Cross River women seek palliatives to encourage Exclusive Breastfeeding

<p>Nigerian Women have called on the state and federal governments to give special palliatives to nursing mothers to encourage exclusive breastfeeding. In an exclusive interview with The Guardian in Calabar, some nursing mothers complained of poor finances and poor feeding as factors responsible for mothers not practising exclusive breastfeeding.</p>, <p>A Nursing mother, Bright Edet, said, “I feel good to be here because I’m learning new things that I don’t know before. This baby knows how to suck o! My baby is four months old and I’m not doing exclusive breastfeeding because the baby likes food a lot and I don’t have money to feed well for the baby to suck me dry, government should provide for us, that is the only way I can do exclusive breastfeeding.”</p>, <p>Speaking also, Mrs Eme Affi stated, “I will like to do exclusive breastfeeding for my baby but you know, when you don’t eat good food, how will you manage to feed your baby on demand as we are thought here in the clinic. It is not easy my sister but if government can help us, I will start.”</p>, <p>On her part, Mrs Deborah Ndarake said, “I feed my baby with water, formula and breast milk right from when he was born. I couldn’t stand his crying so we decided to get the formula and started giving him water. He is just six days old. My baby can eat too much; I don’t even know what to do.”</p>, <p>According to the husband, Mr Ndarake, “I’m happy supporting my wife with taking care of my baby, it was not an easy road for her, so I have to support her in every way I can, for instance, whenever she is breastfeeding, she might need an handkerchief to clean the baby, I help her with that and many more. As you can see, I’m the one holding the baby, I support her a lot but she is not doing exclusive breastfeeding, and I’m not aware of the importance.” He said.</p>, <p>Speaking with a father who believed in exclusive breastfeeding after his first baby, Mr Godswill Nsikak said, “My baby is 8- months -old and strong because I supported my wife in exclusive breastfeedin