BREASTFEEDING AWARENESS MONTH

WORLD CELEBRATES BREASTFEEDING 
MONTH TO SAVE CHILDREN’S LIVES

NJ Today - Today several events around the world are carrying out to celebrate the closing of the Breastfeeding Month.  August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month in many parts and from Aug. 1 to 7 was World Breastfeeding Week (WBW). Research suggests that breastfeeding is a key modifiable factor for disease for both mother and infants. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention report that Ohio’s 2010 breastfeeding initiation rate of 64.8 percent ranks 42nd in the nation-we can do better. This year’s WBW theme is Breastfeeding- Takin’ it to the streets! and the motto is Breastfeeding Rocks! Both the theme and motto focus on the need to use all available communication strategies to educate and inform citizens and institutions about their role in promoting and supporting breastfeeding. While the choice to breastfeeding is a personal one, communities should inform and support mothers’ decision to breastfeed her baby.

Cultural acceptance of breastfeeding as the normal way to feed a baby ensures that social policy supports mothers who make that choice. Returning our communities back into a breastfeeding-supportive culture will take efforts by educational institutions, hospitals, businesses, and even legal support. “The more our society accepts breastfeeding as the normal, natural way to feed a baby the healthier and better off we will be as a nation, state, and community,” said Kathy Boersma, RN, Community Action Health Services Director. “In light of the monetary and life saving benefits of breastfeeding, all elements of the community, must cooperate and support breastfeeding. Ultimately, our whole society benefits from having healthier mothers, babies and children when breastfeeding is promoted, protected and supported.”

Research shows that increasing exclusive breastfeeding rates can result in reduced risk of pediatric overweight, decreased incidence of infectious diseases and protection against obesity and other chronic diseases.  Hospitals have opportunities to implement practices in labor, delivery, postpartum care and discharge planning that can protect, promote and support breastfeeding and improve the success rate among women who want to breastfeed.  The topic of Breastfeeding remembers us when Krishna had just learned how to walk and was playing the pastime of being hungry.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

In Krishna lila we find that, one day, there were no servants in Nanda Maharaja’s house. So mother Yasoda went herself to churn butter from the milk. While she was churning the milk, the young child Krishna came to her. He said, “O mother, stop churning, I am hungry. Give me milk!” ... Yasoda was charmed and put the child on her lap to breastfeed Him, but at that very instant, the milk on the stove started to boil over. So, Yasoda said to Gopala, “Get down, the milk is boiling.” But Krishna’s appetite had not been appeased and He did not want to get down. He said, “Give me more milk.” Yasoda thrust Krishna down and ran to the stove.  Krishna became very angry because of this and wanted to break the pot containing the yogurt, but He was at the same time afraid of His mother. So, with a small stone, He silently struck the pot until the pot broke and all the curd spilled onto the floor. Then, seeing other pots hanging from the ceiling, He climbed onto the mortar and broke all the pots.

Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Mahārāja :
“Suddha Bhakti, the Path of Pure Devotion”
Part 3: “Prayojana - The Fulfillment of Devotion”
Mandala Publishing Group 2000.
San Francisco, CA 94103 USA
Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math - www.sreecgmath.org