My Breastfeeding Journey
Today, let me share with you my breastfeeding journey.
Breastfeeding is an instinctual and natural act, but it is also an art that is learned day by day. The reality is that almost all women can breastfeed, have enough milk for their babies and learn how to overcome problems both large and small. It is almost always simply a matter of practical knowledge and not a question of good luck."
-La Leche League
For me, breastfeeding is somehow an unimaginative symbol of love. That it is a simple explanation on how unconditional love of a mother works. It is for sure a beautiful journey that both the mother and the infant takes which is only just temporary. It is a kind of journey that sometimes does not go as you planned it to go. Now that I am able to really do the act, I can say that it is a total opposite of what I hoped it to become but it is definitely the best choice I have ever made in my life for my beautiful little creature.
Even before I got pregnant, it has already been my dream to exclusively breastfeed my child. When I got pregnant last December 2019, I was already imagining what my breastfeeding journey is going to be. All I thought back then was that breastfeeding a child is only about nursing or feeding until your child gets full. That idea changed when I got to really experience the thing. That was then I realized that there are just a lot about it that I did not know about.
Here are the list of things I failed to see before deciding to go on exclusive breastfeeding.
- You can't be away from your little one for over 2-3 hours or else your baby will go hungry.
- Bathroom session will be squeezed to 5-10 minutes from 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- 4 hours straight sleep will already be a luxury.
- Uncontrollable milk leaking which could happen anytime and anywhere.
- Breast engorgement is real painful and gives you fever sometimes and there are still a lot more to mention.
This is us doing it in public.
I was really shy doing it at first but I realized that I am not doing anything wrong so there is just nothing I should be ashamed of.
Our journey was not simple though we did not really have a hard time starting it. Before I gave birth to my son, thankfully I was already blessed with enough milk. As we go along, the process gets harder and harder on our first few months. There was an unexplainable cycle of depression, sudden change of emotion, milk demand was increasing and my energy dropping but I never thought of giving up. From the time I became a mother, I vowed to choose the best and do anything for my son.
It has been 11 months now and I am still exclusively breastfeeding my son. I am not sure how long would this take but I am willing to wait until my son decides to stop. The sleepless nights, discomforts and challenges vanishes upon hearing the giggle sounds he makes before he latches on. His smiles every after quick break then continues to latch on is just real amazing. I love how he calls me "dede" whenever he sees me. The experience, fulfillment and happiness is priceless and irreplaceable not to mention the bags of breastmilk I was able to donate to some other babies.
Breastfeeding is a tough journey yet really rewarding. If you are a working mom, you need to think twice or thrice to make you can sustain it but if you want only the best for your son, then there is nothing else to think about.
It has been 11 months and I still get excited whenever he is about to latch on. The unexplainable feeling of joy and love I feel inside is something I do not want to end. I will always look forward to this kind of smile during or after our session.
Choosing to breastfeed will never become easy but I assure you, it will always be worth it.
This is all for this post. Thank you and I wish you all have a great day ahead.
A wonderful experience report. I guess breastfeeding is a part of nature, it´s a normal process. It´s hard to see that many don´t do these and reaching the bottle. There are many studies that proves, breastfeeding kids are more healthier and smarter. My mother breastfeeds my little sister till she was 5 years. Wish you all the best and keep on doing! :-)
Thank you so much @steemflower for those kind words!
Yes, it's up to my little one to decide when he would stop breastfeeding.
Wow, I am so happy you have enough or more than enough breast milk for your baby. Because me, I am really struggling to have enough for my 2 months old
You can set a time of the day for pumping maam. That helped me produce more milk. I was doing it 6am in the morning and 6pm in the evening before and also tried to lactation drinks and cookies. They were indeed helpful that was why I was able to store more milk but since my baby prefers the fresh ones, I had to give away my stash. You may try these tips maam. Who knows!
I think my wife will do that. Thanks!
Sure, I am happy to help.
Thank you maam, I will do it. May I know what are those lactation drinks and cookies you used to help in milk production?
you can check baked by viel in fb and insta maam, they have really yummy and very affordable lactation treats. I guess they are from Marigondon. For the drink I tried mother nurture they have it sometimes too.
Thanks! I will check
amazing mama