Dr. John Otoo, the Ghana Health Service’s Eastern Regional Deputy Director of Public Health, has emphasized the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for postpartum weight loss, claiming that it helps to flatten the tummy.
He claims that moms who solely breastfeed their newborns for the first six months after birth may help restore their flat bellies.
Breastfeeding exclusively involves giving a baby solely breastmilk for six months without introducing any other meals or beverages, such as infant formula or water.
Dr. Otoo, speaking to the Ghana News Agency on the benefits of exclusive nursing for both newborns and mothers, stated that significant research had indicated a quick contraction of the uterus as more prolactin hormone produced breastmilk immediately after the baby was born
“The more the child sucks (the breast), the more prolactin is released, and the uterus shrinks back to its original size,” he said.
He claimed that exclusive breastfeeding avoided postpartum haemorrhage, a condition in which nursing women bleed profusely after giving birth, which can be fatal.
Dr. Otoo explained that a mother’s well-being was based on her baby’s healthy nursing, which helped the uterus shrink by shutting all the pulses in the womb.
He also stated that exclusive breastfeeding helped to delay ovulation in nursing moms and acted as a natural form of contraception.
In terms of the benefits of exclusive nursing for the newborn, he noted quick brain growth, the generation of antigens to fight illnesses, and the capacity to control body temperature.
He recognized that exclusive breastfeeding was a time-consuming process and pushed spouses, family members, and coworkers to assist nursing moms in this endeavor.
Dr. Otoo, on the other hand, observed that the three-month maternity leave granted to nursing women undermined the practice of six months of exclusive breastfeeding.
He stated that companies were often scared of breastfeeding moms taking an extended vacation from their official occupations if they were allowed a six-month maternity leave, and hence may not want to recruit women who had yet to start their own kids.
He proposed that organizations provide a hospitable climate in which nursing moms might bring their newborns to work, therefore encouraging exclusive breastfeeding.