General
Teen Breastfeeding: What Young Moms Need to Know
Becoming a young mother is a big change in life. If you’re not still ready, one of the biggest decisions is the breastfeeding. Teen breastfeeding might seem like a difficult task in the beginning, especially when you have to manage school, social life, and the new duties of motherhood. Pregnant teenager who become mother usually worry if they will be able to cover all the feeding needs, keep their lives on track, and have enough support from their social circle.
The aim of this article is to support and motivate young mothers by providing them with information about teen breastfeeding that is both educational and comforting. It is really necessary to find out how to store milk correctly by using the right tools such as a breast milk cooler bag and feeding your baby in public if you want to feel confident.
Understanding the Unique Needs of Teen Moms Who Breastfeed
Teen breastfeeding presents the young mothers that are often burdened with school, responsibilities, and the new role of taking care of a baby. Many might also experience societal pressure or absence of support, and all these things can turn the experience into a large heap of emotions.
Getting the proper guidance and motivation is necessary to make them feel more confident about their journey. On the other hand, teen breastfeeding also signifies discovering sensible means of managing daily life alongside ensuring that the baby gets the right nutrition.
The use of simple tools and the implementation of effective strategies can help to make the procedure more convenient while the support that comes from family, friends, or professionals can assist young mothers to be regular. By meeting these peculiar needs, the teen mothers will not only give their babies proper nutrition but also gain self-confidence as moms.
Benefits of Breastfeeding for Both Teen Mom and Baby
Teen breastfeeding may come with unique challenges, but this does not mean that it is not good. Feeding is a good way to take care of the baby and at the same time gain health benefits. She may be young but it does not mean she cannot be a good mother, on the contrary, she can become a better one by applying such a simple but powerful method like breastfeeding. Here are some of the main benefits:
- Teen breastfeeding strengthens the immune system of the baby.
- Breast milk fully and naturally nourishes the baby.
- The risk of infections and other diseases in babies is decreased.
- The process of the uterus getting back the normal size is faster.
- The risk of cancer is lowered in young women.
- Helps to keep a healthy weight after becoming pregnant.
- The baby feels love and care from the mother.
- The teen mother’s confidence and self-esteem arise.
Overcoming Stigma and Social Pressure
Teen breastfeeding is accompanied by outside judgment that can make young mothers feel as if they are doubting their choice.
Criticism, staring, or negative remarks can just lead to the creation of stress, but it is still very important to keep in mind that breastfeeding is a personal choice and a good one for both the mother and the baby. Below are some tips that may help to handle stigma and social pressure:
- Never let go of your decision to breastfeed and keep your confidence on top.
- Concentrate on the health benefits that you and the baby will get.
- Have friends and family around who are supportive of you.
- Become a member of the local or virtual community for teen breastfeeding mothers.
- You know, the love that you give your baby through feeding is the thing that counts the most.
Building a Support System: Family, Friends, and Professionals
For many young moms, teen breastfeeding can seem to be a difficult task if they do not have the right kind of support. Having a support network is not only instrumental in the maintenance of the confidence but also in making the whole breastfeeding process a more positive and enduring experience.
The support is reassurance, encouragement, and provision of practical solutions that can help you juggle motherhood and daily life. Below are the means through which you can reinforce your support system for teen breastfeeding:
- Request family members to take over the house chores so that you will have time to focus on feeding.
- Let friends know about your breastfeeding ambitions and they will be the ones to cheer you on.
- Be a member of the young mother’s groups to have the same experiences and to get the same advice.
- You should consult a lactation expert when you have a problem that you do not know how to resolve. They are the people qualified to lead you through any issues that you may have.
- You should always maintain communication with the health-care providers who respect your choices.
Balancing School, Rest, and Breastfeeding
Teen breastfeeding is often viewed by young mothers as a hard challenge of juggling the school, babysitting, and finding time for rest. It may be a suffocating experience to deal with all these things at the same time, however, it is still feasible to attain a good balance if you employ the correct strategies.
The use of schedules, depending on assistance, and implementing handy gadgets will make it possible for you to continue your studies as well as taking care of your baby. Below are some suggestions that will help you maintain a balance as you breastfeed the teen:
- Come up with a simple plan on how to study and feed the baby.
- Rest or pump your milk during school breaks.
- Use a breast milk cooler bag to store the milk.
- Get some sleep when the baby is napping.
- Get help from teachers or family members.
Finding Teen-Friendly Resources and Lactation Support
Without proper direction, teen breastfeeding may be really confusing for the majority of young mothers. In order to become less stressful and to have more confidence, they need to have a proper and sufficient quantity of the right resources focused on them.
Regardless of being school programs, health centers, or supportive communities, these resources are young moms’ lifelines.
Some of the helpful ideas when it comes to breastfeeding in teens are the local health clinics with lactation consultants, community programs like WIC, school or community groups, and online places where young moms can talk.
It will also be a great step to talk to a few trusted mentors or professionals as they can be a source of inspiration and give you practical tips.
Dealing with Emotional and Physical Changes
Teen breastfeeding can really affect a young woman’s body and emotions. A young mother may experience a lack of energy, feel stressful and have low self-esteem which might be caused by hormonal changes, recovery after delivery, and the new role of being a young mom.
Such emotions are natural, and it is very essential to remember at all times that every mother encounters problems at this time. To get through these changes, sleeping well and eating nutritious food are very effective.
Having a talk with a good friend, a family member, or a health professional can also greatly change one’s mood. Young mothers must never forget to make time for themselves because being strong and relaxed will make the both mom and baby happy.
Encouraging Confidence and Long-Term Breastfeeding Goals
In the beginning, most young mothers find teen breastfeeding to be a stressful experience. Building up confidence, however, makes the whole process more convenient. Indeed, believing in yourself and relying on your body to give the baby the right nourishment is a very good step.
Through accomplishing little things, say by perfecting the proper way of latching or successfully sticking to a routine, a person can boost self-esteem and, at least with time, make the breastfeeding process more mellow and natural.
Long-term breastfeeding objectives are equally instrumental in keeping teen mothers charged with positive energy. It doesn’t really matter if these goals are broken down into smaller ones for six months, a year, or even longer.
Through a lot of patience, encouragement, and having the right support system, teen mothers will be able to experience their advancement getting lighter and providing their baby with a healthy and strong beginning.
Conclusion
Teen breastfeeding can be difficult, however with the right equipment and support it turns into a success. Having handy tools like a breast milk cooler bag can make the feeding routine more relaxed and more manageable for young mothers.
By receiving support from relatives, friends, and specialists, young mothers will be able to take good decisions and be confident about them. To a teen mother, breastfeeding is caring the infant plus establishing a deep and enduring relationship with the baby. “Breastfeeding is not just about feeding a child, it’s about nurturing a future.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has said the implementation of the Defined Benefit Scheme Pension Harmonisation is a reform meant to advance and enhance pension payment equity in the country.
The chief executive of PTAD, Mrs Tolulope Abiodun Odunaiya, said this initiative was a landmark reform designed to restore fairness, improve retirees’ welfare and strengthen confidence in the administration of the country’s legacy pension system.
The harmonisation exercise marks one of the most significant policy interventions in the Defined Benefit Scheme since PTAD was established in 2013 to take over the management of pensions under the old federal pension arrangement.
Unlike periodic pension increases that merely raise existing benefits by a percentage, she stressed that pension harmonisation was further than that by recomputing pensions using the latest approved salary structures that existed before the closure of the Defined Benefit Scheme.
She noted that the objective is to ensure that retirees who held similar positions and rendered comparable years of service receive equitable pension benefits regardless of their retirement dates.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of years of agitation by pensioners over historical disparities in pension computation.
She added that the PTAD’s harmonisation programme seeks to resolve that challenge by restoring parity within the system. According to her, pension harmonisation is the formal recomputation of pensions using approved salary structures applicable before the DBS cut-off date.
In practical terms, it ensures that pension outcomes are determined by rank, grade level and years of service rather than the year of retirement.
The Directorate believes the exercise will significantly improve social justice by correcting historical inequities that disadvantaged thousands of retirees.
The harmonisation applies primarily to pure Federal Government pensioners as well as eligible retirees under the Parastatals Pension Department (PaPD), Defunct and Transferred Agencies Pension Department (DTAPD), and the Education and Health Pension Department (TEHPD), particularly those who initially served under the Federal Government before their agencies were transferred to state governments.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Police Force will today, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, arraign the controversial director-general of the non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Mr Adeniyi Adeyemi.
The arraignment will take place before Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The police had charged Mr Adeyemi alongside two others with eight counts, including forgery and impersonation, in the case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025.
The case was initially filed on November 27, 2025, by Mr Wisdom Madaki, a police prosecutor.
Court proceedings had stalled on June 16, scheduled for Mr Adeyemi’s arraignment, due to his absence from court on grounds of ill health.
According to the court documents, proposed prosecution witnesses to testify against the defendants include the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila; Paul Emmanuel, Jeremiah Imoukhede and Ituah Sylvester.
Others are civil servants working in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr Akimbo Shola and Mr Adamu Balongu, a deputy superintendent of police, were on the list.
Also listed as witnesses are Mr Ojo Victor, Mr Omeh Amarachukwu, and Mr Wakili Saidu, all of whom were allegedly posted to work with Mr Adeyemi at the non-existent agency.
Others are Mrs Joy Ngwoke, the owner of Kachi Hotel in Abuja, and Mr Ven Okoriko, the pastor of St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Maitama.
The documentary exhibits planned to be tendered by the prosecution to prove the case include the police investigation report, Mr Gbajabiamila’s petition dated October 17, 2025, and Mr Adeyemi’s fake presidential appointment letter dated March 8, 2024.
They also include the request for a note verbale by Mr Adeyemi sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the approvals he got to open accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the request for approval of self-accounting status Mr Adeyemi sent to the Accountant-General of the Federation’s office and the conveyance of approval for take-off of the PFIPC.
Other documents listed by the prosecution are a letter of request for collaboration with the ministry in the area of land acquisition and offices across the 36 states of the federation; statements of all the witnesses and that of the defendants, and pictures.
The police, in the court document, said, “The prosecution shall at the trial call any other related witness or witnesses to prove its case.”
The prosecution accused Mr Adeyemi of operating the fictitious agency from the 2nd Floor of the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, Phase III, before his arrest.
Last week, President Bola Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to conduct a thorough investigation into the activities of the fictitious agency.
The president gave the ICPC 30 days to complete the investigation, so it is currently unclear how the outcome of the ICPC investigation would impact the police prosecution.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A coordinated push to position gender inclusion as a driver of business competitiveness, investment and long-term economic growth has led to the introduction of the Nigeria Gender Country Programme (NGCP) by the private sector.
This initiative, led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, in partnership with Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Group Plc and the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), aligns advisory expertise, funding and partnerships to strengthen women’s representation in leadership, improve access to quality employment, and expand access to finance, technology and markets for women and women-led businesses.
It builds on the CEO Roundtable held in June and the progress achieved through Nigeria2Equal, IFC’s earlier initiative, as it now moves into implementation, with participating organisations expected to adopt practical, measurable gender-smart business practices.
The economic case is significant, with the program underpinned by research showing that closing gaps in women’s leadership, employment and entrepreneurship could generate an estimated $22.9 billion in additional economic output annually, reinforcing the economic case for stronger private sector action on gender inclusion.
“Advancing women’s economic participation is no longer simply a social aspiration; it is a business imperative, an investment in productivity, a catalyst for innovation and a driver of sustainable economic growth.
“Through the Nigeria Gender Country Program, we are creating a practical framework that will help businesses strengthen leadership, expand opportunity and unlock the inclusion dividend for Nigeria’s economy,” the chairman of NGX Group, Mr Umaru Kwairanga, stated.
The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for women-led enterprises and strengthening inclusive economic development, while the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, represented by Ms Aishatu Digili, called for stronger collaboration between government, development institutions and the private sector to accelerate women’s economic empowerment and expand opportunities for women across key sectors of the economy.
The Division Director for West and Central Africa at IFC, Mr Olivier Buyoya, said, “Creating more and better jobs is central to IFC’s mission across Africa. Economies grow faster, and businesses perform better when women have equal opportunities to participate, lead, innovate and succeed.
“Through the Nigeria Gender Country Program, we are bringing together the private sector, capital markets and development partners to help companies turn this opportunity into stronger business performance, greater competitiveness and more inclusive growth. We look forward to working with Nigerian businesses to unlock the full economic potential of women as a driver of Nigeria’s future prosperity.”
Speaking on behalf of the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr Emomotimi Agama, the Commission’s Executive Commissioner, Legal and Enforcement, Ms Frana Chukwuogor, said, “The Commission welcomes the Nigeria Gender Country Program as an important platform for deepening collaboration, innovation and knowledge sharing in support of inclusive market development. We commend the IFC for its leadership in promoting inclusive private sector development globally, and for its partnership with Nigeria in strengthening our financial markets.”
