EWOMI Facebook Live Health Talk

EWOMI Facebook Live Health Talk

Title: Prioritize Breastfeeding — Create a Sustainable Support System

World Breastfeeding Week 2025

Presented by: RN Imaette Okon, EWOMI’s National Health Coordinator

Introduction: Welcome & Why We Are Here

Good [morning/afternoon/evening], everyone!

On behalf of Elijah’s Widows and Orphans Mission International (EWOMI), I warmly welcome you to this special edition of our Facebook Live Health Talk as we commemorate World Breastfeeding Week 2025.

Sir, we deeply appreciate your unwavering commitment to uplifting widows, youth, orphans, and vulnerable groups across Nigeria and Africa.
Your passion, dedication, and tireless efforts have touched thousands of lives, and today’s health talk is yet another testament to the impact of your vision.

Thank you for creating a platform where voices are heard, lives are transformed, and communities are empowered.

We honor and celebrate you, sir! 🙌🏾

Each year, World Breastfeeding Week brings together voices, actions, and hearts around a theme and this year, the global call is:
“Prioritize Breastfeeding — Create a Sustainable Support System.”

At EWOMI, we believe that empowering mothers to breastfeed is not just a personal issue; it’s a public health priority and a social responsibility. As a humanitarian NGO committed to maternal and child health, this is part of our mission to raise awareness, educate communities, and advocate for systems that support life and dignity.

Chapter 1: Understanding Breastfeeding

What is Breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding is more than just feeding a baby, it is the first act of love, connection, and survival. It means feeding an infant directly from the mother’s breast, providing the child with milk that is:

• Naturally produced,
• Nutritionally complete,
• Always available,
• And biologically tailored to the baby’s needs.

It’s the most accessible, affordable, and effective way to give every child a healthy start in life, no cost, no mixing, no sterilizing, and just nature’s perfect food.

Chapter 2: Why Breastfeeding Matters

For the Baby:

Breastfeeding gives a child the best start in life. It offers:

✅ Complete Nutrition: Breastmilk contains the right mix of fat, protein, sugar, water, and nutrients needed in the right proportions.
✅ Immunity Boost: It is filled with antibodies that protect against infections.
✅ Lower Risk of Illnesses: Babies who are breastfed have a lower risk of diarrhea, respiratory infections, ear infections, and even sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
✅ Brain Development: Breastfeeding has been linked to improved cognitive development and emotional security.

For the Mother:

✅ Faster Recovery: Breastfeeding helps the uterus return to its normal size and reduces post-partum bleeding.
✅ Natural Family Planning: It can act as a form of birth spacing (Lactational Amenorrhea Method) when exclusively practiced.
✅ Reduced Cancer Risks: Women who breastfeed have a lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
✅ Emotional Connection: The bond created during breastfeeding is unmatched, it promotes love, trust, and security.

Chapter 3: Colostrum — The Baby’s First Vaccine

Colostrum is often called “liquid gold”, and rightly so. This thick, yellowish milk appears in the first 2-3 days after childbirth. It is small in quantity but rich in power.

Composition of Colostrum:

• Immunoglobulin (IgA): Shields the baby’s intestines.
• White Blood Cells: Fights infections.
• Growth Factors: Matures the gut and organs.
• Vitamins & Minerals: Especially Vitamin A and Zinc.

Benefits of Colostrum:

✅ Strengthens Immunity
✅ Prevents Neonatal Jaundice
✅ Prepares the Gut for Digestion
✅ Protects Against Early Infections

This is why no mother should be made to discard colostrum due to myths or cultural misconceptions. It is the first, most important gift to a newborn.

Chapter 4: Myths vs. Facts

Let’s break down some common breastfeeding myths:

❌ My milk is not enough.
✅ Truth: Breastmilk production is based on demand. The more the baby sucks, the more milk the body makes.

❌ Babies need water in hot weather.
✅ Truth: Breastmilk is 88% water, no additional water is needed, even in hot climates.

❌ Breastfeeding will sag my breasts.
✅ Truth: Breast sagging is caused by pregnancy and aging, not breastfeeding.

By correcting these myths, we create a supportive environment for mothers to breastfeed with confidence.

Chapter 5: How to Boost Breastmilk Supply

Healthy Habits That Support Supply:

• Feed often at least 8–12 times per day.
• Correct latching helps stimulate milk production.
• Empty both breasts at each session to signal more production.
• Stay hydrated and relaxed  stress inhibits milk flow.

Nigerian Meals That Promote Lactation:

• Pap (akamu) + milk + groundnuts
• Ugu soup (pumpkin leaves)
• Oats porridge
• Okra soup
• Ofada rice with local stew
• Catfish pepper soup
• Fura da nono
• Groundnut soup

These meals are rich in nutrients that support both mother’s recovery and milk production.

Chapter 6: Supporting Working Mothers

Working mothers often face significant barriers to exclusive breastfeeding. These include:

• Short or non-existent maternity leave
• Lack of lactation rooms at work
• Unsupportive environments

Practical Solutions:

✅ Express and refrigerate breastmilk for later use
✅ Take scheduled breastfeeding breaks
✅ Engage family support (husbands, in-laws)
✅ Encourage workplaces and markets to provide breastfeeding-friendly spaces

A sustainable support system for mothers at home, at work, and in public spaces is the key to continued breastfeeding success.

Chapter 7: EWOMI’s Commitment to Mothers

As an organization rooted in compassion, education, and empowerment, EWOMI is proud to be part of the solution.

What We Do:

• Host health talks and community sensitization programs
• Provide maternal and child health outreach in underserved communities
• Train caregivers, single mothers, and widows on breastfeeding, nutrition, and hygiene
• Advocate for health policies that support working-class mothers and rural women

Together, we are creating a society where no mother has to choose between survival and nurturing.

Chapter 8: Call to Action

Here’s how YOU can be part of the movement:

👉 Support a breastfeeding mother with words, with help, with space.
👉 Share the right information to dispel harmful myths.
👉 Normalize breastfeeding in public it is natural, not shameful.
👉 Stay connected with EWOMI for more life-changing programs.

Conclusion & Thank You

Thank you for tuning in and for being part of the change.

Let’s remember: Breastfeeding is not just a mother’s responsibility. It is a collective effort involving families, employers, healthcare workers, policy makers, and you.

Together, we can build a future where every child thrives, every mother is supported, and every community is informed.

🔹 Let’s make breastfeeding everyone’s business.
🔹 Drop your questions in the comments.
🔹 Follow and support EWOMI today!