Breast milk is an ideal solution for babies’ nutritional needs in the first months of life – it’s safe, it’s pure, and it contains exactly the energy and nutrients your baby needs to grow and develop in the first six months. Furthermore, during the second half of the baby’s first year of life, mother’s milk can cover up to more than half of the energy and nutritional needs. The WHO therefore recommends breastfeeding for at least six months, and that from 6 months of age babies should be introduced to safe, well-adapted food alongside breastfeeding – preferably for up to two years or more.
Despite mother’s milk being such an ideal solution to energy and nutritional needs, according to the World Health Organization, only one third of infants worldwide are breastfed for at least six months. The WHO argues that irresponsible advertising of infant formula works against improving these figures. One of the goals the WHO is working towards is to increase the proportion of breastfed children to 50% by 2025. To achieve this goal, the WHO runs, among others, the NetCode initiative to monitor and prevent irresponsible marketing of infant formula. It is also actively working to train health professionals to provide professional breastfeeding support and to help breastfeeding mothers overcome breastfeeding problems.
Read more on the WHO website: https://www.who.int/health-topics/breastfeeding
We interview Sara, founder of the successful women’s health company Womensync, about the experience of becoming a mother.
About dealing with the trauma of childbirth and the pain of breastfeeding.
And of course, about Sara and her fiancé’s solutions to make life work as self-employed and parents of young children.
It is hardly illegal to be unable to breastfeed or to give your child formula. However, it is illegal to provide information about alternatives to breastfeeding through marketing.
WHO rekommenderar uteslutande amning under de första 6 månaderna. UNNA stödjer detta till fullo liksom fortsatt amning tillsammans med introduktion av en varierad kost enligt råd från barnhälsovården.
The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months. UNNA fully supports this as well as continued breastfeeding along with the introduction of a varied diet as advised by child health services.
