The Provincial Government of Camarines Sur, through the Provincial Health Office (PHO), in collaboration with the National Nutrition Council (NNC) Region V conducted a 20-hour Lactation Management Training (LMT) at the Villa del Rey Function Room on June 8-10, 2022. Thirty staff members of provincially-managed hospitals, rural health units and municipal nutrition action officers (MNAO) participated in the said event.
The 20-hour Lactation Management Training (LMT) Program aims to strengthen the knowledge and skills of staff and healthcare workers from selected birthing facilities and provincially-managed hospitals with the goal to establish mother-baby friendly institutions through the implementation of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.
Buhi Community Hospital’s Liziel Malapo, RN, MAN, Regional LMT Trainor of DOH Bicol, was invited to be the speaker and to facilitate the LMT Training. According to her, “We are conducting the LMT to capacitate or equip my fellow healthcare workers with the skills and knowledge to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding.”
“As a trainer, na-inspire ako to conduct at ipagpatuloy ‘yung LMT kasi nasa puso ko na ito. Noong nanganak ako sa baby ko, hindi pa ako nakapag-training noon tapos ako mismo hindi ko na-practice ‘yung exclusive breastfeeding sa baby ko. Noong nakapa-gtraining na ako, nakakakosensya na kaya mo naman ibigay sa bata ‘yung exclusive breastfeeding, though we are working mothers, pero na-neglect kasi di mo alam kung papano gawin. Mas na-inspire ako sumama para maging trainer para maiparating ko sa mga kapwa ko healthcare workers kung gaano kaimportante ito,” she also shared.
The LMT Program was conducted in 15 sessions, which include lecture discussions, role playing activities, and demonstrations of the topics on Mother-Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (MBFHI): A Part of the Global Strategy, Communication Skills, Promoting Breastfeeding during Pregnancy, Protecting Breastfeeding, Birth Practices and Breastfeeding, How milk gets from breast to baby, Helping with a breastfeed, Practices that Assist Breastfeeding, Milk Supply, Special infant situations, If the baby cannot feed at the breast, Breast and nipple concern, Maternal Health Concerns, On-going support for Mothers, and Making your hospital Mother-Baby friendly.
The LMT is one of the essential trainings for healthcare workers as it is one of the prerequisites for accreditation, which also affects a facility’s license to operate. In order to obtain accreditation, at least two healthcare workers of the facility must have taken the LMT and must have oriented fellow staff members on breastfeeding as well as impart the necessary knowledge in handling breastfeeding mothers.
In the Bicol Region alone, 40 government hospitals and 63 private hospitals were recognized with the certificate of accreditation for the Mother-Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative. In the province of Camarines Sur, institutions with the MBFHI accreditation were Naga City Hospital, Libmanan District Hospital, Our Lady Mediatrix Hospital (Iriga) and St. John Hospital (Goa).
Significance of training to healthcare workers
Our healthcare workers are our frontliners who cater to breastfeeding mothers and pregnant women in different healthcare facilities. It is essential that they have the technical know-how in handling scenarios that may arise in the facilities and that they undergo trainings to better serve their patients.
In preparation for the full operation of the new provincial hospital, the Provincial Government ensures to train well its healthcare workers in Lactation Management. Lycely Gay Tumbado, RN, a staff nurse at Camarines Sur Provincial Medical Center (CSPMC), was one of the participants of LMT. She shared, “Through the help of this training, mas lalong nadagdagan yung aming kaalaman tungkol sa breastfeeding sa lactation dahil tinuturuan kami bilang isang healthcare worker kung papano i-handle yung situations na kinakailangan para maturuan yung mga mother and soon-to-be moms.”
She also stressed why it is important for hospitals to become mother-baby friendly and why lactation stations are essential. “Importante na maging accepting tayo sa lahat na pumapasok sa ospital, including breastfeeding mothers. Maganda yung meron silang place to breastfeed their babies so that they will feel that exclusive breastfeeding is important kahit nasa ospital sila and, at the same time, we get to empower them. Hindi dapat ito ikinakahiya.”
With all the things she learned in the training, Lycely shared her future plans on how to apply her learnings from the LMT. “I plan to impart yung mga natutunan ko sa aking mga colleagues sa hospital. We will plan para sa aming facility para ito ay maging mother-baby friendly hospital.”
“Very thankful ako sa training na ito kasi nabigyan kami ng chance para mas ma-enhance ang mga kaalaman sa breastfeeding. Sana talaga ma-icontinue natin ang pagkakaroon ng ganitong training,” she also gratefully said.
A male’s perspective on lactation programs in LGU
The knowledge and skills taught to our healthcare workers on breastfeeding are not limited and exclusive to the female community. As the LMT covered, everyone should be taught how to handle breast feeding mothers in every institution, regardless of gender.
Eularey De Leon, a nutrition staff of LGU San Fernando and also part of the LGU’s gender development programs, shared his experiences during the training. According to him, “Being a freshman sa ganitong program, very exciting siya para sa akin kasi very fresh yung idea and considering way back 2011 pa yung training sa IYCF (Infant Young Child Feeding) Program. Medyo another refresher course itong sa LMT. Syempre yung mga kasama natin na participants, very participative na nakaka-encourage din na mag-participate din ako nang mabuti sa activities.”
“Since ako ‘yung nag-iisang lalaki doon sa mga activity, we are talking about lactation so wala talaga akong idea kung kailan nagkakaroon ng breastmilk yung mother. So lahat ng information about sa motherhood, especially sa lactation na part ng pagiging babae, marami talaga akong natutunan,” he also added.
As the only male participant in the LMT, he also emphasized the importance of the participation of the male community in the lactation program and that this should not also be a gender-based topic. “Awareness ito sa mga healthcare and medical practitioners kasi parang pag level up ito at parang ia-upgrade yung knowledge namin about lactation. Isa rin itong eye opener sa health sector kasi kung iko-consider mo sa lactation program, ang implementers ay dominated ng mga babae, so as part of the male community, parang may overview na importante din ang participation ng male community sa lactation program especially sa municipal level and sa city,“ he said.
Furthermore, De Leon shared that he already spoke with their nutrition officer on how they will be integrating the learning from the training he attended. He said that they will allocate budget for nutrition programs, but their first step is to give awareness to healthcare and medical practitioners, especially the midwives and barangay health workers (BHW) because they are the frontliners of the lactation programs in the barangay and municipalities.
Participation of pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers
In the 20-hour LMT, a practicum on the third day was also conducted, where 10 pregnant women and 5 breastfeeding mothers from Brgy. Cadlan, Pili were invited as participants for the demonstration of the trainees’ application and integration of their skills and knowledge in observing and assisting breastfeeding mother, discussing breastfeeding with pregnant women, and observing hand expression and cup feeding.
The participation of pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers is more than necessary in the activities conducted during the training as they are also the ones being catered by the healthcare workers. As taught in the LMT, mothers also need to be equipped with the skills and knowledge in breastfeeding to ensure the proper nutrition of their child. Consultations on proper breastfeeding plays an integral role in improving the nutrition of the children.
“Masaya at nagpapasalamat ako na isa ako sa mga naimbitahan dito at nagkaroon ng bagong kaalaman kasi kahit nag-breastfeed ako, meron pa akong mga hindi alam tungkol dito saka natutunan ko talaga kung gaano kaimportante ang breastfeeding sa bata lalo na sa first 6 months, dapat galing talaga sa nanay,” shared 32-year old breastfeeding mother Mary Jane Sanorjo, who participated in the demonstration during the practicum of the trainees.
The Provincial Government also provided the breastfeeding mothers and pregnant women who participated in the demo with hygiene kits containing malong, underwear, detergent bars, toothbrush, toothpaste, reusable sanitary napkin, and germicidal soap. They also received breastfeeding kits containing ice pack, breastmilk bags, manual pump, styrofoam storage box, and breastfeeding manual which will be very beneficial to them.
First-time mom Kimberly Meneses is really grateful for the handful of information that she learned. “Dakulaon na tabang ining mga information na ni lalo na ako na sarong first-time mom. Aram ko na si mga dapat saka dae dapat gibuhun saka si mga dapat i-expect lalo na pag yaon na si baby kaya dakula din pasasalamat ko na saro ako sa nainvite igdi. Okay din si naging experience ko kasi mabubuot saka approachable man si mga nakaulay sako.”
“Dakulaon na tabang din si nakua mi na kits kasi saro din talaga siya sa mga balak kong bakalon pag yaon na si baby. Bawas gastos na siya sako ta libre nang naitao sakuya kaya napapasalamat ako sa Provincial Health Office na saro ako sa natawan asin nagin participant para matabangan an arog kong first- time mom,” she added. She emphasized that receiving the kits made things easier for her to prepare for all of her baby’s needs.
The LMT is not only meant to capacitate an institution to be accredited with MBFHI but also to advocate the importance of exclusive breastfeeding to infants as well as to help lessen malnutrition among infants. The Provincial Government supports the initiatives not just to invest in our healthcare workers and provincially-managed hospitals, but also to empower breastfeeding mothers in the province.
