By: Bridget Hadfield
Every mother wants to give her baby the best start in life. But for many, especially in vulnerable communities, that desire is met with real challenges such as limited access to healthcare and postnatal support, the pressure to return to work and harmful myths about breastfeeding.
In countries like Bolivia, local churches are walking alongside new mothers by offering practical support, encouragement and guidance during the first critical years of a child’s life.
Rosa, Sandra and Danielly are all mothers with several children. But it wasn’t until they joined Compassion’s Mums and Babies program at their local church that they began to understand the importance of breastfeeding.
“With my other children, I didn’t know much about breastfeeding—how to do it, until what age or when,” says Danielly, a 21-year-old mum of three boys. “In the program, I learned that the mother’s milk is very nutritious and healthier for them.”
Sandra adds, “We’ve been encouraged to keep breastfeeding until at least six months, when possible. I also learned that talking and connecting with your baby while you feed them is important too.”
For many mothers in poor communities, daily life brings pressures that make breastfeeding more difficult. Rosa shares: “My husband works as a bricklayer, and I used to help him. So I didn’t have time to stay with my baby and breastfeed him. But I learned the importance of doing it until they are at least six months.”
Every feeding journey is different and not every mother can breastfeed. Mothers around the world, regardless of economic or social circumstances, face challenges when feeding their babies.
Local church workers like Ruth come alongside each woman with grace and patience. “Many mothers give up,” she says. “But we give constant encouragement.”
Through Compassion’s Mums and Babies program, women are finding a safe and trusted space where harmful myths are replaced with reliable information and where they’re met with hope, care and community as they nurture their babies and give them best start possible.
Article supplied with thanks to Compassion Australia.
Feature image: Supplied and used with permission.
