Mother-to-mother support around the world

 

Argentina

 

There are a lot of “Amamenta” groups in Argentina, more than 50 or 60 that have been for more than 15 years. The national IBFAN organization helps with payment for mobile phones so that mothers have easy access to help. Training is also provided by IBFAN. Mothers are provided with breast-feeding information and knowledge about the International Code. These mothers were very valuable in monitoring for Code violations and contributed significantly to the recent Argentina code monitoring project. As new mothers are trained the network grows. New mothers are placed with experienced mothers and they are working in hospitals by supporting mothers at delivery and in implementing the BFHI.

 

Information provided byFernando Valone,Fundación, LACMAT, IBFAN Argentina

 

 

Amamanta is a mother-to-mother breastfeeding support group that works in San Fernando since 1986 (20 km. to the north of the Capital). At the beginning a doctor invited a few mothers to talk about breastfeeding and since that time each year we join once a week to share our experience about breastfeeding but also all concerned with children’s growth and women’s reproductive rights.

 

We have been working in our community for 15 years to promote BF. We go weekly to San Isidro Hospital to help mothers to initiate and sustain breastfeeding. We continuously monitor the Code as consumers and we collaborate with the Argentine Society of Paediatricians in the BFHI.

 

Our children are not babies any more but we still think we have something to say about BF and we expect that telling new mothers of our experience can help them to take a “life decision.”

 

Our training in BF is just to put our ears and our heart for 15 years every week to listen to the mothers that come to Amamanta trying to solve their problems. Many times we noticed that mothers need only to be listened to. They find in Amamanta a place where all of us are equal no matter the profession you have, the religious you practice or where you come from…we are all mommies. Amamanta is a place where you can tell your story, where you can share your problems and where you can express your fears and pleasures. None is judged or pointed to or stigmatized. We try to help moth-ers to feel free to talk. We try to make them strong in their beliefs and to improve their self-esteem.

 

We think that the BF is a way to make this world a better place to live, more generous and more equal for all human beings.

Thanks to Ines Copertari, IBFAN Argentina.

 

 

New Zealand

 

   An interesting example from Christchurch, New Zealand includes a publicly funded midwife birthing centre with paid lactation services. The clinic developed into a centre for mother-to-mother sup-port, providing not only social but also continuous breastfeeding sup-port. The mothers produced their own newsletter with topical items - their passionate mother stories, and important infant feeding information. Unfortunately the centre became a victim of health care cut-backs and the mothers and babies lost an important resource.

 

The clinic had the best breast-feeding rates in New Zealand. One of the midwives had a initiation of 97% at birth and 77% at 6 weeks, says Marcia Annandale, “This is far beyond the average in New Zealand and indicates how effective the environments are to enable mothers to breastfeed”.

 

Thanks to Marcia Annandale, lactation consultant and regional representative for IBFAN

 

 

Macedonia

 

As part of their commitment to the BFHI, Macedonia recognized the need for continuous sup-port to establishing a breastfeeding culture, through the launching of mother to mother support groups. Objectives for the groups were first to inform and empower women to make decisions about their health and the health of their families; secondly, to increase the rates of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and continued breastfeeding to two years and more.

 

Some interesting observations:

                   

The rates of exclusive breast-feeding for six months have increased to 65 per cent of those initiating breastfeeding, Communications between mothers is spreading important messages about breastfeeding, Mothers have become involved in monitoring of the International Code and reporting violations Mothers have become the “asses-sors” of hospital practices to ensure that they remain  consistent with the requirements of the BFHI New mothers are informed in advance about what to expect in hospitals to ensure that their experiences are in accordance with the BFHI.

 

Macedonia is also seriously impacted by the war in the Balkan region. Kosovo refugees have flooded across the Macedonian border and in order to support mothers in these critical situations special “Baby Stations” were established. Here breast-feeding support and the re-lactation among refugee women help to pre-vent the risks of bottle feeding in difficult circumstances. Supported by UNICEF and other international aid agencies, these baby care stations also provide a place of information exchange for mothers as well as health assessments and special care for malnourished children.

To avert donations of free formula through aid agencies, and the harm these can do, extensive training was done with both domestic and international non-governmental agencies. The ban on formula donations was reinforced by a WHO/UNHCR/UNICEF policy statement and widely circulated.

 

Thanks to information from Dr. Biljana Ancevska Stojanoska of the Centre for Family, Mothers

and Child Support of Macedonia

 

 

Philippines

 

Mother to mother support is structured through a network of non-governmmental organizations, called Arugaan. Working as a coalition with other organizations involved in community development, it provides training focussed on “food security,” recognizing breastfeeding as the first step in achieving this for both mothers and babies. Significantly the Arugaan network is able to integrate action on important mother support systems such as maternity protection and crèche - day care established in community ”barangay” centres. Although breastfeeding is central, important issues relevant to mothers are incorporated into the counsel-ling and discussions, for example, violence against women and women’s rights.

The Arugaan structure is very mother driven in that mothers are the decision makers and the experienced and trained mothers become the counsellors for the new mothers.

Their activities include home visits, nutrition information on indigenous “healing” foods and aware-ness of the impact of advertising and the promotional effects of the baby food companies.

 

Thanks to information provided by Ines Fernandez with the Arugaan organization

 

Africa

 

Pauline Kisanga, the IBFAN Coordinator for IBFAN Africa reports that mother-to-mother support groups are organized in a variety of ways across Africa. Support and contact is often initiated through traditional birth attendants trained in infant feeding and counselling skills. Thus contact remains after delivery - mothers share advice, get help with breastfeeding problems and can be put in touch with their local health centre. Mothers who successfully breastfeed, are knowledgeable and willing to help others then are given support and training through local IBFAN groups. In turn these mothers form groups and meet regularly for support and social contact.

 

In Tanzania for example, women are identified for training to then lead cell units of 10 mothers to act as sup-port groups.

 

Mothers benefit as they receive valuable help with breastfeeding problems, are more confident and better informed. The biggest beneficiaries are their children - breastfeeding is longer and the practice of exclusive breast-feeding is higher. There are reduced acute respiratory infections and fewer episodes of diarrhoeal disease.

Thanks to Pauline Kisanga,regional coordinator for IBFAN Africa

 

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