World Breastfeeding Week aims to raise awareness about the global challenges and opportunities related to breastfeeding. This week, You! explores the multifaceted benefits of breastfeeding and highlights the unique challenges faced by mothers in Pakistan. Read on...
World Breastfeeding Week, observed annually from August 1 to 7, it is a global initiative led by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding. The 2025 theme, ‘Invest in breastfeeding, invest in the future’, emphasises the need for systemic support to empower mothers and ensure breastfeeding success, aligning with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) ‘Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures’ campaign. In Pakistan, where cultural, social, and systemic barriers hinder breastfeeding, this theme underscores the urgency of investing in skilled counselling, enforcing regulations against formula marketing, and creating breastfeeding-friendly environments. Let’s explore the multifaceted benefits of breastfeeding for babies, mothers, and the environment, while addressing the unique challenges faced by Pakistani mothers, whether they are working mums or stay-at-home, in urban or rural settings, and the cultural context shaping their experiences.
Breastfeeding provides unparalleled nutrition, tailored to an infant’s needs with essential nutrients, antibodies, and enzymes that bolster immunity and development. WHO notes that exclusive breastfeeding for six months can reduce infant mortality by up to 13 per cent, protecting against infections like diarrhoea and pneumonia, which is critical in Pakistan, where under-five mortality is approximately 67 per 1,000 live births (UNICEF). Breast milk also supports cognitive development. In a country where 40 per cent of children under five suffer from malnutrition, breastfeeding is a cost-free, accessible solution to combat stunting and wasting, aligning with the 2025 theme’s focus on investing in children’s futures.
Breastfeeding offers significant health and emotional benefits for mothers. It promotes postpartum recovery through oxytocin release, reducing bleeding and aiding uterine contraction. Long-term, it lowers the risk of breast and ovarian cancers, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases (a 2017 meta-analysis found a 26 per cent reduced breast cancer risk for women breastfeeding for at least 12 months). Emotionally, breastfeeding fosters bonding through hormones like oxytocin and prolactin, enhancing maternal well-being. For Pakistani mothers, particularly in low-income households, breastfeeding eliminates the need for costly formula milk, supporting economic stability and aligning with the theme’s emphasis on smart economic investments.
Breastfeeding is a zero-waste, eco-friendly practice that supports environmental sustainability, a key aspect of investing in the future. According to one study, each kg of milk formula generated 4 kg of carbon dioxide (CO2 equivalent) greenhouse gas during production. Unlike formula feeding, breastfeeding has no carbon footprint. In Pakistan, where waste management is strained and water scarcity affects millions, breastfeeding conserves resources by eliminating the need for water-intensive formula preparation. By promoting breastfeeding, Pakistan can reduce its environmental impact, aligning with the 2025 theme’s vision of sustainable societal benefits.
No mother should have to choose between their child’s wellbeing and livelihood but this is the unfortunate reality for many. While talking to this scribe, Syra Khan, a working mother, shares her experience, “If I reflect on my own experience, one of the biggest challenges has always been not having enough time and underestimating the importance of my own health, a mindset often rooted in feeling young and resilient. Whether as a stay-at-home mother, a working woman, or a single parent, one constant remains: the overwhelming responsibility of managing household duties and caring for children. This often leads women to put their own needs, including health and breastfeeding support, last.”
“After the birth of each of my children, I chose to take a year-long break from work to dedicate myself fully to the breastfeeding journey. Unfortunately, the lack of day-care facilities in most workplaces, and even where they existed, the absence of adequate breastfeeding or pumping support, made it extremely difficult to manage both work and nursing. Rather than struggling through the stress of expressing milk at work or finding reliable childcare, I found it more practical to step away from employment and return once my children were weaned and able to eat solids,” elucidates Syra.
This experience reflects a broader systemic issue; without proper support structures, many women are forced to choose between their careers and their children’s nutritional needs. There is a strong need for improved workplace policies, accessible childcare, and designated breastfeeding facilities to support working mothers during this critical stage.
*Cybil, a young mother, also had to go through a lot of challenges while taking care of her children. “When I had my first child, I was young in my early 20s and had no idea how to take care of my child and breastfeed my child. I felt I was on my own. Unfortunately, I couldn’t breastfeed my child for more than a month even though I wanted to. I was always exhausted from doing the rest of the chores and taking care of the child on my own. I felt weak and I stopped after a month. I had my second child right after a year of my first born. At that time, I felt better prepared and experienced to manage my second child but again, breastfeeding was difficult with two kids and I had to manage on my own. So, I did not breastfeed my second one at all,” narrates Cybil.
She suggests that there must be training provided by the government or hospitals on how to manage breastfeeding, and there should be proper checks to see if the new mother has the necessary support. She shared an example from a European country where a relative received home visits from a nurse and a GP for the first 40 days after childbirth. These visits were focused on assessing the well-being of both the mother and child, ensuring they were receiving adequate nourishment and support at home.
There are also painful experiences from those who choose to continue to work along with breastfeeding and without adequate support at work. Having to go waste breast milk down the drain in toilets during working hours. Why should women have to suffer through such trauma?
Due to these issues, despite its benefits, only 48 per cent of Pakistani infants are exclusively breastfed for six months (Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18), reflecting deep-rooted challenges. The 2025 theme calls for investment in breastfeeding support to address these barriers, particularly through skilled counselling, policy enforcement, and enabling environments.
Cultural norms significantly shape breastfeeding practices in Pakistan. A common misconception, especially in rural areas, is that colostrum is ‘impure’, leading some mothers to discard it and give new-borns honey, ghutti, or animal milk. These practices increase infection risks and disrupt breastfeeding. Such beliefs, often reinforced by elder women in joint family systems, highlight the need for skilled breastfeeding counselling to counter misinformation.
Public breastfeeding also faces stigma in our culture, where conservative norms discourage nursing outside the home. This restricts a mother’s mobility and ability to breastfeed on demand, undermining their autonomy. WHO’s call for breastfeeding-friendly environments, such as in public spaces and workplaces, directly addresses this issue, advocating for societal shifts to normalise breastfeeding. Additionally, formula feeding is sometimes seen as a status symbol, fuelled by aggressive marketing despite Pakistan’s Breastfeeding Ordinance of 2002. Enforcing the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, a priority of the 2025 campaign, is critical to counter these influences.
Access to lactation support in Pakistan is severely limited, with very few health facilities offering adequate breastfeeding counselling. Many healthcare providers lack training in lactation management, leaving mothers without guidance on issues like latching difficulties or low milk supply. In rural areas, mothers often rely on untrained midwives, perpetuating harmful practices. The 2025 theme focuses on investing in skilled breastfeeding counselling. In this regard, counselling is important to address this gap, ensuring mothers receive evidence-based support from trained professionals.
In urban hospitals, early formula supplementation is common, undermining exclusive breastfeeding and maternal confidence. With very few lactation consultants in the country, access to expert support is scarce. For working mothers, the lack of workplace accommodations, such as lactation rooms or breaks, makes continuing breastfeeding after maternity leave challenging. WHO’s emphasis on creating supportive environments at work directly aligns with this need, advocating for policies like extended maternity leave and breastfeeding facilities.
Socioeconomic disparities
Breastfeeding challenges vary across socioeconomic groups. Stay-at-home mothers face pressure to prioritise household chores, leading to early weaning. Maternal malnutrition further complicates milk production. Working mothers, from domestic workers to corporate professionals, struggle with short maternity leaves and a lack of breastfeeding facilities. In Pakistan’s informal sector, women like domestic workers or street vendors lack maternity benefits. Even in formal sectors, workplaces rarely provide lactation rooms or breaks. In an experience shared by a schoolteacher from Islamabad, the absence of a private space to pump milk, forced her to stop breastfeeding early.
To align with the 2025 theme, Pakistan must invest in breastfeeding to secure a healthier, more sustainable future. Training healthcare workers and increasing lactation consultants can provide mothers with practical support, addressing issues like latching or low supply.
Awareness campaigns during World Breastfeeding Week can counter myths about colostrum and formula feeding. Engaging community leaders, including religious scholars, can align cultural beliefs with evidence-based practices. Highlighting breastfeeding’s environmental benefits can perhaps also convince environmentally responsible organisations to implement policies that support breastfeeding at the workplace, such as extended maternity leave and mandating lactation rooms and breaks.
World Breastfeeding Week 2025, with its theme ‘Invest in breastfeeding, invest in the future’, is a call to action to prioritise breastfeeding as a cornerstone of child health, maternal well-being, and environmental sustainability. By addressing cultural misconceptions, expanding professional support, and creating breastfeeding-friendly environments, Pakistan can empower all mothers to breastfeed successfully. Investing in skilled counselling, enforcing formula marketing regulations, and fostering supportive communities will not only reduce healthcare costs and boost child development but also strengthen economies and promote sustainability. As we navigate these challenges, we should know that it is our collective responsibility to support breastfeeding and build it as a foundation for a hopeful, healthier future.
*Name has been changed to retain privacy.
The writer is a LUMS alumna and a community social worker with special interest in public health, philosophy, and human rights. Her X (formerly Twitter) handle is @mariamibkhan. She can be reached at mariamk27@hotmail.com
