Families have been urged to provide breastfeeding mothers with emotional support, encouragement and a stress-free environment to promote their emotional wellbeing and support adequate breastmilk production.
A Nutrition Officer from the Kassena-Nankana Municipality, Asaah Ayine Enenezer, made the call during an interview on Voices of Change on Mike FM on Saturday, August 15.
He explained that the emotional state of a nursing mother could influence breastmilk production, stressing the importance of creating a supportive environment for breastfeeding mothers.
“Production of breastmilk is directly linked to the mood of the nursing mother. If she is happy, she will produce enough milk for the baby,” he said.
Asaah described breastfeeding as the ideal way of providing infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development.
He said breastmilk provides babies with essential nourishment and hydration, while also offering protection against infections, making exclusive breastfeeding possible regardless of the season.
According to him, newborn babies have limited resistance to infections, and because breastmilk is delivered directly from mother to baby without exposure to external contaminants, it remains one of the safest forms of food for infants.
Asaah further highlighted the role of breastfeeding in strengthening the emotional bond between mothers and their babies.
He explained that close physical contact, skin-to-skin interaction, eye contact and the mother’s voice during breastfeeding help babies feel safe, loved and comforted while deepening the mother’s emotional connection with her child.
He said breastfeeding should be guided by the baby’s needs rather than a rigid schedule, urging mothers to feed their babies whenever they show signs of hunger.
Asaah also called on institutions to establish breastfeeding corners to enable nursing mothers to breastfeed comfortably while at work or undertaking other activities.
He further appealed to the government to consider extending maternity leave from three months to six months to enable mothers to practise exclusive breastfeeding for the recommended six-month period.
He stressed that stronger institutional and family support would help create an enabling environment for mothers to breastfeed successfully and contribute to better health outcomes for children.
Mike 105.3FM I Navrongo | Cynthia Afaah
