Perinatal education for 1400 mothers in Albania

Dear Friend,

"Breast is Best" or "Fed is best"?

We at the Mother and Child Hospital Foundaiton believe both are true.  We have spent years in education and direct support to mothers to help them feed their babies, and especially to protect the right for each mother and baby to seek to breastfeed if at all possible.  We have distributed educational materials, in print and on TVs in patient rooms, we use social media to reach moms all over the Albanian-speaking world, and we provide hands-on help both in the maternity hospital and at home.  Still we see mother after mother who has resorted to formula feeding from the first day due to pressure from doctors and midwives. In most cases these professionals are regularly receiving illegal payments from formula companies.    

The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative seeks to step in to advocate for the best practices to allow mothers who want to breastfeed their babies to have the best access possible. This includes: 

• Hospital-wide policies on breastmilk substitute marketing
• Protocols on prescribing breastmilk substitutes
• Clear and consistent messaging from medical staff on the benefits of breastfeeding
• Strong supports in medical protocols to support the earliest initiation of breastfeeding

The Mother and Child Hospital Foundation realises that this is a fight that has to be fought with strong partners, so we have taken the initiative to form a coalition of decision-makers in the public hospital system, as well as UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, and Save the Children to convene and coordinate to work together to keep up the pressure on hospitals to make a baby friendly environment..

For our part, we have started a training of trainers to make sure that as many health professionals as possible at Queen Geraldina Maternity hospital will build their skills in creating a breast-feeding friendly environment.We hope to start trainings at Koco Gliozheni Maternity hospital begin as well.  

The long-term health benefits from breastfeeding to both mother and baby make this a human rights issue. We are so grateful to our supporters who help us stay in the space and push every day a little more to protect this most basic of rights. 

Updates on our other projects:

1. We continue to fundraise and seek partners to help us meet the ever-present needs for updated equipment in the NICU espeically.  Tiny premature babies need many very specialised and expensive pieces of equipment that are always in short supply.  This spring we are concluding the purchasing of 10 oxygen meters, a value of approximately $11,000.
2. We have updated the breastfeeding videos we have in patient rooms to have subtitles so that we can have them playing continuously in the patient waiting areas without sound so that moms-to-be will receive some more support as they wait for appointments.
3. We are just about to make 100 more Boxes of Joy, a project that puts a box of baby essentials into the hands of needy moms.  Our latest mom to receive a box found herself unexpectedly pregnant at 16. Her father is disabled and her mother is the sole breadwinner. The father of the baby is also 16 and in school.  His mother is a single mother and is blind. They are so grateful for new baby clothes, diapers, toiletries, and a blanket. 
4. Focus on mental health.  As we continue to reach mothers through MamiCare, we notice that many mothers need support for baby blues and post-partum. We are working on making resources and building connections that can give these mothers access to compassionate mental health care. 

Thank you all for your sustaining support to help us educate, equip, and advocate for each mother and baby in Albania. 

Best wishes,

Elizabeth

Links:

• Mother and Child Hospital Foundation
• Follow us on Facebook!
• Our community work through MamiCare