Breastfeeding class

During our mission conference last week, I talked with one of the other single gals out here about her ministry with street kids out in Silang, Cavite. Because of the nature of her ministry, she often gets involved with their families (if they have them). She found out about one boy's baby sister being in the hospital with sepsis. Upon visiting this little one and her mom, she was stunned to find the baby emaciated because the public hospital does not provide formula and the family had no money to buy it. The baby was septic because of diffuse scabies. The baby is just one year old now and the mom is 9 months pregnant with her next one. Erin asked me to come down and talk with the mom about the importance of breastfeeding and try to see if there were any problems that kept her from breastfeeding her other kids.

I drove down yesterday to meet with this lady and actually ended up talking with about 10. We gathered under a big tree in some borrowed chairs and I had a wonderful time getting them to interact and share about their feeding experiences, some common misconceptions, and the benefits of breastfeeding over formula feeding. It was great to see the moms encouraging each other and one of the successful breastfeeders offered to help a young mom with a four-month-old try to relactate!

It really broke my heart to see where these families live and it's easy to see why there is so much sickness, including scabies. The river that is supposed to be synonymous with life is filled with trash, including dirty diapers, bottles, cans, and all manner of disease. This is the same river they wash their clothes with, the kids play in, and some even choose to bath in it.

Please pray that these moms would take what was shared to heart and that they would be able to overcome traditions and the status symbol of formula, see past the myths, and that they would support each other for healthier kids!