The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Each year worldwide August 1 to 7 is celebrated as Breast Feeding week. The theme for this year advocates for us to “Step Up For

Breastfeeding: Educate and Support.” The Midwives Association of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas (MACB) continues to encourage mothers throughout The Bahamas to “step up” and Breastfeed. We would also like to encourage Midwives and Nurses to elevate our education to mothers and families, bringing awareness of the importance and value of breastfeeding. We must support ourBreastfeeding Association and their initiatives.

The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, followed by continued breastfeeding with the appropriate complementary foods for up to two years and beyond.

They also recommend early and uninterrupted skin-to skin contact, rooming-in and kangaroo mother care which significantly improve neonatal survival and reduce morbidity. The MACB support these initiatives and encourage Midwives here in The Bahamas to initiate breastfeeding as soon as possible after birth, within the first hour after delivery.

Education to our mothers and families is important. Midwives, as skilled professionals must continue to promote, educate, establish and support exclusive breastfeeding, highlighting the benefits especially as the world is faced with the COVID 19 pandemic. One of the important benefits is that, breast milk contains a variety of components that help protect babies from infection and disease.

The MACB take this opportunity to encourage Midwives, who are trained and skilled in the management of breastfeeding to: “Step Up For Breastfeeding: Educate and Support.”

Andrea Nottage

President

The Midwives Association of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas