August is the breastfeeding awareness month. We celebrate every mother who have decided to breastfeed their children. And I wanted to join the fun and excitement of being a proud mom who have breastfed their children.
As a nurse, I have a little knowledge with breastfeeding. It has been taught in my nursing school. Only it was not taught in depth. Or maybe I just forgot. As far as I know, breast milk will protect a baby’s immunity to all kind of diseases. Until when? That’s a question I would say I really don’t understand. I think until the baby’s six months of age. But actually, it is forever. Thanks to Breastfeeding Pinay forum in Facebook because I am armed with knowledge about breastfeeding and all the yeses and noes.
Why did I decide to breastfeed Gabriel?
I knew already that breast milk will protect and strengthen my baby’s immunity. It is very important as there are so many kind of illnesses going around. But the deciding factor that really helped me to push my limits on breastfeeding was the fact that it was economical. It will save me a lot of money. Oh yes! Many could raise their eyebrows and say that I am so “kuripot” or “tinitipid mo ng husto ang anak mo” but who cares? My husband was not around that time. I am a “single” working mother, yes earning, trying to make ends meet of paying the household and raising a little baby. I need to save as much as I could and if I could save on milk then I will try my best to produce abundant milk for my kid. A 12oz of Enfamil would cost me at least $20.00. And how long would it last? Maybe a day or half a day even.. It will still depend on if you like something “extra” for these powdered milk. For a year, it would total to at least $7300.00 for a milk alone. Then I have to pay for diapers too. And if baby gets sick, for another hospital bills and all the complications of me giving formula to the baby. Oh I could travel for that money or buy new clothes for my baby.
Formula is not that bad…
If I wasn’t a member of Breastfeeding Pinay, I won’t really realize how bad formula could be. I was a formula fed baby too. But I was okay. I am alive now. I am not sick at all. Mother said I was only breastfed for three months because she has to go to work after that. My mother was formula fed. A lot of people were formula fed and they’re still alive. But admit it or not, breast milk will always be the best. Breast milk will always be superior and cannot be compared to formula milk. We are humans and our babies need to be fed with human milk. So as cows feeding their calves. Here is an article saying how bad can formula be..
Click to access RisksofFormulaFeeding.pdf
Breast milk gives our babies the immunity they needed after coming out to this world. Formula destroys their guts.
Your boobs are going to get saggy…
My breasts are not made for my husband. My breasts are made to nurture an infant. So what if I got they loose its firmness after months or years of breastfeeding? I am a mom. I am not a model in the ramp. Also, there is a thing called as “bra”, it holds your breasts up when you needed them to be up.
So was it easy?
Breastfeeding was never easy. Breastfeeding ask for dedication. Perseverance. Sacrifice. I am very happy that Gabriel had his first latch after I gave birth. It seemed like he knew that he would need to suck my breast and something would come out. But still it was a hard work. I wasn’t familiar with what I was doing, nor does he is with the outside world. He don’t have teeth but it hurts like hell and no matter how long he sucked, it seemed like he was still hungry. He kept crying. My mother even pressed my breasts and said “you have no milk, let’s give him formula. he is very hungry”. Being a new mom, I was scared that I was not giving the best for my baby and I was making him cry in hunger. It was the third day that I said yes to formula as I was still tired from the birth and for the last three nights of watching him sleep and trying to breastfeed him. “I have milk. I have milk”. What the mind thinks, the body will follow. “I have a lot of milk. My baby will not have formula”. I always tell myself those words. After that first 3oz of formula, Gabriel stopped from crying and I felt crushing. It was not supposed to happen. The formula feeding didn’t stop there because when my cousin came over and visit, Gabriel started crying and I don’t know how to breastfeed in front of my cousin. I didn’t want to excuse myself as she made her way up here to come and see the baby. So here’s for another three ounces again.
I really have to be firm. If I don’t want him to be fed by formula, then I push myself a little bit more… to produce more milk and to be not ashamed if my breast gets expose as I feed the baby. There are ways. There are so many ways. And before I should give up, I should think first and ask myself if I really tried hard enough.
I tell you, I really thank Breastfeeding Pinay and of course my N@wie family. N@w was the one who introduced me to BP. They were both my source of comfort, my biggest supporters on my breastfeeding journey. Their words of encouragement have kept me from producing more milk. I also thank my Nanay that though she first doubted how much milk I can produce, she had still supported me all the way through the end for my decision to only breastfeed Gabriel.
I set a goal for me and Gabriel that I would exclusively breastfeed him until he was six months of age. Exclusive breastfeeding means no water, no formula, no vitamins but only my breast milk alone. And I did it! Then I told myself, I will continue until he was one year of age. And until I can, until I have milk.
How did I do it?
Six weeks after my maternity leave, I went back to work. I was a home health nurse. I drive to people’s houses and deliver them care. My office, my work station is my car. Once a week, I worked nights at the hospital. On Gabriel’s third week of birth, I started pumping for milk. It is not recommended not until six weeks after birth to pump early as the body’s production was not well regulated. There were many ups and downs.
There’s a thing called colostrum. It’s a yellowish form of milk that protects the infant from diseases. It delivers nutrients to the immature digestive system of the infants. And at the first three days, it could be what our infant needed only.
I had chapped nipples. There is medela nipple cream to help with the chapped nipple. But actually, it only means that the latch was wrong and it needs to be corrected. The baby needs to suck the whole areola. I don’t know how to describe it very well but that’s how it should be.
I had plugged/clogged ducts. This is one of the reason why we are not suppose to pump earlier than six weeks. The tendency to have plugged ducts was more as our breasts tend to produce more milk, thus overproduction of milk needed by our babies. Mother said use a comb and brush the area where it is plugged. I did. I used warm shower as well. I used ice and brushed it off the area. I had him sucked more on the tendered breast and boy it hurts a lot more. I can’t remember how many times I felt my breasts are going to explode because of so much milk that doesn’t come out.
I doubted myself that I could produce enough milk. I had those moments. I thought my milk will not be enough. I was tired. I am working and I still have to attend to him after work. But I knew that the more I doubt myself, the less milk I will be able to produce. I need to relax. I need to think of happy thoughts.
When I started working, I would stop and park on one of the streets every 3-4hrs. I brought my own water bottle to wash my hands before and after pumping. I had with me cleansing supplies for the pump. It was hard as I was only using a single pump. It would take me 15-30minutes to finish both breasts. And because of that, I don’t finish early to come home early as well. I have learned how to pump and drive in the long run. It was a lot better when I got my double breast pump as it was handsfree and I would drive carefully while I pump. I was able to pump at least every 2-4hrs. There were days I forgot my pump kit or it was a busy day and I have no chance at all to pump though I have a handsfree kit. I would go home with tender breasts and no supply. When I work at the hospital, I try to stop working at least every 4hrs to pump. I need to bring home at least 16oz of milk from 14hrs of working. Gabriel’s demand increases through time and though I had followed the 1oz/hr rule, I still make sure I would leave at least 2oz of extra milk just in case I don’t get home on time. When he was reaching his one year of age, my supply was depleting. I didn’t have any more stack of frozen milk. I would only have 1-2 7oz of breast milk stored and that would only be good for a day I will be gone. I did power pumping. I pumped literally every hour at work. I really have to put effort on my pumping when I’m away no matter how busy I could be. And I would produce maybe half ounce to an ounce each time and that depresses me. And it doesn’t help so I again repeated the mantra “I have lots of milk. I will produce lots of milk”. I took fenugreek capsules. I drank Mother’s Milk tea. I bought life oil medicines. I ate anything made of moringa leaves. I ate soupy food. I ate soup on hot weather in the middle of the afternoon. And I was able to survive it. I am proud I was able to breastfeed Gabriel for more than a year now.
I have seen it benefits. Breastfeed babies do get sick. Every time Gabriel would get his shot, he would get a fever. We would “unli-latch”, meaning Gabriel has my breast for a whole day and night until fever is gone. I’m thankful that the fever would only last for a day. He had rashes one time and it took many days for the rashes with the fever, but I had never seen him very sad. He has always been a very happy and active baby. He grew up according to American standards. He is a very strong kid. He could hold himself up in less than a month. He was able to sit unsupported at five months. He was walking alongside his crib at seven months. By 11months, he was walking around alone already. The bond we have made I know is unbreakable. He may always call me “dede”. It’s okay because I will never forget those days I came home from work and I would see stars twinkling on his eyes on the sight of me. And I owe it to breastfeeding. I know in my heart that I had given him the best protection I can give because I breastfeed him. And I would do it again to other babies we would have. And I would never be ashamed I breastfeed my child, even if I have to do it in public. Yes I did it at the church already. I would never be afraid to have saggy boobs. Nor to have tender breasts again.
I wish to inspire other moms. I wish to help other moms out there who are hesitant of what they can produce for their babies. I don’t want to be just an advocate nurse. I want to be an advocate in breastfeeding. And I would encourage all my friends and family to take the same journey I had because it is very fulfilling. Breast is best. And it will only be the only best thing our babies can ever have.
Wandering Tales of Jolilei 