World Breastfeeding Week | Semana Mundial de Aleitamento Materno 2011.

8/6/2019 World Breastfeeding Week | Semana Mundial de Aleitamento Materno 2011.

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WABA 2011

Talk to Me! Breastfeeding – a 3D experience?

Thisyear, we join together tocelebratethe collectivee orts around the world to protect, support,and promote breast eeding. As global exclusive

breast eeding rates continue to rise, you maywonder – why talk about breast eeding? Isn’t it anormal, physiological process? What do I have to do with it? This year’s action older is a collaboration amongsome o thebreast eeding movement’s newest aces along with severalveteran champions.

Wearealltravelingalongourowncontinuumo time and place, but what makes our journey so robust is the 3 rd dimension o communication . ”Talk to Me!”, the “3D”theme or WBW 2011, speaks toYOU!You as acaregiver (past, present, uture), youasan integralmember o society, you as a receiver and giver o knowledgeand support, and you as the young person thinking o thisissue or the rst time. Each o us plays a variety o roles andhas the most power ul tool needed – a voice to talk to othersabout why breast eeding matters, not only or health andwell-being, but also or the environment, orwomen’s rights,and or social advancement. Let’s enhance the perceptionandknowledgeabout breast eeding,andbring thedialogueto li e, making this year’s World Breast eeding Week (WBW)celebrationa true 3Dexperience:anopportunity oroutreach,

an investment in a healthy uture, and ultimately, a uni yinglens through which to see the world.

The Storyboard

Breast eeding – a biological unction; a public health issuethat hasbeen revisited time andtime again;a bond betweena mother and child. Breast eeding supports each o theMillennium Development Goals and has a large impact onthe uture well-being o our society.

Here’s a quick snapshot 1:w MDG 1 (hunger and poverty): The rst step towards

reducing undernutrition o children is optimal exclusivebreast eeding, enabling them to grow well rom the

irst days o li e; and continued breast eeding whencomplementary oods are introduced, to improvethe quality o the mixed diet. This also contributes toreducing householdcosts particularly in poverty strickeneconomies. 2

w MDG 3 (gender equality): Children receive an equalstart through breast eeding regardless o amily

income. Breast eedingalsoempowers women byenablingthemto beincontrol o their reproductivelivesandbe sel -

1. http://www.breast eeding.asn.au/advocacy/aba_millenniumDevelopmentGoals.pd 2. Black RE, Allen LH, Bhutta ZA, Caul ield LE, de Onis M, Ezzati M, et al. Maternal and

child undernutrition: global and regional exposures and health consequences. Lancet.2008 Jan 19;371(9608):243-60.

www.worldbreast eedingweek.orgPhotos are winners of WBW 2011 photo contest.© 2011 Photographer and WABA. All RIghts Reserved.

Breastfeeding EducationCampaign in School.© Dr. Rajinder Gulati

Elizabeth and Aidan at work.© Kathryn Palmateer



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5. Schmied, Virginia, et. al. “Women’s Perception and Experiences o Breast eedingSupport: A Metasynthesis”. 1 Mar 2011.

3. Black et al Global regional and national causes o child mortality 2008: a systematicanalysis. Lancet on line May 12, 2010.

4. Danzhen You, Wardlaw, Chopra et al Levels and trends in child mortality 1990 – 2009,Lancet September 18, 2020, page 932.

su cient in nourishing their in ants (without spendingmoney on breastmilk substitutes).

w MDG 4 (reduce child mortality): I all in ants were placedimmediately skin-to-skin, breast ed exclusively or sixmonths and then up to two years or longer with ageappropriate complementary eeding, under ve mortalitywould be reduced 13-20% worldwide. 3, 4

w MDG 5 (maternal health): Mothers’ risk o postpartum

hemorrhage is reduced by early initiation o breast eeding.Breast eeding also protects against anemia and maternaliron depletion due to lactational amenorrhea, and reducesthe risk o breast and ovarian cancers, and diabetes.

To help highlight the various entry points or communication,let’s zoom in and ollow the path o a young woman, Kim, andher encounters with breast eeding. Where will she receiveinformation, how will she use it, who will she talk to, andwhat does it indicate for her life ahead?

Note: Please feel free to edit or adapt any portion of thestoryline to better suit your region’s needs

w Kim is a girl born in today’s world. Her mother, a healthyindividual, chose not to breast eed Kim because sheexperienced some physical pain and was given con ictingadvice rom her various support networks. Kim’s exposureto breast eeding is there ore limited, although she doessee an aunt breast eed her cousin. She sees many dolls thatare sold with bottles and sees breasts portrayed only assexual objects in magazines and posters. Many events inher li e will impact and positively or negatively in uenceher perception o breast eeding.

Talking Point: Have you witnessed breast eeding in your own amily circle? Talk to your amily membersabout in ant eeding, share in a bit o amily history,and pledge to support each other. Mothers o youngadults need to explore their experiences o in ant

eeding, have them validated and be given theopportunity to learn how to support their children tobreast eed in the realities o the modern world.

Breast eeding or a healthy uture.

© Carmen P uyo Cahuantico

w Kim has grown into a young woman about to embark onher own li e journey. She considers what the uture holdsand how her independence will in uence her experiencesin this world. Knowing that she was not breast ed, Kimtalks to her mom about her di culties. Kim’s motherstruggled with breast eeding and wasn’t given the chanceto ask question or talk to anyone about her uncertaintiesand ears during her pre-natal visits at the health center.

Talking Point: As a new mother’s rst point o contact,the health system should have staf that not only possess updated knowledge, but also ofer guidanceand clari cation on how to sustain breast eeding. A 2011 metasynthesis o women’s perceptions and experiences o breast eeding support indicated that an authentic and acilitative style o healthworkers along with practical in ormation was thebest received. We learn best when we are active participants in the process. 5

w Kim needs to complete a school project and choosesbreast eeding as her topic. Her peers are puzzled and joke about her choice. When she asks them what theythink about breast eeding, none o them seems to haveencountered it be ore. Discouraged, Kim begins searching

or answers and comes across 20 years o research onbreast eeding, along with many other commentaries and

articles. There’s so much in ormation out there, but whyhasn’t she heard o it be ore?

Talking Point: There’s a lot o research geared toward mothers, but what about be ore she beginsmotherhood? Introducing breast eeding into healthcurricula and tying it in with public health is a great way to address preliminary in ormation. Young people are always curious about new things and ways to improve their own livelihood. Knowing that breast eeding has a wider impact will help themmake in ormed decisions or their uture ahead. I Kimdecides to start a amily with her signi cant other in

Mother overcome obstacles.© Edith Rojas Lopez.



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the near uture, they will need to make these decisionstogether. He may not have had the same awarenesson breast eeding issues or may ace pressure rom

riends or amily to behave a certain way. He may have learned to think o women’s breasts as sexual,and not appreciate their importance or motherhood.Preparing men as breast eeding advocates creates

shared awareness, accountability, and support.

w Kim has a riend, Mary, who is a single mother and domesticworker. While the two women lead diferent lives, they bothshare an interest in amily li e and maternal/child health.Kim asks Mary about her experience with pregnancyand how she ound support. Mary: “When I ound out I was pregnant, I went to the community health center or a consultation. I was nervous about the doctor’s possible“reprimand” or not knowing how to ollow all the procedures

or being pregnant. To calm mysel down, I imagined that thehealth workers were cordial, kind, and willing to support meby clearly communicating all the steps. However, when I got to the center, I was scared – ‘are the neighbors gossiping? How will I tell my mother? Will I be red rom my job? Will I still beable to go to school with such a big belly? What will li e belike when the baby is born? How will I get money to buy milk,diapers, and bottles or the baby? Didn’t I learn that exclusivebreast eeding is ree?’ As these thoughts raced in my head,a kind nurse calmed me down. She listened, understood my anguish, answered my questions, and explained that I would be giving my baby all the nutrition rom my breasts or the

rst 6 months. Most o all, she empowered me to believe in

mysel and not let ormula marketing pressure my decision. A ter I returned home, my mom hugged me and cried.She remembered how hard it was to go through the sameexperience a ter moving into the city rom the countryside.Despite her new environment, she had good support rom

my grandmother. So many riends appeared. I am not

alone, and my baby has meand my breastmilk!”

Talking Point: In 2008, the WBW theme ocused onmother support, particularly peer support. Here,the two women have divergent paths yet Mary shares with Kim the challenges and successes o her own experience. Kim can then use Mary’s story asan entry point when talking to other mothers whomay eel discouraged. As an ally o a breast eeding

mother, you can link mothers with each other,identi y opportunities or them to share their stories,or do something creative that would gain a wider community audience. You can also help a mother identi y people in her natural social network (older children, men, partner, mother/grandmother,neighbor, etc) who can help with domestic tasks. Bea voice or mothers around the world!

w Kim wonders what the transition is like or women whowant to work and continue to breast eed. She asks herteacher about maternity guidelines in the country. Theteacher is stumped. From his experience, pregnancy andchild-raising are personal issues, not something withwhich the employer was involved. The next day, Kim seesa local trade union poster stating that working womenhave the right to six months paid maternity leave. Shedecides to call the union and ask or more in ormation.

Talking Point:Every place o employment should have a maternity leave policy that allows a mother

to continue to breast eed while working. When at all possible, communication between mother and employer must take place be ore the projected birthdate and both parties should agree on a easible plan

or the woman to ul ll her role as a worker and asa mother so she can continue to breast eed. Whileworking, the employer must recognise a woman’sright to breast eed (International Labor Organisation,Maternity Protection Convention C183, 2000). By becoming amiliar with these rights, you can helptrade unions and women’s groups communicate thisimportant in ormation to mothers no matter i they work at home, or in the ormal or in ormal sector.

District commissioners remarkson the Importance o exclusivebreast eeding during the World

Breast eeding Week launch.© Sarah Onsase

Teen Mother Support – rst

time mother assisted by nurseand support group in achievingsuccess ul breast eeding – James Achanyi-Fontem.

Nursing and working.© Jenni er L. Kleckner



A review o Cali ornia’s WIC Association provides key insighton how we communicate. 7

The study states that each person has his/her own styleo conveying a message. Some pre er illustrations, otherspre er statistics, while others pre er sharing an experience.Communication isn’t just the content, but rather it’s whatyou bring rom prior understanding, experience, and culture.We can see rom the story above that there were many“episodes” over Kim’s li e that in uenced her perception o breast eeding.

When sharing about breast eeding to someone who maynot be aware, listen closely to their end o the story. Wherehave they heard about breast eeding or seen it in their personal lives? How does their role in the community add to or detract

rom breast eeding support? Frame your key points in a waywhere they t into the picture. For example, when talking toa young student, talk about how breast eeding impacts the

environment or what maternity policies are in place or youngpro essionals.

You might want to explore your own community and itscultural practices. What are the exclusive breast eeding rates?What are health practices like? How are marketing strategiesa ecting breast eeding or in ant ormula use? How areimages o breast eeding portrayed? This will help you identi yrelevant and pertinent messages. As we all know, healthmessages about breast eeding can educate the public, buteducation alone cannot create an environment that supportsbreast eeding.

As a communicator, it’s also vital that we “watch our language”.Diane Weissinger points out that the way we talk to peopleabout breast eeding can impact the way they internalise andsubsequently share the in ormation. 8 Words matter.

w Avoid using “best, ideal, optimal, perfect, or special”– This can imply that breast eeding is something additionalto achieve and not part o everyday li e. Breast eedingshould be portrayed as “normal” and any other alternativesare “less than normal”, there ore an in erior choice.

w Be careful of guilt – Women don’t breast eed or a multipleo reasons. It’s not their ault. Let’s work on normalisingbreast eeding and not blaming. Never add guilt to guiltand support whatever decision a mother makes.

w Focus on the relationship – Breast eeding representsa union o nurture and nature. We tend to discuss theintricacies o how the breast eeds the child ratherthan the elements o bonding and mothering. Let’snot orget the latter element and what it can provide

or child development as well as orwomen’s empowerment and well

being. Breast eeding is about morethan the milk.

6. http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/bfm.2010.0051

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7. http://bmsg.org/pdfs/BMSG_Issue_18.pdf 8. http://www.motherchronicle.com/watchyourlanguage.html

As Kim continues to discover more about her surroundings,she begins to realise that one choice will inevitably cascadeinto another, and communication at each juncture caneither be empowering or misleading. We all have, or will

ind ourselves in similar situations as Kim. As a healthprofessional, you may also be a family member. As ayouth, you may also be a caregiver. As an employer,you are also a mentor. The various dimensions o our lives

intersect, and we need to realise that breast eeding afectsall o these dimensions.

Where does the ownership o communication and decisionmaking lie? In what ways can a government efectivelycommunicate with its people, an employee communicatewith his/her employer, a amily communicate with each otherto shape and change the landscape so that breast eedingcan be normalised rather than marginalised? You can beginby establishing a knowledge base on breast eeding, andthen pairing the statistics and guidelines with use ul action

steps.

A 2010 study highlights the act that communityengagement is an area o increasing interest andattention and is essential to sustainable improvementsin community health. 6 The idea o community-basedparticipatory research has been success ul because it

ocuses on local voices. Coalitions made up o healthcare organisations, human service organisations,mother support groups, insurers, businesses, child-careproviders, mothers, and amily members bring togetherthe dimensions by aligning them with the same goal o creating breast eeding- riendly environments.

Let’s Talk!

A ter you read this story and begin to see the many entrypoints or communication, you might be wondering “howdo I communicate? Will it make a diference?” Let’s look at the second question rst. Yes, in ormation conveyedin a supportive manner does make a di erence. Goodcommunication is the basis o behavior change theories,

which explain that behavior change is based irst onawareness and the perception that there is a possibilityo success. So, yes, your eforts to share your knowledgeand support, and to share your questions, does make adiference. Then, ask yoursel how you normally share newin ormation with someone who is unin ormed and how youlearn rom this person’s views. How do you make sure theyunderstand what you say and that what you say is whatthey need to hear? All o the technical in ormation aboutbreast eeding has been care ully reviewed and synthesizedin medical journals throughout the years, but what we must

ocus on now is communicating this in ormation to wideraudiences who are traditionally uninvolved in breast eedingadvocacy, like young people.



Here are a few action ideas and success stories to inspire your imagination!

WBW OBJECTIVE ACTION IDEAS SUCCESS STORY

1.w Encourage the

use o new mediato reach largernumbers o peoplewith breast eedingin ormation.

Connect with other breast eedingadvocates by contributing to or ollowinga blog, browsing relevant Facebook pagesand Twitter eeds.

kellymom.com has over 30,000ollowers on Facebook and uses this

plat orm to share in ormation andhelp mothers connect.

2. w Create and increasecommunicationchannels betweendi erent sectors

so breast eedingin ormation andeedback can be

accessed andenhanced.

Contact local communicators: teachers, journalists, media o icers, students,community organisers – to help thembuild and share vital messages and raise

awareness.

Host a “World Ca é” event to discussbreast eeding. 9

The Tamizhosai Radio Youth andScience Forum in India hosted a quizprogram on breast eeding. Students,health workers, pro essors, and

mothers participated in the event andthe event was broadcast on National TV along with the All India Radio.

3. w Develop and scale-up communicationskills inbreast eeding andhealth trainings

Get in touch with local health centers andhelp them implement outreach e orts andtrainings.

Force 7, a youth social marketingteam, success ully increasedbreast eeding initiation rates bycreating an innovative training andin o sharing program or health carepro essionals on how to best promotebreast eeding to young parents. 10

4. w Encouragementorship o new breast eeding

advocates.

Engage grandmothers and older amilymembers in active advocacy by workingwith them to update their breast eeding

messages so they appeal to young mothers.

We’re waiting or your success storythis year!

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9. http://www.swaraj.org/shikshantar/expressions_brown.pd 10. http://www. orce-7.co.uk/news-article/breast eeding-training-programme.php

Three, Two, One Action!Nowthat we’velearnedhow toengage indialogue,it’s time or some brainstorming to see what wecan do during our WBW celebration to begin tocommunicate!

PROTECT:Sustain the momentum rom your WBW

celebrations - interview participants, gather simple statisticsand testimonies on breast eeding in your community,and use these results to lobby or a breast eeding- riendlyenvironment!

PROMOTE:Take advantage o the 2011 theme and ndcreative ways to publicise your events – try linking with

schools, universities, child care centers, healthcenters, community organisations, and socialmovements.This is o ten where young peoplecan be the most help ul!

SUPPORT:Identi ypeople in your network towork with and design programs or events or

WBW. Remember, it’s a team efort!

AND

Ask questions yoursel – learn about the power o communication to change behavior! Practice thecommunication techniques ofered! Find out about newe-communication, apps and social media that can help inour communications with young people everywhere!

Cameroon teen mother talkingto TV channel on baby positioning

during breastfeeding.© James Achanyi-Fontem



5. w Creatively explore,support, recognise,and implementinnovativecommunicationapproaches andprovide a space orpeople to develop

their ideas.

Host an event where people can share theirstories or showcase breast eeding in a creativeway.

Best Beginnings put together the“Get Britain Breast eeding”exhibitionin collaboration with several artinstitutions which eatures iconicdesigns to inspire, celebrate, andchange perceptions surroundingbreast eeding and engaging parentso tomorrow. 11

6. w Broaden the scopeo breast eedingadvocacy to involvetraditionally lessinterested parties(e.g., unions,human rights and

environmental activists, youth).

Encourage breast eeding education across thecurriculum in schools and universities and link with existing social cause groups to highlightbreast eeding through a variety o lenses.

Contact your employer or governmentsand ask them to sponsor a WBW event and

emphasise the need to prevent con licts o interest by avoiding sponsorship or any ormo collaboration with manu acturers anddistributors o products under the scope o the Code.

The Carolina Global Breast eedingInstitute and the Center or Women’sHealth and Wel are at the Universityo North Carolina campuses host theBreast eeding & Feminism Symposiumeach year and link both students

and pro essionals in dialogue onbreast eeding and gender issues. 12

OVERALL COORDINATIONWABA SecretariatP O Box 1200, 10850 Penang, MalaysiaFax: 60-4-657 2655, [email protected]

AFRICAIBFAN A ricaP O Box 781, Mbabane, SwazilandFax: 268-40 40546, [email protected]

IBFAN A riqueCite Ouaga 2000, 01 BP 1776,Ouagadougou 01, Burkina FasoFax: 226-50-374163, [email protected]

ASIAWABA Secretariat (See address above)

South AsiaBreast eeding PromotionNetwork o India (BPNI)

BP-33, Pitampura, Delhi 110 034, IndiaFax: 91-11-2734 3606, [email protected]

EUROPEBaby Milk Action34 Trumpington Street, CambridgeCB2 1QY, UK Fax: 44-1223-464 [email protected]

CoFAM / SMAM163 rue de Bagnolet, 75020 Paris, FranceFax: 01-4356 [email protected]

IBFAN-GIFAAvenue de la Paix 11, 1202 Geneva,SwitzerlandFax: 41-22-798 4443, [email protected]

AktionsgruppeBabynahrung Ev (AGB)Untere Maschstrasse 21D-37073 Gottingen, GermanyFax: 49-551-531 035, [email protected]

LATIN AMERICACEFEMINAApartado 5355, 1000 San Jose, Costa RicaFax: 506-224 3986, [email protected]

CEPRENAv. Pardo, 1335 Of.301-302, Lima-18 PeruFax: 51-1 241 [email protected]

IBFAN BrasilRua Carlos Gomes, 1513, Sala02 Jd. Carlos GomesJundiai-SP-Brasil.CEP: 13215-021Fax: (11) 4522 5658

NORTH AMERICALLL International957 N. Plum Grove RoadSchaumburg, IL 60173-4808, USAFax: 847-969 0460

[email protected] • www.llli.orgINFACT Canada520 Colborne Street, London, Ontario,Canada, N6B 2T5Fax: 1-416-591 [email protected]

PACIFICAustralian Breast eedingAssociation (ABA)P O Box 4000, Glen Iris, IC 3146, AustraliaFax: 61-3-9885 [email protected]

Development Ofcer PINDAc/o Christine QuestedNutrition Centre Health DepartmentPrivate Mail Bag, Apia, Western SamoaFax: 685-218 [email protected]

WABA does not accept sponsorship o any kind rom companies producing breastmilk substitutes,relatedequipment andcomplementary oods.WABAencourages allparticipantso World Breast eeding Week to respect and ollow this ethical position.

Your local contact:

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A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s

WABA would like to thank Katherine Houng for drafting this year’s WABA WBW Calendar and Action Folder,and the following individuals and organisations for their review and inputs. Writers: Katherine Houng.Final Editing : Julianna Lim Abdullah. Advisors: Felicity Savage, Sarah Amin, Miriam Labbok, LourdesFidalgo, Marta Trejos. Contributors: Amal Omer-Salim, Amura Hidalgo, Anne D everaux, Jennifer Mourin,Manami Hongo, Rebecca Magalhaes, Veronica Valdes, Virginia Thorley, Louise James, Pushpa Panadam,Tereza Toma, Khaterine Rodriguez, Floryana Viquez, Johanna Begerman, Sue Saunders, Elise Van Rooyen,Els Flies, Amara Peris, Nune Mangasaryan, Paige Hall Smith, Alison Linnecar, Annelies Allain. Production:Julianna Lim Abdullah, Pei Ching and Adrian Cheah. This project is funded by the Norwegian Agency ForDevelopment Cooperation (NORAD).

The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) is a global network of individuals andorganisations concerned with the protection, promotion and support of breastfeedingworldwide based on the Innocenti Declarations, the Ten Links for Nurturing the Future andthe WHO/UNICEF Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding. Its core partners areInternational Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), La Leche League International (LLLI),International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA), Wellstart International and Academyof Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM). WABA is in consultative status with UNICEF and an NGO inSpecial Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC).

WBW Coordinating &Distributing Centres

11. http://www.bestbeginnings.in o/get-britain-breast eeding12. http://www.uncg.edu/hhp/cwhw/symposium/homepage.html

Taking Breastfeeding Awarenessto the next generation with Art.

© Lynette Sampson

The present and the future is inour children. Educating children

on breastfeeding and theenvironment.

© Edith Rojas Lopez

World Breastfeeding Week | Semana Mundial de Aleitamento Materno 2011.

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Transcript of World Breastfeeding Week | Semana Mundial de Aleitamento Materno 2011.