Level IV Hospital
Eldoret Kapsabet Road, Eldoret, Kenya
+254 722 520 131
+254 788 111 123
Breastfeeding Training in Kenya
For most Kenyan mothers, breastfeeding is a skill that they need to be trained on.
Luckily at Royal Care Medical Eldoret, we do exactly that.
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We will give you tips on the best techniques for breastfeeding so that your baby grows well and that you are healthy throughout the journey.
Benefits of breastfeeding to mother and baby
Breastfeeding not only does a good thing to your baby but also to you as the mother. It helps prevent breast and ovarian cancer. It is a form of natural family planning.
Other than that, as you breastfeed your baby, a strong maternal bond is created.
Your health and wellbeing during breastfeeding
In order to produce milk for your baby, your health should be in top notch condition. Anytime you are having a health issue, kindly do see your doctor ASAP. You should also avoid stress or depressing matters as they could affect your milk letdown.
Our Nurse Geoffrey advises that the family at large should work to make sure that a lactating mother is not depressed. Any stressful matter should be dealt with at once without it being allowed to depress the breastfeeding mother.
What to Know About Breastfeeding in Kenya
Foods for breastfeeding mothers
As you breastfeed your baby, you need to make sure that you eat frequently and that what you are eating is full of good nutrition. We advise that you take three solid meals per day with two light snacks in between.
The diet needs to have lots of proteins, vegetables and fluids. There should also be carbohydrates to give your body energy that you will very much need.
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Keep hydrated by taking water, tea and fermented porridge. We advise against too much caffeine and doing away with alcohol since they will find their way into your breastmilk. You do not want to feed your baby with caffeine and alcohol, do you?
Setting the workplace environment right for breastfeeding
For employers who mind about the wellbeing of their lactating workers, it is good to have a clean and discrete lactation room where breastfeeding mothers can go to express themselves. If possible, you could also have a nursing room where mothers bring in their babies and breastfeed them from there.
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This way, you will be promoting exclusive breastfeeding of the babies for the first six months. Other than that, you could adopt a program where you counsel mothers on the benefits of breastfeeding.
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Employers need to give a good three months maternity leave to new mothers. According to Kenya laws, fathers should also get 2 weeks paternity leave. During this time, they will be home helping take care of the baby as the new mother rests.
When a mother gets back to work, she could get at least 1 hour extra break from work so that she can breastfeed her baby or express herself.
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The workplace needs to have the right conducive environment and positivity towards lactating moms.
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On getting back to work, a lactating mother needs to wear light fitting, comfy dresses that have zips around the chest region so that she can have an easy time expressing herself.
Partner Support During breastfeeding
We advise fathers to be present during the breastfeeding journey. You need to be there to provide moral support to your wife. When she is tired and needs some rest, kindly do take care of the baby. This creates a strong bond between you and the baby. It also results to mutual love between you and the mother.
Supplements to increase breast milk
Though we advise breastfeeding mothers to eat well, rest enough and breastfeed their babies as the need arises, some mothers might find that they do not have enough breastmilk for their newborns. In such a case, they can take some food supplements that have been shown to improve breast milk letdown.
After gaining weight during pregnancy, some mothers will want to lose weight. We advise against being too tough on themselves while doing this.
To lose weight safely, a breastfeeding mother needs to consult her doctor so that she can get a recommended workout strategy.
The workout program will of course not be too strenuous and will involve light exercises such as yoga, carrying the baby and rocking them when they cry. We advise against fasting. Your body needs enough food to recover and to produce enough milk for your baby. You will need at least 1800 calories per day. To lose weight, you could replace taking carbs with proteins and vegetables.
Proper hydration and enough sleep could also help lose weight.
Losing weight after breastfeeding
Welcome for Skilled Breastfeeding training
Welcome to Royal Care Medical Eldoret for breastfeeding training by highly skilled professionals who have been in the field for long and will answer any breastfeeding questions you might have.