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"Encouraging Breastfeeding: Making a difference for working parents."
This is the motto of this year's celebration of Breastfeeding Promotion Month in Cyprus, which has been designated as October.The theme was set by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action with the endorsement of UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO). It focuses on breastfeeding and work and aims to inform governments, policy makers, workplaces, communities and parents to play their critical role in empowering families and maintaining a breastfeeding-friendly workplace climate in the aftermath of the pandemic.
According to the WHO, through this year's theme of events promoting and supporting breastfeeding, the positive impact of a supportive and friendly working environment for breastfeeding working mothers and employers is expected to be highlighted. In the context of a variety of workplace policies to protect parenthood, breastfeeding can be supported and women can be helped to combine breastfeeding with work. There is an urgent need to find a strategic approach in order to safeguard the basic rights to the protection of maternity and breastfeeding. Research shows that the positive effects of supporting breastfeeding at work are not limited to mothers and their families. Employers also benefit from having a happier and more productive workforce due to increased employee satisfaction and reduced stress, less absenteeism, greater loyalty and fewer staff turnover.
With targeted policies and actions, breastfeeding at work can work. To achieve such a goal, working mothers need to be granted the required maternity leave but also to organise breastfeeding and breastfeeding-friendly workplaces and, where possible, flexible working options such as teleworking.
The WHO recommendations are clear: breastfeeding is a natural process but it is not always easy and mothers need support both to initiate and to maintain breastfeeding.
The WHO recommendations are clear: breastfeeding is a natural process but it is not always easy and mothers need support both to initiate and to maintain breastfeeding.
The WHO recommendations are clear: breastfeeding is a natural process but it is not always easy and mothers need support both to initiate and to maintain breastfeeding. The WHO also stresses that "all mothers can breastfeed, provided they are properly supported by the family, the competent authorities and society in general". It is in the interest of society as a whole to strengthen the "warm chain of support for breastfeeding" and to support mothers to provide, through their bodies, nourishment, love and health to their children. When breastfeeding works unhindered, societies, economies and public health work better and to the benefit of all.
Similarly, the Cyprus National Breastfeeding Policy, which is based on the 10 Steps to Breastfeeding of the World Health Organization and UNICEF, recommends that mothers are supported to start breastfeeding as soon as possible after birth, i.e. within the first hour after delivery. It is important that mothers receive practical support to enable them to establish exclusive breastfeeding and manage any difficulties. Finally, exclusive breastfeeding continues until the 6th month of the infant's life. After this age and the introduction of complementary foods, it continues up to two (2) years or more, depending on the wishes of mother and child. It is essential to create positive attitudes and behaviours and to create a "Baby Friendly Environment" in all places where mothers and babies live, work and develop. In this context, the Ministry of Health and the National Breastfeeding Committee, responding to the need to strengthen support for breastfeeding in our country, in addition to promoting the development and strengthening of education and awareness programmes for the value of breastfeeding from childhood and throughout the life cycle, promote actions aimed at creating a friendly environment in health services, workplaces and public places. At the same time, as part of the events of the Month of Breastfeeding Promotion, the National Breastfeeding Committee of the Ministry of Health is planning to implement various activities in collaboration with other stakeholders, scientific associations and NGOs, in order to inform and raise awareness among the public and health professionals.
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