Can I just say, ang sarap mag-anak uli sa mga panahong ito! New baby gadgets can be found here and there. Sa dami ng mga bago, ang hirap na ngang mamili! At hindi lang para kay baby yan, pati para kay nanay, ang dami-dami na ring anik anik na available. I remembered my youngest sister wished for a nursing pillow. And I was like, what?! Ten years ago, wala ata nun, or maybe I am not just aware, or that it was not that popular back then as it is now.
At bukod sa mga bago at mas cute na gamit existing today, one of the major differences I can see with breastfeeding specifically is that, it is slowly becoming the NORM. Yes, finally! It is not yet there, but it is getting there. Slowly but surely.
So August is National Breastfeeding Month. And to celebrate, Breastfeeding Pinays, the online support group of over 180,000 mothers, is hosting Hakab Na! 2017 tomorrow, August 5, 2017. It will be held in Smart-Araneta Coliseum, Cubao, Quezon City.
Now on its fifth year, Hakab Na! 2017 will gather breastfeeding families, lactation experts, peer counselors, and breastfeeding advocacy supporters, to boost awareness of the health and economic benefits of breastfeeding, promote the importance of providing proper support to breastfeeding mothers and ultimately, create a breastfeeding nation.
Sustaining Breastfeeding Together
This year’s celebration will highlight the importance of working together to help the
breastfeeding mother. President of Breastfeeding Pinays, Abie Co, shares how each one has a role in helping a mother achieve her breastfeeding goals.
“Support from the mother’s family, especially from her partner, is crucial. It is then reinforced by support from her doctors, nurses, midwives, and other care providers surrounding her during her birth and early days as a new mother. Once she goes home, it is support of her extended family, friends and caregivers that can truly make a difference,” says Co.
Society also plays a big role in supporting breastfeeding mothers. Over the last decades, more and more Filipino women are entering the workforce across all industries. Republic Act 10028 or the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009 obliges the State and businesses to promote and encourage breastfeeding so mothers can continue expressing their milk for their children even while working outside the home.
Also nowadays, more and more establishments support breastfeeding by honoring the mothers’ right to breastfeed in public or by providing lactation rooms or mother-baby lounges. “For our part, Breastfeeding Pinays has become a go-to resource for mother-to-mother support.
Since it is an online group, we have 24/7 interaction between moms who may be having the
same challenges and triumphs,” added Co. “With Breastfeeding Pinays, the mother never feels
alone in her breastfeeding journey.”
Simultaneous Breastfeeding
And it is through the annual Hakab Na! that mothers get to meet their online breast-friends. Central to the event celebrations is the act of mothers simultaneously breastfeeding their children as part of The Big Latch On, an international activity where mothers latch on their babies from different locations around the world to create a world record.
In 2016, the Philippines logged a total of 2,374 mom-and-baby pairs breastfeeding in 20 areas across the country. For Hakab Na! 2017, Breastfeeding Pinays is expecting approximately 2,000 mothers in the Cubao venue alone.
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