Mrs. Malaythong,a 28-year old, Katou in Dakbou village, Dakcheung district, Sekong province. She has a total of three children: two girls (a five-year girl and a-one year and three-month girl) and a three-year boy.
Mrs. Malaythong recounted her experience in the past that when she was pregnant with her three children, she had ANC visits to the health center every time, where it is not too far from the village and went to the health center for giving birth every time including the last child as well.
Mrs. Malaythong had breastfed all her three children. She also added that when going to the Tatue health center, the doctor also recommended self-care during pregnancy, if sick, or fever or uncomfortable to go to a health center or clinic, do not buy the medicine on your own, because it is harmful to the baby in the womb, do not work hard, eat a variety of foods, such as fruits, chicken, fish, etc., and the doctor also recommended that on my due time, I should go to a health center or hospital for giving birth. “It’s not recommended to give birth at home because it can cause the baby to be infected, or there may be a malfunction and led to child fatality. Therefore, I listened and followed the instructions of the doctor.”
When Mrs. Malaythong was ready to give birth, she told her husband, and they went to a health center near the village. She gave birth safely, with a support by a doctor at the health center as a maternity assistant. She added that “an hour after giving birth, the doctor advised me to get breast milk immediately, because it was a very nutritious and that stimulated my breasts to produce more milk.”
Mrs. Malaythong said that “her three children were raised by herself to breastfeed only up to six months”. She gave the baby with breastmilk more than ten times a day after six months, feed them with boiled rice and added fruits such as bananas. When the child with the age of nine months old, Mrs. Malaythong started to go to work (farming and gardening), but she also took her child with her because she still had to breastfeed the baby.
“All three of my children were healthy due to only having breastmilk from birth to six months. Thankfully, the doctor and the health center staff provided me with knowledge about the breastfeeding. Also, thanks to my husband who helped, understood, and nurtured our children until they grew up and healthy.” said Mrs. Malaythong
Mrs. Malaythong also knows information about milk storage from doctors at health centers that breastmilk can stay in a refrigerator with a temperature of (-)negative 18 degrees, can stay for up to 3-6 months, but she has not practiced yet because she does not have a milk pump tool, or a refrigerator to store fresh milk. She learns that breastfed babies contain many nutrients and benefits such as making it easier for healthy infants not to get sick, as well as creating a bond for infants and mothers as well as natural contraception, in addition to breastfeeding, it is also a family economic savings without paying for other milk power.
Her family also took care of her children when she worked, especially her husband who was a food finder and took her to the doctor at the health center when she was sick as well as helping with all the household chores, and also seeking income for the family.
