Cebu City – NNC 7 calls on lactating women to maximize the provision of Republic Act 10028 or the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009 during its recent episode of the Educational Health Information Geared Towards Development (e-HISGOT). The technical discussion anchored by NNC 7’s very own RNPC Dr. Parolita A. Mission was one of the recommendations given to a letter sender who shared her problem to Dr. Mission thru the program’s segment “Letters to Doc Letlet”.
A lot of women could relate to the letter sender’s situation of having difficulty in taking care of her twins due to her work and other related factors. With the help of the advice from the netizens and Dr. Mission, it provides a clearer understanding not only to the letter sender but as well as the netizens who were viewing/watching the program experiencing a similar situation.
RA 10028 was signed to support, protect, and encourage working women who are breastfeeding. Through the law, the State protects working women by providing safe and healthful working conditions, taking into account their maternal functions.
We all know that the health of the child mainly relies on the care of the mother from birth up to the child grows and reaches his/her full potential. Exclusive breastfeeding especially in the first 6 months and giving age-appropriate complementary foods from six months while continuing breastfeeding until two years and beyond is of paramount importance so that the child’s full potential can be achieved.
This sounds challenging to working moms who need to leave early from home. But did you know that there are several ways to continue breastfeeding your child even if you’re at work?
As shared by RNPC Dr. Mission during the activity, mothers may express their milk while at work either manually or using breast pumps and store the expressed milk in the company’s refrigerator. This will ensure an adequate supply of milk for their babies. Nursing mom is granted break intervals in addition to the regular time off for meals to breastfeed or express milk. She can avail of the additional 40 minutes of lactation breaks for every eight-hour working period as provided by the said law.
The episode also emphasized the benefits of breastfeeding for babies such as breastmilk is the best food for babies as it contains essential nutrients completely suitable for infant’s needs. It is also nature’s first immunization, enabling the infant to fight potential serious infection. It contains growth factors that enhance the maturation of the infant’s organ systems. Breastfeeding can reduce the mother’s risk of breast and ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. Nursing mothers can breastfeed anytime anywhere and make breastfeeding a norm.
Watch out for another episode of e-HISGOT this Thursday 19 May 2022 at 1:30 pm for another healthy and nutritious discussion, this time on hypertension in celebration of Hypertension Awareness Month this May only here at NNC 7 FB Page at nncrvii. // PNFP Mary Bliss Joy P. Iguana, RND
