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The Seven Acts of Kindness,was conceptualized by two breastfeeding advocates and International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) Elvira L. Henares-Esguerra, MD, FPDS, RPh, IBCLC and Director, Children for Breastfeeding and Nona D. Andaya-Castillo, IBCLC and Director, Nurturers of the Earth.
Since 1996, Nona had helped hundreds of mothers breastfeed their babies and had been monitoring the violations of milk companies and medical professionals against the laws that protect breastfeeding.
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While Elvira was pregnant with her third child Larry, she met Nona and requested for her professional services. The two became very close friends and are now working as partners in promoting, supporting and protecting breastfeeding.
In 2002, the IBCLCs established the First Breastfeeding Clinic in a private hospital in the Philippines for indigent patients. They had observed that parents were unaware of the risks of formula feeding. Even if they were made aware of it, many resorted to mixed feeding and consequently, full formula feeding due to strong social pressure and massive advertisements that deceive mothers to believe that formula milk can replace mother’s milk.
There were 27 mothers who showed up during the first class and only one was breastfeeding! The following week, that sole mother was told by her doctor to stop breastfeeding due to the medication that the doctor prescribed.
Alarmed by the realization that the formula feeding culture is so deeply ingrained, they saw the need to educate children, the future generation of parents on the superiority of breastfeeding. The exposure of children to mothers who breastfeed will help them internalize that breastfeeding is the norm, the gold standard in infant and young child feeding.
A concrete example is when children breastfeed their dolls when they see their mothers breastfeed. Hopefully, this will instill in their young minds that breastfeeding is the most natural and beautiful way of nurturing, when they become parents themselves.
The IBCLCs put up Children and Youth Action for Breastfeeding, a program that promotes breastfeeding to children and youth by mobilizing them to perform the Seven Acts of Kindness to Pregnant and Breastfeeding Mothers. They were both inspired by the way Elvira’s older children Angeli’ and Gabriel, supported her during pregnancy and breastfeeding Larry. The program won the 2003 International Ford Conservation and Environmental Grants with their project: Mobilizing Children to Promote Earth-friendly Parenting. Their family story was documented in a film titled “Waiting for the Fifth Player” for the Fourth World Meeting of Families in Manila January 2003.
The team has conducted forums, photo exhibits and school tours to promote the organization Children for Breastfeeding, Inc. and the Seven Acts of Kindness to Pregnant and Breastfeeding Mothers.
The acts:
In 2002, the IBCLCs established the First Breastfeeding Clinic in a private hospital in the Philippines for indigent patients. They had observed that parents were unaware of the risks of formula feeding. Even if they were made aware of it, many resorted to mixed feeding and consequently, full formula feeding due to strong social pressure and massive advertisements that deceive mothers to believe that formula milk can replace mother’s milk.
There were 27 mothers who showed up during the first class and only one was breastfeeding! The following week, that sole mother was told by her doctor to stop breastfeeding due to the medication that the doctor prescribed.
Alarmed by the realization that the formula feeding culture is so deeply ingrained, they saw the need to educate children, the future generation of parents on the superiority of breastfeeding. The exposure of children to mothers who breastfeed will help them internalize that breastfeeding is the norm, the gold standard in infant and young child feeding.
A concrete example is when children breastfeed their dolls when they see their mothers breastfeed. Hopefully, this will instill in their young minds that breastfeeding is the most natural and beautiful way of nurturing, when they become parents themselves.
The IBCLCs put up Children and Youth Action for Breastfeeding, a program that promotes breastfeeding to children and youth by mobilizing them to perform the Seven Acts of Kindness to Pregnant and Breastfeeding Mothers. They were both inspired by the way Elvira’s older children Angeli’ and Gabriel, supported her during pregnancy and breastfeeding Larry. The program won the 2003 International Ford Conservation and Environmental Grants with their project: Mobilizing Children to Promote Earth-friendly Parenting. Their family story was documented in a film titled “Waiting for the Fifth Player” for the Fourth World Meeting of Families in Manila January 2003.
The team has conducted forums, photo exhibits and school tours to promote the organization Children for Breastfeeding, Inc. and the Seven Acts of Kindness to Pregnant and Breastfeeding Mothers.
The acts:
- Represents the seven issues that breastfeeding addresses
- Develops respect for life in the womb and the environment
- Develops social consciousness and social responsibility among children.
- Instills among children the value of breastfeeding
- Provides support and inspiration all women need in these crucial stages of motherhood
- Revives indigenous nurturing practices that sustained breastfeeding in the past.
