeeding Pinay, a group dedicated to promoting breastfeeding and supporting breastfeeding mothers through knowledge sharing and counseling.

Also, as the country complies with Breastfeeding Awareness Month in August this year, to make mothers breastfeeding in the COVID-19 health crisis more vulnerable to anxiety and mental fatigue. The focus is on providing all the support you need. Secondly, breastfeeding can be made more stressful.

According to Guevara, one of the biggest concerns a breastfeeding mother may face during a pandemic is breastfeeding a baby if it tests positive for COVID-19. Is it possible? This is described in the Ministry of Health’s Preliminary Guidelines for the Management of COVID-19 in Pregnant Women, Expected Women and Newborns, quoted by Guevara.

“Healthcare providers should assess whether their mother has any symptoms. If there are no symptoms, mom and baby will automatically be together. However, if you have symptoms, your healthcare provider should inform your mother about the risks and benefits of not divorcing your mother, rather than two weeks of divorcing your baby and mother.Said Guevara.

From their end, breastfeeding Pinays have also experienced many regressions in supporting breastfeeding mothers. Admins and volunteers are not allowed face-to-face counseling and training. They are also dealing with more work at home as a result of modified labor agreements and far learning for their children. However, the group is looking for ways to make these mothers continue to have access to support.

“Most of these are managed online. We have organized a webinar on breastfeeding and supplemental nutrition that allows counselors to do online counseling. our Hakabuna! Done online. We’ve also moved some basic information about breastfeeding from private forums to public pages for more people to access.“Abby Coflosa, the founder and president of Breastfeeding Pine, said.

Next, Guevara and Co provided tips on breastfeeding during the COVID-19 epidemic. Among these, I’ve read about guidelines that breastfeeding mothers must follow to protect their mothers and babies during a pandemic, such as those recommended by the World Health Organization. According to these guidelines, a mother can continue to breastfeed her baby if she is positive for COVID-19. Wear a mask and just wash your hands before and after latching while breastfeeding.

Over the years, SM has been supporting breastfeeding mothers through a variety of initiatives. For example, all SM malls in the country have designated breastfeeding stations and are equipped with all the essential facilities that have benefited more than 1 million breastfeeding mothers to date. SM is also a breastfeeding Pine partner.

“Breastfeeding is essential for a child’s growth. So we have to advocate it. And the way we do this is our mission to provide a caring and supportive environment for all breastfeeding mothers through a number of programs implemented and supported in all spaces.“Berna Velasco, Program Director, SM Care Program for Women and Breastfeeding Mothers.”

Breastfeeding Pinay invites breastfeeding mothers to participate annually Hakabuna! For interested participants, please visit our Breastfeeding Pinay Library on Facebook.