‘Breastfeeding Blitz’ is an intensive campaign on breastfeeding in all public elementray schools in Mandaluyong City. Mothers (fathers included) who fetch their children after their classes are invited to attend the session on breastfeeding. Teachers and non-teaching personnel are likewise invited to attend the sessions to make them aware of the importance of breastfeeding and proper feeding of young children and hopefully, become Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) advocates as well.

Dr. Shari Ludovina L. Sabalvaro, Mandaluyong City’s IYCF program coordinator is spearheading this innovative breastfeeding campaign. Participants of the BF Blitz get to know the importance of Breastfeeding TSEK (Tama, Sapat at Eksklusibo), different breastfeeding techniques and the benefits of having a breastfeeding room in the school.

Since the public elementary schools usually become evacuation areas during calamities, it will be an advantage if the mothers and teachers are knowledgeable on Infant Feeding in Emergencies. They are also taught how to express and store breastmilk and cupfeed infants when mothers return to work after their maternity leave. An interactive session is held after the lecture-discussion by Dr. Sabalvaro.

To date, BF Blitz has been done in eight (8) elementary schools wherein 7 out of 8 have breastfeeding rooms. Mandaluyong City aims to have breastfeeding rooms in all public elementary and secondary schools to accommodate mothers while waiting for their children as well as lactating faculty members. The Blitz targets to saturate all public elementary and secondary schools in Mandaluyong City as well as government-run university in 2015.

(Contributing Writer: Dr. Shari Ludovina L. Sabalvaro)