Nursing is often an intimate and personal act for mothers. Breastfeeding a baby, not only provides the best nutrition for the child, it has health benefits for the mother as well.
Being a new mom can often be taxing. With the joy of being a new parent, comes a long list of responsibilities. Among them, nursing the infant is of primary concern. Parenting is not a solo task but requires additional help from the father and extended help from relatives to ensure that the mother receives proper nutrition.
In the house, breastfeeding is seldom a problem as long as family members are usually understanding. It is important to realize that breastfeeding can be daunting for new mothers, especially if it is their first child.
So if there's a new mother in your household, be sure to put her at ease. She needs the space and time to relax – it is recommended that mothers are relaxed before they nurse their child. Ensure that they get proper sleep at night, and a few naps during the day.
Family members can help provide a proper diet for the mothers so that she receives all the necessary nutrition that would facilitate the production of breast milk and her well being.
Family members can also provide a helping hand by doing the chores, such as changing the diaper of the baby and staying with the baby, while the mother rests, which is really essential for her.
Taking care of the mother is taking care of the child in this case. If the family is attentive towards the new mother, she will easily be able to cope with this new sense of responsibility and nurture her baby more.
For working women, the problem is made more difficult in a country like Bangladesh. Apart from the usual maternal leave, co-workers can help by giving the mom less stress the first few months.
If possible the office can provide flexible working hours, or opt for working from home when needed.
If nothing else, she can be given a private space where the mother can opt to pump the milk and send it to the carrier of her child. All this takes is a little co-operation from those around to make her feel more comfortable.
