Mothers’ all over the world need support in the form of sharing the care responsibilities and balancing work life. Motherhood transforms women in so many ways and is an intense journey. Being a mother is at once dignified; exhilarating and exhausting; fulfilling and frustrating. While breastfeeding is how nature intended mothers to feed their babies, it is not the most natural skill and requires practice. In the case of a pregnant mother, in the context of breastfeeding, warm chain of support is defined as the skilled care provided to mothers to build their confidence and guidance to breastfeed with protection from harmful practices. Support can be in the form of giving reassurance, praise, information, and the opportunity for women to discuss problems and ask questions as needed. To complete the warm chain and sustain breastfeeding, consistent complementary care should be extended beyond the maternity ward, from antenatal clinics to primary care and community services, for sick and well children, throughout the breastfeeding period.
We need to be there for a mothers’ whole journey from pregnancy to new parenthood. Sensitive conversations during pregnancy, skilled help after birth, ongoing guidance and social support are all needed to enable mothers to feel confident and breastfeed successfully. On this Mothers’ Day, WABA takes the opportunity to celebrate mothers and honor their efforts to breastfeed their babies as well as care for their families in every way possible. We all have an important role to play in the warm chain of support to create an enabling environment for a breastfeeding mother.
For more information, contact:
Revathi Ramachandran, revathi@waba.org.my
