Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months is very important to the child and the mother as it is known to improve the health status of both mother and child, as well as impact positively the entire early years development of the child, which is a good foundation for the later years.

The Mother Goose Kenya is in the forefront to campaign for the exclusive breastfeeding, by offering various solutions that could support mothers in the 6 months exlusive breastfeeding. Our aim is to see that children have a healthy and good start in life and that the mothers can breastfeed their babies whenever and wherever they want.

Our main solution in support of breastfeeding is creation of Breastfeeding stations in workplaces and in public places that could be used by any breastfeeding mother at no cost, to express her milk or nurse her child whenever she needs to do it. The breastfeeding stations are made to meet the requirements of the Law as per the Health Act 2017 and the awaiting to be law bill; The Breastfeeding Mother Bill 2017.

We also offer Breastfeeding classes to Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers in order to educate them on importance of exclusive breastfeeding and how to breastfeed in the right way.

Breastfeeding facts

Did you know…..

• That 13% of deaths in children would be preventable if all children were exclusively breastfed for six months.
• That breastfeeding has cognitive and health benefits for both infants and their mothers. The breastfeed infants have high IQ, have increased immunity, have less risk of SIDs, Diabetes, ADHD and Leukaemia. Mothers who breastfeed have a reduced risk of ovarian and breast cancer, which are two leading causes of death among women.
• Breastfeeding is one of the most effective — and cost-effective — investment Kenya can make in the health of their youngest members and the future health of its economy and society.
• That for a breastfeeding mother to have a continuous flow of milk, she should breastfeed or express her breast milk in every 2-3 hours.
• Of the new moms that begin breastfeeding annually, only 61% make it to the recommended exclusive breastfeeding milestone of six months. The target now in Kenya is to have 90% of nursing mother make to the 6 months exclusive breastfeeding.
• According to UNICEF executive director Antony Lake, exclusive breastfeeding would save the world about US$300 billion (Sh30trillion) annually.

Challenges the breastfeeding mothers are facing

More than 90% of the mothers who start breastfeeding after birth, only 60% make it to 6 months exclusive breastfeeding. Most of the mothers that return to work after the 3 months maternity leave are unable to feed their babies with their breastmilk because they lack conducive places whereby they can express their milk. Even with the current Health Act 2017, more than 95% of working nursing mothers are yet to get the support of their employer to provide breastfeeding stations at work.

The Breastfeeding stations at workplaces could in future be implemented in only the formal employment because breastfeeding Bill requires the employers with more than thirty women employees to set the breastfeeding stations and that would benefit about 20% of working mothers. However, the working mothers in the informal sector in Kenya which represent 83.4 % of the employment as per Kenya National Bureau of Statistics of 2017, might not get the support to breastfeed after the maternity leave. Therefore, the target of the Kenyan government to have more than 90% of mother successfully do 6 months exclusive breastfeeding might not be realized.

The various Breastfeeding station that we offer

1. Basic Lactation Room- We design, renovate and furnish a space and turn it to be a breastfeeding station.  The Furnishing and facilitation  follows the guidelines laid out in the Health Act 2017, which requires that the breastfeeding room has a  fridge, lockable cabinet, comfortable chair , table, storage, sink with running water, sockets and Information, education and communication materials (IEC) 
2. Workplace Multiple Lactation Station- The Multiple lactation station is a one big breastfeeding room and has been sectioned to offer more than one lactation space  that can be used by several mothers at the same time. This kind of setting is best for company with large number of breastfeeding mothers
3. Deluxe Lactation Room- the room haseverything offered under the basic lactation room and additional items that add comfort and luxury to the breastfeeding room. the deluxe Lactation room come with extras like children play corner, diaper changing area corner, tea or coffee making machine,  baby sleeping cots etc.
4. The Mummy-toto Lactation Suite- This is a self-contained portable lactation pod  thatis placed conveniently at the client’s location. The lactation pod comes with all the amenities a mother would need to breastfeed her baby or express the breast milk.