7,000 RP moms join global breastfeeding

MANILA, Philippines – Some 7,000 Filipino mothers with their babies trooped yesterday to various sites in the country to lead the second “Synchronized Breastfeeding Worldwide” being observed in 30 other countries.

In the Philippines, the event was spearheaded by the Children for Breastfeeding Inc. (CBI) and Nurturers of the Earth Philippines at the Marikina City Hall where some 570 mothers proudly fed their children with their own milk.

“Nothing can replace breastmilk, and we are glad that Filipino mothers are now realizing this,” said CBI director Dr. Elvira Henares-Esguerra.

She said the culture of breastfeeding is slowly coming back in the Philippines, owing to their information campaigns on the benefits of breastmilk, which began in 2001.

She added that there are now many shopping malls that designate “breastfeeding stations” to encourage mothers to breastfeed their children.

Nurturer director Nona Andaya-Castillo said the Philippines and 30 other countries conducted the synchronized breastfeeding in coordination with the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action.

Esguerra and Castillo have placed the Philippines in the Guinness Book of Records twice for breastfeeding.

The first was in May 2006 when some 3,541 mothers simultaneously breastfed their infants at the San Andres Sports Complex in Manila.

In May 2007, simultaneous breastfeeding in “multiple sites” across the country was also held with 15,128 mother-baby pairs participating.

“This is not for Guinness. We just want to join the world in promoting breastfeeding,” Castillo said.

One of the participants, Dr. Belen Lardizabal-Dofitas, breastfed her six-year-old son Matthew.

She admitted that because of her work as a dermatologist, she managed to breastfeed her son only during the first month of his life.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) and the World Health Organization are promoting breastfeeding among children during the first six months of their lives.

Beyond this period, breastfeeding must continue with complementary feeding.

The Unicef had estimated that in 2003, only 16 percent of mothers were observing the practice primarily because of the influence of milk manufacturers.