From Challenging Beginnings to Sustainable Breastfeeding…

The 2nd National Breastfeeding Symposium was held by the Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences, Midwifery Department. The symposium covered many critical topics, from breast milk to partner support, from environmental health to tele-counseling in the digital age, and evidence-based midwifery approaches in challenging beginnings such as C-section prematurity. 

The symposium, held at Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences, Ibn-i Sina Auditorium, was attended by Prof. Haydar Sur, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine; Prof. Arif Aktuğ Ertekin, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences; Assoc. Prof. Tuğba Yılmaz Esencan, Head of Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences, Midwifery Department; Prof. Neslihan Keser Özcan, Head of Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Midwifery Department; Instructor Didem Kurap Öcebe, Midwifery Department; Asst. Prof. Burcu Fırat; Midwife Hürcan Çit; Midwife Arzu Çulha; Asst. Prof. Özge Şiir Dağlar from Kent University Midwifery Department; and midwifery students.

Prof. Haydar Sur: “The slightest obstacle to breastfeeding is an attack on humanity”

Prof. Haydar Sur, Dean of Üsküdar University Faculty of Medicine, delivered the opening speech of the symposium; “There is a beautiful saying in Turkish, when someone has fully earned something, we say, ‘May it be as pure as mother’s milk.’ This is a wonderfully striking expression in our beautiful Turkish language. It also perfectly reflects our traditional perspective on mother’s milk. The first and last thing a baby deserves from the moment they are born as a human being is their mother’s pure milk. Therefore, even the smallest obstacle to breastfeeding is considered a direct attack on humanity.” he said.

Prof. Arif Aktuğ Ertekin: “The safest embrace is a mother’s embrace”

Prof. Arif Aktuğ Ertekin, Dean of Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences, spoke at the symposium. Ertekin said; “The most beautiful and safest embrace is a mother’s embrace. When you add breast milk to this, the importance of the trust provided by skin-to-skin contact becomes much greater. This has many benefits for both the baby and the mother. The incidence of cancer, the scourge of our age, increases with age. Breastfeeding can reduce the risk of breast cancer by nearly 50% and ovarian cancer by nearly 30%. It also reduces the likelihood of diseases such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis in mothers. Obesity and type 2 diabetes, significant health problems of our age, are also less common in breastfeeding mothers. The benefits it provides for babies are countless.”

Assoc. Prof. Tuğba Yılmaz Esencan: “Being a midwife means carrying knowledge with compassion, and science with conscience”

Assoc. Prof. Tuğba Yılmaz Esencan, Head of Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences, Midwifery Department, spoke at the symposium. Esencan stated; “Supporting a mother during her breastfeeding journey and ensuring the sustainability of this process actually allows us to contribute to all these goals simultaneously. In short, we need to provide a sustainable beginning for a sustainable future. Dear students, you are the future of this profession. One day, you will be the ones by the side of a mother shedding tears, saying, ‘I can’t do it, I don’t have enough milk.’ The information you provide, the patience you show, and a single sentence you utter at that moment can change a mother’s breastfeeding journey, and perhaps even a child’s entire life. Being a midwife means carrying knowledge with compassion, and science with conscience. Be proud of your profession because you are witnesses to humanity’s first moments.”

Within the scope of the symposium;

-Prof. Neslihan Keser Özcan, “What is This Breast?”, 

-Instructor Didem Kurap Öcebe, “Breastfeeding and Environmental Health at the Core of Sustainable Living, The Unseen Impact of Breastfeeding on Environmental Sustainability”, 

-Asst. Prof. Burcu Fırat, “From Challenging Beginnings to Sustainable Breastfeeding, Evidence-Based Midwifery Approaches in C-section, Prematurity and Mother-Baby Separation”, 

-Asst. Prof. Özge Şiir Dağlar, “Breastfeeding Support in the Digital Age: Tele-Counseling and Sustainability”,  

-Midwife Hürcan Çit, “Mother Breastfeeds, Partner Empowers: Partner Support in Sustainable Breastfeeding”, 

-Midwife Arzu Çulha, “From First Contact to Sustainable Breastfeeding” presentations were held.

The symposium concluded with a Q&A session and a group photo.