Barbados and India tackle breastfeeding barriers

In Barbados, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital hosted a Breastfeeding Awareness Month pop‑up booth where health experts highlighted that returning to work is the chief obstacle to exclusive breastfeeding. Dr Allison Bernard of the Breastfeeding and Child Nutrition Foundation noted that only about 15% of Barbadian mothers exclusively breastfeed, far below the Caribbean average of 37% and the global rate of 48%. She called for extended maternity leave policies and workplace facilities such as safe, hygienic spaces for milk expression.

In India, during World Breastfeeding Week 2026, Dr Mitul Gupta, senior obstetrics consultant at Cocoon Hospital in Jaipur, dispelled the myth that Caesarean delivery prevents milk production. He explained that surgery may delay the onset of abundant milk (Lactogenesis II) by 24–48 hours due to stress, anesthesia and pain, but that modern pain management, supportive positioning and early milk expression can overcome this temporary delay.