Breastfeeding Doesn’t Start in the Delivery Room—It Starts with the Support System Around the Mother

By Susan Wakaruigi

For one week every August, the world turns its attention to something that has been part of human life for thousands of years: breastfeeding.

But as we marked World Breastfeeding Week last week, one lesson stood out clearly. Breastfeeding is not simply about a mother feeding her baby. It is about whether a mother has the knowledge, confidence, time, support and healthcare she needs to give her child the best possible start in life.

Kenya has made significant progress. According to the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, 60 per cent of children aged 0–5 months are exclusively breastfed. This represents a remarkable improvement from 13 per cent in 2003. Yet it also means that four in every 10 infants in this age group are not receiving breast milk exclusively.

The message, therefore, should not be to blame mothers. It should be to ask a more important question: What can families, workplaces and healthcare systems do better?

Breastfeeding begins before the baby arrives

Successful breastfeeding does not begin when a mother is discharged from hospital. It begins during pregnancy, when mothers should receive accurate information about breastfeeding, nutrition, delivery and newborn care.

After birth, early initiation matters. WHO and UNICEF recommend that breastfeeding begin within the first hour of life, followed by exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months. Complementary foods should then be introduced at six months while breastfeeding continues up to two years or beyond.

For mothers who deliver by Caesarean section, have premature babies or experience complications during delivery, breastfeeding can be particularly challenging. Pain, delayed skin-to-skin contact, separation from the baby or anxiety about milk supply can all affect the early days.

This is where professional support becomes critical.

At The Nairobi West Hospital, paediatric and maternal care provides an opportunity to support mothers through pregnancy, childbirth, newborn care and the early stages of a child’s development. Breastfeeding counselling should be viewed not as an optional extra, but as part of quality maternal and newborn care.

The baby benefits, but so does the mother

Breast milk provides the nutrients and energy a baby needs in the first months of life and contains antibodies that help protect against common childhood infections.

But the conversation should also recognise the mother.

Breastfeeding can support postpartum recovery and strengthen the emotional connection between mother and child. It is also practical and economical: breast milk is available without preparation, does not require sterilisation and does not depend on household income.

Yet telling a mother that breastfeeding is important is not enough.

A mother returning to work after maternity leave may struggle to maintain exclusive breastfeeding without adequate time and a suitable place to express and store milk. A mother living in a crowded household may face pressure from relatives to introduce water, porridge or other foods before six months.

These are not simply individual choices. They are social and health-system issues.

The next step is support, not pressure

World Breastfeeding Week should therefore leave us with a commitment that lasts beyond one week. Mothers need consistent guidance from antenatal clinics to maternity wards and paediatric clinics. Fathers and other family members should understand how they can help. Employers should recognise the importance of breastfeeding support. Healthcare workers should identify mothers experiencing difficulties early and provide practical assistance.

Most importantly, we must create an environment where a mother can ask, “Is my baby feeding well?” without feeling judged.

Kenya has demonstrated that progress is possible. Moving exclusive breastfeeding beyond the current 60 per cent will require the same combination of education, supportive healthcare and community commitment that helped achieve that progress.

The real lesson from World Breastfeeding Week is therefore simple: a healthy baby needs more than breast milk. A baby needs a supported mother.

When we invest in mothers, we invest in babies. And when we support both, we invest in the health of the next generation of Kenyans.

The writer is Chief Nursing Officer, The Nairobi West Hospital