The University of Alicante hosted today the IX Breastfeeding Conference, an initiative led by the Alicante-General Hospital Health Department and the university itself. The event, under the slogan “Let's Make Breastfeeding Possible,” was organized by the Breastfeeding Commission with the aim of fostering support for women from the beginning of motherhood.
The meeting was designed as a space for learning and experience exchange for pregnant women, new mothers, their partners, family members, and healthcare professionals. The Breastfeeding Commission, composed of medical professionals, nurses, and midwives from Pediatrics, Gynecology, Obstetrics, and Primary Care, works to promote awareness, training, and support related to breastfeeding.
Throughout the morning, practical workshops were held on breast milk extraction, storage, and transport, as well as on breastfeeding positions, babywearing, infant massage, and prenatal yoga. Additionally, information booths were set up where attendees could learn about various resources supporting motherhood and breastfeeding.
Inés González, Deputy Director of Nursing for Quality, Information Systems, Teaching, and Research at the Hospital and a member of the commission, emphasized that the slogan aims to focus on the importance of supporting women. "Every breastfeeding journey is different, but they all have one thing in common: they need support. With this conference, we want to offer rigorous information, practical tools, and a meeting space to help families experience this journey in the best possible way," she stated.
González added that facilitating breastfeeding means that "every woman who wishes to breastfeed can find the necessary conditions, information, and support around her to do so, always respecting the individual circumstances and decisions of each family."
The conference concluded with a lecture titled “Breastfeeding as a Protective Factor for Breast Cancer,” delivered by Dr. Francisco José Iborra, a cell biologist and researcher at the Valencian Institute of Biomedicine (IBV-CSIC), who presented the scientific evidence on the benefits of breastfeeding for women's health.
The Breastfeeding Commission highlights that such meetings reinforce healthcare professionals' commitment to promoting, protecting, and supporting breastfeeding, creating spaces for families to resolve doubts and share experiences.
