The Tribune

By FELICITY DARVILLE

MY toddler, Victory, turned two just a few weeks ago and she is still breastfeeding. I have been slowly weaning her, and I have cut down her feedings significantly. but she refuses to give up.

My milk supply is decreasing, but she doesn’t care. She will suck for comfort and accept whatever amount of nutritious milk comes out. That’s right - nutritious. People seem to think that because it’s been two years, the milk isn’t good anymore. But studies show that it is still providing vital nutrients for the child as long as the child continues to consume it.

Maybe I would not have been interested in weaning her if I wasn’t pregnant. But with another little one on the way, I am ready for her to move on to the next stage in her development. With patience, day by day, I see that I am nearing the goal.

Breastfeeding is such a wonderful experience. The bond between Victory and I is special to me. Breastfeeding allows us to be close, and for her to feel secure. It gives me confidence knowing that I am giving my baby the best start in life. After giving birth, I chose not to use contraceptives. Breastfeeding allowed me 18 months of amenorrhoea – the absence of a monthly cycle and therefore, natural contraception. Two months after the return of my cycle, my husband, Victor and I conceived. We couldn’t be more elated and we look forward to welcoming the new baby.

What I am doing is called tandem nursing, according to the nurses of the Bahamas National Breastfeeding Association (BNBA). Some mothers even breastfeed toddlers and newborns at the same time. However, this is not my goal. I have done my part! Victory exclusively breastfed for six months. I took this advice from the BNBA nurses. Some believe in offering solid foods much earlier. But I followed their advice and Victory did well without any food or water – only breastmilk for the first six months of her life. This chunky toddler is bright and smart with a vibrant personality. She has been healthy the whole time.

Culturally, it seems practices like these are not necessarily accepted. Many elder Bahamian women would say, “Get that baby off the breast!” “She is too big!” “Leave that for the new baby!” I took these assertions to Nurse Trineka Hall, president of the BNBA, who assured me they were unfounded. It is still seen as culturally inappropriate to feed babies beyond the first year, but this is something the BNBA is working to change.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO): “Breastfeeding is the normal way of providing young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. Virtually, all mothers can breastfeed, provided they have accurate information and the support of their family, the health care system and society at large.”

“Colostrum, the yellowish, sticky breast milk produced at the end of pregnancy, is recommended by WHO as the perfect food for the newborn, and feeding should be initiated within the first hour after birth. Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to six months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond.”

All over the world, there will be some cultural barriers to overcome. There is a possibility that colonisation affected the way Bahamians currently perceive breastfeeding. Prior to this period, breastfeeding was the norm. Bottles, sanitizing apparatus and formula were nowhere as readily available as it is today. There was a time when every baby that was born would be put on the breast as the natural, affordable, and sensible thing to do.

That sensibility led me to breastfeed all of my children. For my accomplishment, I received the “Breastfeeding Champion” award from the BNBA. For many years, I have supported the nurses by promoting their events and helping to bring awareness to their causes through the media.

But BNBA members are more than allies for a good cause. They are my friends... even like family. These nurses are truly unsung heroes. They work tirelessly to ensure that babies all over The Bahamas are breastfed. They talk with family members, they give out baby products, they offer sound advice, and they encourage parents on their breastfeeding journey. Even dad has a part to play. His support of the mother and willingness to assist in her needs is vital.

The BNBA has been a part of my life for many, many years now. It started with Nurse Carlotta Klass. Nurse Klass is known to me from my childhood, as I grew up in Holy Cross Anglican Church, where she is a long-standing member. She nurtured my gifts for many years as I was a member of her Brownies Brigade. Later on in life, when Nurse Klass saw that I began having children, she encouraged me to breastfeed and gave me all the ins and outs of its importance and what is required.

I did it with my first child, and I continue on to this day. That trend continued when Nurse Linelle Thompson became BNBA President. These are very special nurses. Assisting women with breastfeeding is a lifestyle to them, and not just a job. Linelle found a way to get to know everyone in my family, and she encouraged healthy lifestyles and healthy eating in addition to breastfeeding. Her husband, media pioneer Bob Thompson, was featured in Face to Face shortly after his death, as he was dear to our hearts. Linelle, Bob and Carlotta were all at my wedding, and so it is obvious the kind of impact these nurses have had in my life.

BNBA member Nurse Ampusam Symonette was in charge of the Maternity Ward at the Princess Margaret Hospital when two of my children were born, and she was outstanding from then until now. Nurses Anna Forbes, Debbie Munnings and Dr Lillian Jones were all guiding forces at different stages in my journey, providing genuine love and care. When Nurse Trineka Hall took over as BNBA president, that trend continued.

As I wrote this story over the weekend, Trineka passed by with gifts for Victory. I look forward to her helping me when my little angel is born, because every breastfeeding journey is just as different as every pregnancy. This is why BNBA members become lifelong friends and family, committed to seeing your family grow and succeed. They are convinced that by giving babies the very best start in life through breastmilk, it lays the foundation for a healthy family, hence community, and a healthy nation.

During the Breastfeeding Champions ceremony held at the Ministry of Health, other breastfeeding moms were honoured including: Geronique Mackey, a mother of a five-year-old boy and two month-old daughter; Rebecca Munnings, a mother-of-two from Exuma who managed to breastfeed from just one breast until her youngest was three years-old; Kelliann Rahming, a staff accountant in Tallahassee, Florida who came home to The Bahamas to have her baby; and Karasi Miller, mother to baby Bella.

During the ceremony, keynote speaker, nutritionist and attorney Adelma Roach pointed out that the Breastfeeding Programme is one of the hallmarks of the success of the Maternal and Child Health Initiative that was started in 1993 by the Ministry of Health. She said that breastfed babies get less sick and have a lower risk of allergies.

Breastfed babies are on a path to optimal brain development and they receive nutrients that help strengthen and develop their immature immune system in a way no other substance can. They have a reduced risk of ear infections and gastroenteritis, and a lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

Before the introduction of the Breastfeeding Programme, mothers who reported exclusive breastfeeding up to six months were at two percent. Eight years later, that rate was at seven percent. The hope is that it will continue to climb. They respond better to immunisation, and can be breastfed even if the mother has contracted COVID-19 or has any other type of disease. Breastfed babies have even scored better on cognitive development tests. They show a milder, calmer demeanour, which has led researchers to believe that breastfeeding has a connection to a decrease in violence in societies.

Ms Roach told those gathered that breastfeeding has the potential to save the planet: “Breastmilk and breastfeeding does not require the use of fossil fuel to make and deliver this milk to the baby, because it is made in the human body by God. Therefore, there is no need for formula manufacturing plants. These plants require energy which more than likely is either coal or fuel, which are the largest amount of fossil to operate; thus emitting carbon into the atmosphere. There is no need to use fossil fuel to make breast milk. The only energy that is burned in the process of making breast milk and the delivery of breast milk to the infant is the kinetic energy that the body makes inside the mother.”

The BNBA is on a mission to save the planet, one breastfeeding mother at a time. The association rounded off an exciting month last week with a breastfeeding class graduation. There were a total of 51 graduates, including 22 antenatal patients from the public clinic in Cooper’s Town, Abaco; one from Fresh Creek, Andros; four from Anne’s Town Clinic, Kemp Road; six from the Fleming Street Clinic and 15 adolescent girls from the PACE health clinic. Senior Nursing Officer Sherry Armbrister, Maternal and Child Health Coordinator brought remarks under the theme: “Supporting Breastfeeding for a Healthier Planet”. To reach out to the BNBA, email Nurse Hall at trinekahall1970@gmail.com.