CAY HILL:--- At the start of World Breastfeeding Week, St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) Breastfeeding Committee launched a breastfeeding support group.
On Monday, August 1st, 2016 breastfeeding mothers, grandmothers, mothers-to-be, and supporters came together for the first time to build a new and strong support network.
The theme of this year’s breastfeeding week is “Breastfeeding: A Key to Sustainable Development”. There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals which world leaders committed to in September 2015, to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity. The objective World Breastfeeding Week 2016 theme is to highlight how we can achieve sustainable development through the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding and bring awareness to breastfeeding as a key element in well-being from the start of life. “Breastfeeding is not only the cornerstone of a child’s healthy development; it is also the foundation of a country’s development,” Unicef Executive Director Anthony Lake.
“First-time mothers do not always have enough information about breastfeeding and almost all mothers experience challenges during the first four to five days. The breastfeeding support group was initiated to provide helpful information to the families and encourage them to continue breastfeeding, which we call ‘liquid love’,” says Nurse Stacey Violenes, breastfeeding committee chairperson.
The support group is not only for breastfeeding, mothers but also for fathers, grandmothers or other persons who can give support to breastfeeding in various ways. At the first meeting, a very interactive group spoke about the basics of breastfeeding, nutrition and how to cope with some challenges.
Support group members can contact the nurses by phone to get continued and direct support. They meet once a month on the obstetrics and gynecology ward at SMMC. The next meeting will take place early in September.
Persons interested in learning more about the breastfeeding support group and would like to join may contact nurses Stacey Violenes or Carleen Griffith at 543-1111 ext 1100 or 1101.
More activities for breastfeeding awareness will take place in August; the schedule can be found on the St. Maarten Medical Center’s Facebook page.
In photo: Nurse Nichelle van der Mark addressing the support group.
