BY SAMIE WAIKORI
AUKI
FATHERS are said to also play an important role in breast feeding.
Although breast feeding is carried out by mothers, fathers also need to understand their responsibility under the breast feeding programme.
Chief Nutrition Officer from MHMS who is facilitating a training on breast feeding programme in Auki, Ms Salome Diatalau, made the statement in an interview with this paper yesterday.
She said this breast feeding programme encourages fathers to play an integral role in the breast feeding and nurturing of the child.
“It is common that when mothers go for their antenatal clinic checks (mark), fathers usually do not accompany mothers to clinics.
“But now, as this baby friendly programme in placed we want care fathers give for babies must also share with mothers,” Diatalau said.
She said first care must be shown to mothers so that when babies come out, mothers are healthy to take care of them.
Diatalau said they encourage companionship among couples because they are the reason the babies are there.
She said during the period of pregnancy mothers go through lots of changes in their body, thus, support from fathers are very important to give confidence to mothers.
Diatalau continued that during antenatal, mothers will be educated on the baby friendly initiatives that look at breast feeding for mothers.
“So it’s good for both to be educated on the programme, so that when mothers are doubt on what to do during breast feeding period fathers can assist by recalling the breast feeding educational talk,” she said.
Diatalau said this programme cannot succeed without help from fathers and they encourage them to be the main driver behind the programme.
