World Breastfeeding Week: NAWOJ distributes incentives to expectant and nursing mothers

In commemoration of this years World’s Breastfeeding Week, the National Association Of Women Journalists NAWOJ, distributed incentives to both expectant mothers and nursing mothers as a way to encourage them breastfeed their babies exclusively.

Speaking during the excercise which took place at General Hospital Uwani Enugu state Nigeria, the Chairperson NAWOJ Enugu, Comrade Ngozi Ngene said it is in line with the state’s programme which is usually extended till end of August every year.
Comrade Ngene who stated that the event was organized to increase awareness on the need to highlight Exclusive breastfeeding owing to numerous benefits it has to both mothers and babies, called on government agencies and communities to create enabling environment for nursing mothers to embrace exclusive breastfeeding.
She said ”Exclusive breastfeeding is cost effective, it bonds mother and child, it makes a child to be academically and mentally fit. Exclusively breastfed child performs 13% higher than the child who was not.

“We have come to give out to these women soaps, diapers and detergents as incentives that would motivate them to be breastfeeding their babies exclusively”.
She equally said” we thank Real Pharmaceutical company for partnering NAWOJ in this initiative. They have equally given out some of their products to these women at a better discount rate”.

Speaking on the theme of this years World Breastfeeding Week which is STEP UP FOR BREASTFEEDING, EDUCATE AND SUPPORT,
A sales manager in the company, Lucky Nwajei noted that it is a clarion call to stakeholders to support the chain encouraging exclusive breastfeeding.

According to him ”we have pharmaceuticals that support breast milk. One of them, a pure extract formulated to support is MAMALET.”
”One of the reasons mothers easily switch to bottle feeding is lactation insufficiency which mamalet is available to fight. It promotes Polacten Synthesis in the body which is a hormone needed to produce enough breastmilk during lactation.
Because there is no way to know a mother who would experience lack during lactation, it is advised that pregnant women take it at around the 7th month of pregnancy or imediately after birth. Mix it in a cool neat water and take morning and night (10 grammes) every day as long as you breastfeed” he stated.

In a remark, the Deputy Director Nursing Services, General Hospital Uwani Enugu Mrs Igweagu Josephine Chinenye emphasized that to encourage breastfeeding, the center embarks on intensive and extensive health talks to mothers during anti-natl and post-natal classes.
She said ”we do weighing and baby show (demonstration).”

“Within one hour of delivery, we iniciate breastfeeding. Imediately after birth we lay the child on the chest of the mother to start early bonding. Sometimes where the placenta takes longer time to expell, breastfeeding can be of immense help as well as in the case of contracting the uterus and the mammory gland“.

Mrs Chinonso Jessica Okolie, a nursing mother at the hospital told newsmen that it was wonderful to exclusively breastfeed a baby.
”I did exclusive breastfeeding to my four children , this one I am carrying is 4months and has not tasted any other food or water except breast milk. She weighs 6.8 kg.
Though I was discouraged during the time of my second baby, but after I had visited the hospital and was educated on how to carry the baby when I want to breastfeed, when I applied the principles, my baby changed for good in both appearance and weight “

Some pregnant women including Mrs Adaugo Igwe, Chidimma Okereke and Jane Francis who benefited from the incentives from NAWOJ and their partner commended NAWOJ for organizing such an educative event.
” May God bless you all for this gifts. We will try as much as possible to breastfeed our babies exclusively from birth to 6 months”.

It would be recalled that First to Sevent August every year marks World Breastfeeding Week but Enugu state government extands hers till the end of August in order to accommodate women in rural areas in the all encompasing annual programme that helps curb maternal anf child mortalility in Nigeria and the world at large.