As Nigeria cost-of-living crisis continue to affect millions of pipo, na extra challenge for breastfeeding mothers.
Dem gatz chop well-well, so dem go fit breastfeed dia babies, but dis don dey difficult as food prices continue to increase, and dis don reduce affordable options.
Di usual foods for Zainab Suleiman, di mother of one seven-month-old baby, include rice, semo, yam, Irish potatoes. She also dey take beverages like milk and chocolate, and fruits like bananas, oranges, and apples. Dis foods, she say dey help her produce enough breast milk to feed her baby.
However, for di last four months, Suleiman no fit afford dis food again sake of di high prices. But she no dey alone. Rising food prices plus fixed incomes don make am difficult for many mothers to access di quality food wey dey required for dem to produce sufficient breast milk for dia babies.
One market survey by BBC show say di price of rice don rise to 76,000 naira for one 50kg bag, from 35,000 naira e be less dan 2 years ago, and yam tubers now cost 22,000 naira for five pieces, from 6,500 naira e be a year ago.
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Similarly, Irish potatoes now na 9,000 naira per basket, compared to 3,000 naira e be bifor.
To find how breastfeeding mothers, particularly dose wey no too get money, fit navigate dis challenge, BBC follow Dr Suleiman Idris Hadejia tok. Im be nutritionist for di community health department, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
According to Dr Hadejia, e still get some foods wey dey relatively affordable, and nutritious wey nursing mothers fit consider, even as prices of foods dey increase.
Wetin be dis affordable foods?
While almost evri food item don increase in price, e get some wey pipo fit take replace di ones wey cost well-well.
According to Dr Hadejia, affordable foods wey breastfeeding mothers fit chop, wey dey both nutritious and dey provide energy, include sweet potatoes instead of di expensive Irish potatoes, moringa, cabbage, watermelon, and garden eggs.
Odas na millet, sorghum, maize, senna tora leaves, soybeans, ugu leaves, spinach, red sorrel leaves, wey dey known as yakuwa for Hausa.
Cassava flour dey (wey dey known as elubo or garri for some local dialects), pumpkin fruit, and okra.
Dr Hadejia tok say combining di listed foods fit help mothers meet both energy and nutritional requirements.
E add say protein-rich foods like beans and peanuts, as well as energy-boosting options like cassava, millet, yam, and corn, plus adequate water intake dey important for dia wellbeing.
“Breastfeeding mother fit prepare correct dish wit sweet potato, millet, or cassava, she fit boil, stir or pound am until e thick, den chop am wit soups made from ugu leaves, spinach, groundnuts, or red sorrel leaves (known as Yakuwa for Hausa), cabbage, or okra,” Dr Hadejia tok.
“After di main food, she fit enjoy snacks like millet porridge, sugarcane, or watermelon, and make she drink enough water. Dis combination dey essential for boosting breast milk production.”
According to Dr Hadejia, dis foods dey accessible and affordable across different regions of di kontri.
“To add variety, she fit mix millet or corn husks wit beans and any of di listed herbs. She fit also prepare food wit cassava, millet, sorghum, or maize, like pap, and pair dem wit porridge beans wey dem cook wit cabbage or various herbs,” e tok.
Anoda method na simple porridge she cook wit water, make she take am wit watermelon or sugarcane for vitamins.
Some fruit sellers also say despite widespread price increase, some fruits still dey affordable. Garden eggs, watermelon, and cucumber, for instance remain more affordable compared to apples. Three small apples now sell for 1,000 naira, from 450 naira wey e be bifor.
Additional tips for breastfeeding mothers
Di nutritionist tok say by di time pikin dey six months old, breast milk alone no go dey enough for am again sake of say di child dey grow energy needs, wey gatz dey supplemented wit oda foods.
“Dis fit include blending millet or corn wit soybeans or peanuts, along wit some crayfish for added nutrition, and use di mixture to make pap or porridge,” Dr Hadejia tok. E say di ingredients dey relatively easy to find and affordable, especially for northern states.
Di nutritionist say at least one study wey dem carry out for some selected local goment areas for Kaduna State, discover say to give dis mixture to six-month-old babies dey effective in promoting growth, energy, and overall health.
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