Association: Almost half of the baby families do not get enough help for breastfeeding
Families|According to Heidi Kervinen, Executive Director of Breastfeeding Support, a voluntary association will have to replace the lack of healthcare.
Almost half There is not enough support for breastfeeding in Finnish baby families, says the Breastfeeding Support Association.
Last year, the association received more than 21,000 support requests from parents of baby children. The number of supporters in need of support is responsible for about half a year of babies with their families, as about 44,000 babies were born in Finland throughout the year. However, some contacts may be from the same families.
CEO of the association Heidi Kervinen In the opinion of the large number of contacts, families do not get enough help with health care.
« In a busy maternity hospital, there is no time to give enough guidance on the care and breastfeeding of the baby. Families come home from the hospital with many questions, » Kervinen says.
Typically Fresh parents are worried about whether the baby gets enough milk.
« Or is it normal for a small baby to be alongside all the time. Parents can also be worried if the baby is tired and not being able to eat at all. Very often it is also asked if it is normal for breastfeeding. »
To the association There will also be a lot of contacts in the evenings and on weekends when many health care services are closed.
For example, breastfeeding pain may not be a situation requiring emergency treatment, but breastfeeding with pain can end in the early stages, Kervinen says.
Breastfeeding support is mainly voluntary. Trained volunteers of the association provide free support and information to families about breastfeeding.
However, according to Kervinen, some of the situations of baby families are so difficult that they would be part of health care, not to be solved by volunteer peer supporters.
« We can be an organization alongside health care, but we are unable to take care of health care. »
