CITY OF CALAPAN – Cheryl Joy Ibabaw, 19, a resident of Bonga-bong town in Oriental Mindoro, gave birth to twin boys at the bottle-free ward of the Oriental Mindoro Provincial Hospital (OMPH) on Oct. 1.

Like her eldest child, another boy, she has been breastfeeding her twins.

“Almost every hour, when my babies are awake, I breastfeed them,” she said.

Abigail Herrera, who was visiting her cousin who gave birth last week, butted in, proudly saying they had always been for breastfeeding.

“Our child is healthier, we understand that milk formulas are depleted of nutrients,” she said in Filipino.

According to hospital records, more than 200 mothers visit its OB-gynecology department every month.

“Right after giving birth, we advise mothers to breastfeed their babies, except in difficult cases like if they gave birth by caesarean section,” said Pascua Bautista, a midwife.

Bautista said they have been promoting breastfeeding for five years now.

They usually tell mothers about the importance of colostrum, the first milk of a mother after giving birth, which supplies essential immune bodies to her baby and helps in the establishment of digestion, she said.

Mercedita Anorico, OMPH dietitian-nutritionist, said colostrum is high in carbohydrates, protein and antibodies and low in fat.

“Newborns have very small digestive systems, and colostrum delivers its nutrients in a very concentrated low-volume form,” she said.

Boyet Agbay, Department of Trade and Industry officer in Oriental Mindoro, said traditional milking practices like breastfeeding are indeed an alternative to infant milk formulas, especially with the present crisis that hit imported milk products as a result of the melamine-tainted milk scare.

Chinese-made milk products were banned by the government because of the reported contamination with melamine, an industrial chemical that causes kidney disease among children, he said.

Norine Dacula, OMPH nutrition action officer, said breastfeeding is beneficial. “Breastmilk is a perfect nutrient, a good protection against infection for our babies,” she said.

Breastfeeding strengthens bonding between the mother and the baby, she said, adding that it also delays new pregnancy.

She said she was glad that the Department of Education in the province had included malunggay (Moringa oleifera) in its recipe for supplemental feeding in schools.

Malunggay is four times richer in calcium than milk, according to the World Health Organization.

Feliciana Alban, 57, a housekeeper, attested to this with her experiences. “All my four children grew up healthy with my breastfeeding. I eat malunggay daily for my calcium supply,” she said.

Alban also recalled that when she lived for 19 years in the farm with her husband, their fresh milk sources were carabaos, goats and cows in the area.