This will be the third year my son and I will participate in the annual Hakab Na event by Breastfeeding Pinays in honor of Breastfeeding Month. Every August, the whole country alongside the Department of Health celebrates Breastfeeding Month. It is advised by the DOH that all children must be breastfed from birth to at least 6 months, but they urge mothers to continue breastfeeding until 2 years or older. Philstar reports "The Department of Health (DOH) has urged healthcare facilities to follow the “10 steps to successful breastfeeding” recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef). In a statement, the DOH said it is important to breastfeed newborns “within the first hours of life” because they could get the mother’s colostrums, thus giving them a head start in the race against malnutrition."
In line with this, Breastfeeding Pinays, a group who is the leader in breastfeeding advocacy, has been holding the Hakab Na event since 2013. It all began with a hundred mothers in Aristocrat and this year we expect to have quadruple that number participate in The Big Latch On. Breastfeeding Pinays share what their advocacy is on their Facebook page:
Ang "online community" na ito ay binubuo ng mga ina, ama, trained breastfeeding peer counselors, breastfeeding experts, at mga espesyalista sa pangangalaga ng kalusugan ng sanggol, bata at buntis. Naglalayon ang Breastfeeding Pinays na makapagbigay ng wastong kaalaman, suporta at lakas ng loob para sa mga inang gusto magpasuso (breastfeeding), bumalik sa pagpapasuso (relactation) at matuto ng tamang impormasyon tungkol sa pagpapasuso. Inaasam din ng grupong ito na maitaguyod ang pagpapasuso bilang pamantayan ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino - Protect, Promote and Support Breastfeeding.
Hakab Na! 2017 is a whole day event on August 5 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. It will run from 8 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon. The main event, The Big Latch On, will occur at 10:30 am. Mothers from all over the world will simultaneously breastfeed their children. This yearly event started back in 2005 with New Zealand's Women's Health Action Celebration. This year, there will be booths from mompreneurs inside the area and plenty of games and educational talks from experts. It is a really worthwhile event to attend with your friends, especially since this year you can form tribes to get discounts on tickets. To register, go here. I hope to see you there!
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