I make milk, what’s your superpower?

A woman’s breast has been viewed as a sexual organ inviting stares, harassment and lewd comments. Little are they seen and understood as the proud maker of the world’s healthiest food.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), breastfeeding is recommended for first 6 months of the baby, exclusively. The WHO has strongly urged for new mothers to continue to breast feed even after six months until the baby turns two. As unarguably, breastmilk provides ideal nutrition to the infants. It has the perfect blend of fat, vitamins, proteins and everything else that the baby needs for a healthy growth.

Science has proved that breastmilk helps the baby fight against virus and bacteria (as it contains antibodies); it also reduces rates of asthma and allergies in newborns. Babies who are fed breastmilk exclusively for their first 6 months are lesser prone to diarrhea, ear infections and respiratory illness. Not only do these medical benefits outweigh any other options of nutrition for babies, it is said that the very act of breast feeding or "Kangaroo mother care” is regarded as one of the best forms of care, resulting in a baby with a calmer mindset.

Speaking of our country, India has been a nation of stark diversities. We have the most intellectual minds housed here, and we also have large spread illiteracy; the economic disparity is evident; women of India are at varying levels of social development. The rural and urban divide; the education levels continue to be influencers or drivers in the areas of woman and child health. In India, between the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-2 in 1998–99 and the NFHS-4 in 2015–16, the rates of early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding showed dismal improvements of just 8.1 and 25.7 per cent respectively. While health workers concentrate on immunization of the baby, in practice women are rarely counselled on breast feeding. In fact, there is an absence of breastfeeding counsellors in India. Provision of breastfeeding counselling to all new mothers, including those who deliver babies in villages and at private hospitals, will ensure that new mothers are made aware and are educated on the importance of breast feeding. 

In August 2016, the Government of India launched Mothers’ Absolute Affection (MAA), a nationwide programme to promote breastfeeding. While this is a welcome move, there is more work to be done in the areas of hiring, training and monitoring the breastfeeding consultants at district hospitals which may call for increased budgets or partnerships with the private sector for wider and effective implementation.

However, today, there is an awakening. Women view the responsibility of breast feeding as a critical one. Promoting breast feeding through public communication- taking bold steps such as exposing their breasts on magazine covers to promote breast feeding or walking the ramp while breastfeeding, have brought this topic to public gaze much as it has stirred controversies. However, the bigger message of promoting the natural occurrence of breast feeding has been established. More importantly, women have become self-aware of the medical and scientific need for breast feeding their infants.