SharjahThe Sharjah Child Friendly Academy, a subsidiary of the Sharjah Child Friendly Office (SCFO), has launched an awareness information pack titled My Journey From Pregnancy to Breastfeeding.

The move aims to educate mothers as well as healthcare professionals in maternity and childcare on breastfeeding, fostering it as a social culture, in addition to promoting all types of care that should be given to new-borns.

The info-pack presents a significant step forward in addressing the underlying factors that influence infant feeding as well as topics that help mothers face any breastfeeding challenges. It seeks to emphasise the bond between mothers and their new-born babies to ensure the best pregnancy care, both prenatal and postpartum. At the same time, it educates mothers on the advantages of breastfeeding and its role in ensuring the health and well-being of children as well as mothers.

The info-pack will be distributed to medical staff at hospitals and healthcare centres. It will also be available on the academy’s social media platforms: (@SCFOAcademy).

The topics featured in the information pack include the importance of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding, risks of formula feeding, skin-to-skin contact, demand feeding, rooming-in, the importance of night feeding, signs of sufficient milk, breastfeeding positions and attachment, hand expression and cup feeding.

Furthermore, the information pack addresses issues associated with going back to work while breastfeeding, storage of breastmilk, offers guidance on starting complementary feeding with which foods to start with and which ones to avoid, as well as the safe preparation of formula milk.

The Sharjah Child Friendly Office (SCFO), a subsidiary of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA), recently announced the establishment of the Sharjah Child Friendly Academy (SCFA) to support institutions and community organisations in adopting and improving child-friendly environments and experiences across the emirate, providing training courses, and launching awareness initiatives and informational resource packs on children’s wellbeing and development.