'Vital' mothers get support while breastfeeding

It's vital that mothers get support while breastfeeding. 

That's the message from Manx Care as World Breastfeeding Week comes to an end today (7 August).

The campaign is aimed at protecting and promoting the rights of women who choose to breastfeed their babies. 

According to the NHS, some of the benefits of breastfeeding include:

• it meets all of your baby’s nutritional needs
• it protects your baby from infections and diseases
• it can provide health benefits for you
• it's available for your baby whenever your baby needs it
• it can build a strong emotional bond between you and your baby

Breastfeeding has long-term benefits for babies, lasting right into adulthood, but it also provides benefits for mothers.

These include lowering the risk of:

• breast cancer
• ovarian cancer
• osteoporosis (weak bones)
• cardiovascular disease
• obesity

Barbara Roberts is Manx Care's Head of Midwifery and Lauren Eppelston is from the Infant Feeding Team.

They caught up with Chanelle Sukhoo to talk about the campaign:

The Infant Feeding Team are on hand to assist anyone from 9am-5pm during the week. 

Appointments can be made by calling 811837.

A Breastfeeding Buddies class also runs every Thursday 09:30am-11:30am at St John Ambulance Headquarters on Glencrutchery Road.

Some mothers cannot or do not want to breastfeed.

Support is available HERE, and NHS advice on bottle feeding is available HERE.