A nongovernmental organization, Life for African Mothers (LFAM), is expected to supply 20 health facilities in Montserrado County with Silicone breast pumps.
Silicone breast pumps work by using suction to draw the milk out of the breast. A silicone breast pump is designed to be used while a lady is breastfeeding.
Breast pump is a hands-free device designed to work primarily as a milk catcher. While the mother is nursing the baby on one side, the opposite breast will begin to leak. To avoid wasting precious amounts of milk, the silicone works by collecting milk from the other “leaky” breast while the baby nurses on the other.
The Country Representative for Life for African Mothers (LFAM), Abdul R. Fayiah Bah, disclosed that many health facilities lack Silicone pump, which is causing the increase of neonatal death. According to him, if available at various health centers, it helps to reduce infant mortality. He said breastfeeding promotion is a key child survival strategy in the world.
The University lecturer noted that LFAM, as an international health organization, brought into the country a good number of Silicone breast pumps, to be distributed to facilities that have been identified.
According to Bah, the distribution process will start on Wednesday January 19, 2022.
Meanwhile, Life for African Mothers has completed a day-long zoom workshop training for 30 Liberians and UK midwives. The training was held on Saturday, January 15, 2022 at the Monrovia office of the organization.
“The training was basically focused on postpartum people, which has to do with the time after childbirth. Most women get the ‘baby blues’, or feel sad or empty within a few days of giving birth. For many women, the ‘baby blues’ goes away in 3 to 5 days,” he said
According to him, the first six weeks after giving birth are known as the postpartum period. This period is an intense time that requires all sorts of care for you and your baby.
The public health specialist added that the postpartum period begins after the delivery of the baby and ends when the body has nearly returned to its pre-pregnant state. This period often lasts 6 to 8 weeks. The postpartum period involves the moving through many changes, both emotionally and physically.
The training expanded the knowledge of midwives in handling such situations at hospitals and clinics, in order to safe both the babies and their mothers.