"Breastfeeding also protects both mother and baby from obesity"

Antalya Provincial Health Director Prof. Dr. Behzat Özkan told an AA correspondent that they are trying to draw attention to breastfeeding on the occasion of Breastfeeding Week, celebrated from October 1-7.

Özkan explained that they organize events every day at a hospital to raise awareness about breastfeeding, and emphasized that they also visit new mothers at their homes with experts.

Özkan, stating that breast milk is the most important nutritional source for a baby, said: "Breast milk plays a dominant role in a child's nutrition until the age of two. Breast milk is absolutely crucial for the first six months. After that, we medically recommend giving complementary foods along with breast milk until the age of two. Breast milk not only protects against diarrhea and infection in childhood, but also from diseases such as obesity and lymphoma later in life. Obesity is the disease of our time. By breastfeeding, we actually protect children from obesity. The fat content in breast milk increases during breastfeeding, creating a feeling of fullness in children. This puts a stop to overeating. Thus, we also put a stop to obesity."

Özkan, emphasizing that breast milk is a type of food that cannot be imitated, noted that they are working to protect the health of mothers and children through "Mother-Friendly" and "Baby-Friendly" hospitals.

Antalya Training and Research Hospital Chief Physician Assoc. Prof. Dr. Orhan Aras also stated that breastfeeding has significant benefits for both the mother and the child.

Aras pointed out that breastfeeding significantly reduces breast cancer rates, saying, "There are also reductions in other cancers. Breastfeeding facilitates the expulsion of the placenta and accelerates the return of the uterus to its original size."

A CALL FROM A NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE NURSE TO MOTHERS

Burcu Bekar, a 31-year-old nurse who works in the neonatal intensive care unit of the same hospital and gave birth to her second baby through a normal birth, said she has been witnessing babies holding on to life for 14 years.

Bekar, who explained that she attended the "Pregnancy School" at the hospital where she worked during her pregnancy and participated in training given by her colleagues, said, "I continued my exercises. I didn't skip my doctor's checkups. This way, I prepared for the birth. Knowing how to handle contractions and being able to manage stress at that moment made my birth easier."

She stated that she had no difficulty in taking care of the baby because she was a single neonatal nurse and that she breastfed the baby.

Emphasizing that breastfeeding benefits both the baby and the mother, Bekar said, "Breast milk boosts the baby's immune system and speeds up the mother's metabolism, making it easier to lose weight. Breastfeeding also reduces the risk of breast cancer. My call to mothers is to breastfeed their babies without formula whenever possible, both for their own comfort and for the baby's health."