Public Health Director, Dr. Iwara, Tips Husbands On How To Support Their Breastfeeding Wives
To consolidate on the gains of the World Breastfeeding Week, The director of public health in Cross River State, Dr. Iwara Iwara, while speaking during a one-day media round table yesterday in Calabar gave some tips to husbands on how to support their wives for the stipulated 6-month duration of exclusive breastfeeding.
According to Iwara, husbands should not only make their wives comfortable when they are breastfeeding their newborn babies but should also abstain from incessant lovemaking.
READ ALSO: How Mothers Can Enjoy And Achieve Exclusive Breastfeeding- Nutrition Society of Nigeria
He said husbands have usually had all the time with their wives before the delivery of the newborn but as soon as the babies come in, they must be given total and adequate attention, care and steady breastfeeding.
Dr. Iwara who advocated paternity leave for men to enable them to assist their lactating wives also called for an extension of maternity leave to six months. According to the Dailytrust
Dr Iwara Iwara, said they always sensitize mothers as well as visit facilities across the state to ensure mothers breastfed their babies exclusively.
“We teach mothers to know that the best practice to feed a baby is through breastfeeding. Breast milk is the richest and best for every infant and we encourage them to feed for the first six months
and if possible for the first one year. It contains antigens and a lot of other factors that helps the baby grow. The immune status is built up.
The defense system is built up. Brain development is built up and the general child development is built up.
These go into better cognitive development in the later years to come. We encourage them to drink plenty of water and try and eat well and rest to sustain the breastfeeding,”
he said.