The City of Ekurhuleni marked the World Breastfeeding Week by hosting a workshop in Etwatwa to impart knowledge to young mothers on breastfeeding.
According to metro spokesperson Nhlanhla Cebekhulu, this was also to give new mothers the confidence not to forsake breastfeeding their children due to lack of private spaces as it is not a taboo to breastfeed in public.
New mothers and those who have breastfed before shared their experiences and encouraged each other to breastfeed their little ones.
“Challenges highlighted by the breastfeeding mothers range from weight gain and lose while breastfeeding, swelling of the breasts and babies refusing to eat real food after the first six months of compulsory breastfeeding,” said Cebekhulu.
He said the City’s health officials attended the World Breastfeeding commemoration to allay the mothers’ fears and concerns and to empower them with more knowledge on how to breastfeed and the importance thereof.
The breastfeeding commemoration activities included information sharing on family planning, sexual health education, voluntary HIV/AIDS testing and child immunization.
Ekurhuleni’s Head of Women and Children Directorate Lindiwe Khonjelwayo encouraged mothers to register births of their newborn babies with Home Affairs timeously, and to breastfeed and immunize them.
