Breastfeed babies in first 30 minutes after birth – Doctor

• Posted on August 28, 2023
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The Head of the Public Health Unit at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi-Takoradi, Dr Nana Esi Gaisie is urging mothers to put their babies to breast in the first 30 minutes after birth.

Speaking to Skyy News at a community engagement on breastfeeding at Kweikuma, Dr Gaisie said it is important to put a baby to breast early as it gives the baby a high chance of successful breastfeeding for two years or more.

Dr Gaisie also noted the importance of exclusive breastfeeding as she advised mothers to give only breastmilk to their babies for six months and after that period, must continue to breastfeed and give babies a balanced diet.

She said, “We have discovered that the inaction of the lack of breastfeeding according to the World Health Organisation policy is a cause of worry.”

“The policy says babies should be put to the breast within one hour of birth but in Ghana we say must be done within 30 minutes.”

“The babies after six months must continue to breastfeed and a balanced diet must be added to it.”

She said some mothers do complain that babies on exclusive breastfeeding are reluctant to eat after the sixth month which she advised breastfeeding mothers to check their diet.

“The reason it happens that way is because of the kind of foods mothers eat when pregnant, they crave for foods they don’t regularly eat which the taste and the smell form part of the water around the baby.”

“Every food that we eat also, the taste and smell are in the breast milk… by the sixth month and you start giving them the same food, it is easier for them to eat it.”

“Some mothers after the sixth month of exclusively breastfeeding their babies try to give them canned/bottled foods which the babies normally reject because the breast milk did not contain all those foods.”

“So if you want your baby to eat successfully after exclusive breastfeeding, you should eat your regular foods when breastfeeding so it will be easy for the baby to transition to the same solid foods.”

-Skyy Power