Kirsten Larsen
Northern News Services

NNSL (Apr 19/99) - New mothers in Dettah and Ndilo can soon expect a visit from four experienced mothers who will try to encourage them to feed their babies naturally.

Four women from Dettah and Ndilo are ready to pass on the knowledge they learned, not only as mothers but during a course which has certified them as breastfeeding peer counsellors.

The women recently graduated from a course that was developed for First Nations women by a band in Manitoba. It was recently offered through the Dene First Nations Band.

Mary Jane Tsetta, community health representative for the band's prenatal nutrition program, is one of the four graduates. She said that not only is breastfeeding healthy for babies, it is practical for women in small communities.

"Some reasons why it's better for mothers in Dettah for example, is (Dettah) is out of town and there are no stores there and not everybody has a vehicle and cash available," said Tsetta. "You need cash for gas and you have to buy bottles and milk and have to make sure it doesn't go sour."

Tsetta said the peer counsellors plan to encourage mothers in the community to begin breastfeeding and to be available to give support and technical instruction as well.

"When mothers become frustrated and want to quit (breastfeeding) they can call and (a peer counsellor) will visit them and help them," said Tsetta. "The visits can start even before the baby is born and we can be visiting her in the hospital and help her start there."

The peer counsellors have experience in both breastfeeding and bottle feeding their children, and three of them are currently breastfeeding, so they are up to date on the issues. They are a minority in their communities, but that is not uncommon among women today.

"In First Nations' women there are around 27 per cent doing it up to six months and less than eight per cent continue after six months, and we need to breastfeed a minimum of six months to benefit the baby," said Nola Moulton, a lactation consultant who was hired by the band to teach the peer counsellors.

Karen Leidl, director of community health for Dettah and Ndilo, said breastfeeding is crucial to a baby's health because it helps them build up antibodies which protect them from various infections and illnesses.

"Research shows it reduces infant diabetes, ear infections, and RSV (respiratory virus) which causes pneumonia in babies. A lot are medevaced out of the communities (with RSV complications). In the past year we've seen an increase in this."

Although some women know the benefits of breastfeeding, Moulton said they may not practise it because they don't know how or they feel uncomfortable about it.

"Very few understand how it works...how it's done," said Moulton. "We've lost that because we don't see it being done."

Moulton said two of the most common reasons women object to or discontinue breastfeeding are complaints of nipple pain and the belief that they do not have enough milk.

"Painful nipples comes from poor positioning of the baby," said Moulton. "The fear of not having enough milk is because women say the baby is always hungry. That's because it's not like a bottle.... You have to do it every four hours and the baby needs to be fed four to eight times in 24 hours."

Women do not have to quit work to stay at home when they are breastfeeding.

"You usually only have to do that for the first six to eight weeks. After that, mom can pump her milk and feeding can be done from a bottle. The milk can be stored for 10 days or in the freezer for six months."

Moulton said the peer counsellors will be able to answer any questions the mothers have, as well as help them with any technical problems such as positioning their babies properly.