While Covid-19 is new and globally impacting, pandemics, natural disasters and more can occur at any time. Even as life gets crazy around us, babies are still born and still need to be fed. For maternity care professionals, doulas, certified breastfeeding counselors and more, understanding the benefits of breastfeeding during a pandemic is important.
Breastfeeding always has benefits, but when there could be issues with formula supplies, clean water, finances and more, breastfeeding can be vital.
In fact, UNICEF regularly tracks and reports issues with formula marketing, lack of breastfeeding support and other things which can harm infants during pandemics and natural disasters.
While many families in the US aren’t likely to face life threatening issues from not breastfeeding during Covid-19, it is important for breastfeeding counselors to know how to best support mother baby pairs during crisis.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Does Not Recommend Mother Baby Separation
When Covid-19 first hit, it was important for healthcare providers to take precautions to keep everyone safe. As we had very little information, mother baby separation occurred. We know that mother baby separation can impact breastfeeding, bonding, and even postnatal healing. However, in the beginning it was done in some facilities until more information about the illness was acquired.
Now, the WHO advises against unnecessary mother baby separation. In fact, they know there are many benefits to breastfeeding after exposure or acquired infection.
According the WHO’s June 2020 publication:
“WHO recommends that mothers with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should be encouraged to initiate or continue to breastfeed. Mothers should be counselled that the benefits of breastfeeding substantially outweigh the potential risks for transmission.
Mother and infant should be enabled to remain together while rooming-in throughout the day and night and to practice skin-to-skin contact, including kangaroo mother care, especially immediately after birth and during establishment of breastfeeding, whether they or their infants have suspected or confirmed COVID-19.”
We know that breastmilk is a live substance containing antibodies. If a mother is exposed or infected with Covid-19, those antibodies can be a vital part of helping to keep her baby safe.
As a breastfeeding counselor, you can help educate expectant and new parents about up-to-date recommendations. The WHO recognizes the importance of establishing and maintaining breastfeeding even during a pandemic.
Mothers May Need Extra Support Breastfeeding During Pandemics or Crises
Adding a new baby to your family is always a time of adjustment. However, adding a new baby during a pandemic can make the adjustment even harder.
As a professional, you may need to provide more emotional, educational and practical support. It’s possible the new mother had to welcome her baby without her desired care team at birth. Perhaps there’s new living situations, relocation, or financial stressors. She could be grieving the loss of someone due to the pandemic or natural disaster, grieving a loss of desired birth, or a number of other things.
While helping mothers establish breastfeeding is often the goal of a breastfeeding counselor, it’s important to support women in a holistic way.
If she has less support than she planned, what tips can you provide for the demands of early feeding? How can you build her confidence in breastfeeding while managing stress? What resources do you have to encourage her of the benefits of breastfeeding during challenging times?
These are things to think about before and during consults with new mothers. New mothers are often facing a lot, but when we add a pandemic or natural disaster it’s even more challenging.
You can help encourage her by discussing:
- The short-term benefits of breastfeeding on maternal healing
- The benefit of oxytocin on stress hormones
- How to create a feeding plan that’s practical, avoiding a pump unless truly necessary
- How to babywear
- How to feed in a variety of positions such as side lying or even in a carrier
- Her support systems and how she can use them
- The financial benefits of breastfeeding
- The advantage of not needing to access clean water if she’s living through a natural disaster
- Stress management techniques and how to get rest
As a breastfeeding counselor, you can’t solve every issue a parent faces during a crisis, but you can provide excellent feeding support. Helping mother baby pairs establish a healthy breastfeeding relationship can be a wonderful support during a difficult time.
Educate Parents About Feeding Options
A common misconception is that once formula is introduced it can be all or nothing. During times of crisis, some mother baby pairs could experience separation. If this happens, sometimes formula may be necessary.
It’s also possible a mother baby pair could face typical issues such as latch difficulty, supply concerns, and well meaning but unhelpful feeding advice.
Whatever reason a mother chooses or requires formula, as a breastfeeding counselor, you can help educate parents about the benefits of combo feeding. Maintaining a full or partial milk supply can be vital during a pandemic or natural disaster. Having access to breast milk means that last minute travel, inability to get to a store, or lack of access to clean water won’t lead to baby having no nourishment.
Maintaining partial breastfeeding also means baby is still getting antibodies and health benefits from breast milk. If a mother is exposed to Covid-19 or other illnesses, baby will benefit from antibodies even if she is only partially breastfed.
As a breastfeeding counselor, you can help encourage parents to continue breastfeeding as much or as little as they’re able to. Breastfeeding during a pandemic isn’t easy, but with support you can help more mothers continue.
In Some Countries, Breastfeeding Is Life Saving
In short, breastfeeding is lifesaving in every country. However, the long answer is that developing countries, and rural or urban areas struggling with some infrastructure, can face truly devastating consequences from low breastfeeding rates.
For women in developed countries with access to enough formula, medical care and clean water, we may not see drastic statistics between breastfeeding and formula feeding. However, for women who may not have access to enough formula and clean water, the statistics on infant health are drastic between formula and breastfed infants.
Depending on which communities you serve, it’s important to understand why breastfeeding is important. In at risk communities, adding a pandemic or natural disaster can drastically worsen the risks associated with formula feeding. If an area already struggles with clean water, a natural disaster often makes it even harder. If an area is already economically disadvantaged, a pandemic can make food and formula supplies even more difficult.
As a breastfeeding counselor, you can help educate about the importance of breastfeeding, especially breastfeeding during a pandemic.
One way to combat low breastfeeding rates, in developed as well as developing countries, is understanding formula marketing. As a breastfeeding counselor, you can help parents get evidenced based information from places such as the WHO, UNICEF and other places which do not receive compensation from formula companies.
Help parents learn where to get help. Seeking help from you, a certified breastfeeding counselor, is a great way to get evidenced based support. If they have issues outside your scope of practice, help refer them to an IBCLC.
Encourage parents to read books by lactation professionals rather than handouts sponsored by formula companies which may present half-truths.
While this is a long documentary, it is an excellent watch for lactation professionals. You can learn more about the importance of lactation education for all, especially those facing potential crises.
Being a breastfeeding counselor can be a rewarding job. Being a breastfeeding counselor helping women with breastfeeding during a pandemic can be a challenge but it’s still incredibly rewarding.