By Haruna Gimba
Husbands have been urged to be more supportive to their wives during breastfeeding, which had a huge psychological role to play on mother
and child.
A nutritionist based in Minna, Niger State, Mrs Amina Isah an interview with newsmen in Minna, said that supportive husbands tended to reduce stress from lactating mother.
She said that stress could certainly lead to minimal flow of the breast milk and cause the lactating mother to spend more time breastfeeding at any given time.
“Stress can certainly slow the flow as long as a mother continues to nurse her baby; stress is likely to stop her milk production. Breastfeeding reduces negative moods and stress, mothers nursing their
babies can actually be assisted by their husbands to get over a stressful time,” the expert said.
Amina also advised husbands to be of help in the house chores rather than shirk their responsibilities.
“Husband should not expect their wives to do all the house chores during maternity and still be able to do exclusive breastfeeding. If a woman is psychologically disturbed, there is no way she can do exclusive breastfeeding.”
According to her, study reveals that 25 per cent of Nigerian women are engaged in exclusive breastfeeding, saying that is grossly inadequate
considering the population of child bearing women.
