Celebrating MOM — Mother’s Own Milk

Each time I step into the office of my dear friend and batchmate in Delhi who deals with maternal and child health, a certain painting captures my attention. This is a reprint of the poignant 'Mother and Child' painting of Jamini Roy. This shows a child comfortably and happily holding on to the mother's breast. I recently came across another bold and beautiful painting by Raja Ravi Verma, 'The Suckling Child' promoting breastfeeding. There are similar paintings by artists like Mary Cassatt (1906) and Jean Laurent Mosnier (1770).

Through such paintings and messaging, we could emphasise that breasts are for breastfeeding, and not mere sex objects. Research shows that immediate breastfeeding after birth and exclusive breastfeeding for six months can save up to 1,20,000 babies in India, reducing the six lakh neonatal deaths by 20%! Breast milk is a miracle drink that nature readies for every baby even before it is born. It has water, proteins, lactose, essential fatty acids, breast-specific macrophages, antibodies, hormones and growth factors, in addition to stem cells and, as many as 800 strains of bacteria, antibacterial and antiviral enzymes, vitamins and minerals.

Wow! Wouldn't it take a real genius designer to care for such granular details and make this amazing potion or Mother's Own Milk (MOM)? Colostrum, a mind-blowing super food, is the golden or light yellow milk first produced by the mammary glands. As the Health Commissioner, as I visit newborn wards, I often ask the mother if she has breastfed the baby. In many instances, I hear a 'not yet', even after several hours of birth. Comforting the young mother, I then urge her to hold her baby to her breast and feed it. We are now trying to ensure that the baby crawls up to the breast, and starts suckling within minutes of birth. This is undoubtedly the first and most important immunisation.

The joy of the baby suckling on breasts is divine, something that I have relished thoroughly. Of course, the mother and baby ought to be relaxed in a comfortable place for some exclusive, exquisite time with eye contact, gurgles and smiles as the mom and baby bond over MOM! I think mothers reading this will smile to endorse. They would also acknowledge that breastfeeding gave them significantly reduced chances of getting breast cancer, ovarian cancer as well as Type II Diabetes.

If this is so, what are the barriers to breastfeeding? There are several reasons, ranging from lack of awareness, to low confidence level of the mother. Her poor health, lack of time, especially for working mothers, dependence on formula for ease, feeling of insufficient milk production and lack of comfortable spaces in public for breastfeeding, are other contributing factors.

When I speak of my own experience, the ecosystem back then gave pregnancy far more importance than breastfeeding. After childbirth, the little baby and I tried to bond over breastfeeding. The loving presence of my mother, my husband and a very experienced pediatrician, Dr. Ghoda come to my mind. They were steadfast and helped build confidence in my ability to breastfeed the baby, even against the distracting noise of concerns and worries. The support in those tender moments helped me firmly hold on to breastfeeding for over six months.

WHO director general Tedros Ghebreyesus says: "Breastfeeding gives children the best possible start in life. We must urgently scale up support to mothers — be it from family members, healthcare workers, employers and governments, so they can give their children the start they deserve."

Can we all contribute our bit by supporting the cause of MOM? 1st to 7th August is celebrated as Breastfeeding week. Let us talk about it, promote it, not just this week but through the year. Let's post and hang prints and reprints of 'Mother and Child' by Jamini Roy and Raja Ravi Verma's 'The Suckling Child' on our screens or walls. Lets do all what we can to make every child get this first and most important immunisation. Let breastfeeding and Mother's Own Milk (MOM) rock.

The author is a Harvard-educated civil servant & writer, and has worked in the education sectorjayanti.ravi.dna@gmail.com