How the Security Situation Affects Breastfeeding Women
World Breastfeeding Week takes place amid war and operations against Iran. Specialists from Meuhedet, Yonat Ran and Yasmin Gabay, explain how stress and sirens interfere with feeding, reducing milk production. They criticize early discharge from the maternity ward and the closure of Tipat Halav centers, and recommend skin-to-skin contact and seeking help.
As part of World Breastfeeding Week, the publication reports on how the tense security situation in Israel, including military operations against Iran, affects nursing mothers. Yonat Ran, coordinator of women's health at Meuhedet health fund, notes that since the beginning of the war, women have complained of difficulties with breastfeeding: they find it hard to concentrate, feel that their milk supply has decreased, and some decide to stop nursing. She explains that stress disrupts the production of oxytocin but does not stop it entirely. Midwife and lactation consultant Yasmin Gabay describes how sirens interrupt feeding, adrenaline rises, slowing milk release, and mothers experience guilt. She criticizes the Health Ministry's recommendation to discharge women 12 hours after birth, which prevents them from mastering the basics of feeding, and notes that some Tipat Halav centers are closed. The specialists advise skin-to-skin contact, using a breast pump, eating well, and seeking help from consultants.