Breastfeeding is on the decline in Nepal. It is a cause for concern for all

After giving birth to her first child 10 years ago, Srijana Budhathoki could not breastfeed her child for the recommended six-month period. There were two major reasons: first, her physical inability to produce sufficient milk, and next, her having to return to her work in less than two months of the parturition.

“As I could not produce milk for the baby while at the hospital.,the nurses there recommended I feed the baby lactogen (a whey-based milk powder). Then it became a norm, as the baby would not suckle on my breast and prefer lactogen over whatever little breast milk I could produce,” she adds.