Showing posts with label carnival. Show all posts
Showing posts with label carnival. Show all posts

February 12, 2012

My Husband's Best Breastfeeding Advice


"Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (February). For this month, we focus on back to basics. Participants will share advices - either the best breastfeeding advice they received OR/AND the best breastfeeding advice they can give to new moms.  Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of carnival entries."


In my 26 years of existence in the world, breastfeeding has been one of the things I am truly proud of. I called it as one of my lifetime achievements aside from giving birth and getting married.

When I gave birth, I never had breastfeeding as a choice of nourishment for my child. I never knew that I could breastfeed exclusively. It just happened and happening right now. As months go by, I discovered (through reading blogs, internet, and from other breastfeeding moms) the wonder and magic of breastfeeding. And so, here are my top 3 reasons why I breastfeed and will still breastfeed.

1) it's free and healthy (definitely, very and super!)

2) it's a perfect bonding experience between mother and child (very true!)
3) it's restful (I like most of the time when lying down while breastfeeding)

But in my 14 months (and counting) of exclusive breastfeeding, I encountered some problems from persons I thought are my support group, that merely put me in the thought of giving up and switch to giving formula instead.

Here are the things they say:

* "I never saw MKJ fat like other babies. I think your milk is not good enough, give him formula instead."

* "At six months, breast milk loses the nutrients suitable to child's growth, like iron. Breastmilk doesn't have that anymore as your baby grows older."
* "Maybe it's because of you're milk why your baby doesn't have regular bowel movements."
* "MKJ is already 1, give him formula from time to time for him to gain more weight."
* "Does your milk still have the nutrients your child need? I don't think so. Why did he get primary complex?"

Ouch. Ouch. Ouch for the nth time is all I can say every time they say those things. It feels like I haven't been a good mother to him because of their observations. There was a time that it came to a sudden thought of blaming breastfeeding when MKJ was diagnosed of Primary Complex. 


Thinking and hearing those hurtful things, I still live to the best advice why I keep on breastfeeding my son. If not for this worthy and supportive advice from my husband, my breastfeeding journey won't be great. 


Here's what my husband taught me to realize about my breastfeeding relationship with MKJ:




"You are still the mother. No matter how many times you hear those nasty things about breastfeeding our son, don't live with it. The last words will still come from yours. What am I here for? I am your husband, and I am here to support you in breastfeeding MKJ the best way I can."


Remembering those sweet words from him strengthens my heart that we are together in breastfeeding our son. I have the milky breasts and he has the heart for breastfeeding.


Have time to read the other participants' posts. Happy reading!

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July 22, 2011

On Promoting Breastfeeding to a Younger Sister

I write this post because I was supposed to join a breastfeeding carnival celebrating the Nutrition Month (July) but unfortunately I got problems with my internet connection and laptop which resulted to not meeting the deadline. But still, I wanted to share my words. :-)

MKJ bfeeding in my boob.
I am a breastfeeding mother to MKJ for almost eight months and I am looking forward to breastfeed him for more than a year or so. I am a stay-at-home mom and breastfeeding my son is much like work – tiring yet rewarding and successful. Although, I encountered it in a very hard way; experiencing cracked, sore nipples and problems on latching, still I managed to become an exclusive breastfeeding mommy.

In less than a month, my younger sister will give birth to her first baby. She got pregnant and married at the age of 21, still undergraduate. Every time we see each other, I always remind her that she should breastfeed EXCLUSIVELY like what I am doing to my son. And she always answers YES. But to me, reminding her is not just appropriate or rather persuasive. Looking at her, she is young and still developing to be mature. Breastfeeding has developed purely the maturity in me, to be more responsible, focused and determined. And I want her to be one.

And so, I hope my own ways of promoting breastfeeding will help her (and other expectant moms too) to breastfeed happily and willingly.

Simplest Reason to Breastfeed. I choose to breastfeed because I LOVE my son and I want to give the best and most nutritious food to him – my breast milk! I believe that this is the simplest reason of all breastfeeding mothers. Breastfeeding is LOVE.

Be POSITIVE, Have the ATTITUDE. Breastfeeding is all about positivity and having the attitude to become a successful breastfeeding mother. In my early days of breastfeeding, I wanted to give up to ease the pain of sore nipples and frustrations for not getting a good latch. But I always think that if other mommies can surpass it, why can’t I. My mother is a good example of this. We are 7 kids in the family and are all breastfed. I am just starting with my first one and I believe I can. Indeed, I am right now, and doing a thing like this is a journey.

Educate and Read. When I ran out of answers to my questions regarding breastfeeding, internet is the key. Reading over breastfeeding sites is what I did every time MKJ is sleeping. Breastfeeding blogs also are of big help. Definitely, I will share the sites I used to read to my sister so she’ll learn a lot.

Passing-on my Breastfeeding Must-haves. I got a total of 3 nursing covers and 3 breast pumps and will willingly pass on some of them to her. Having those stuffs is a motivation and a helpful tool to breastfeed properly. Nursing cover is a must-have in my bag whenever I’m out of the house with my little boy, and a breast pump when I’m without him. Truly, I call them bestfriends. So share your friends! The more, the merrier! :-)

Nurse in Public. With or without a nursing cover, I breastfeed MKJ whenever he demands for milk. Be it in a grocery shop, auto shop, church, beach or any public place, I am a living example that breastfeeding a child chooses no place. I even breastfeed while standing!

On Saving Money. Since they were young couple and both have no source of income, breastfeeding is a right choice to save money. I and my husband spent money on diapers, MKJ’s vaccine, groceries and pleasure times. My mommy friend who doesn't breastfeed spends P5,000 every month for her baby’s milk. P5,000 is very huge enough to be spent on other stuffs! See, so breastfeeding really helps! And I believe, that hey, you little sister, if you breastfeed, you’ll save a lot!

So, that’s it! So simple breastfeeding is but it really pays off big to every mom and child. Breastfeeding is 
FULL of BENEFITS.

To my little sister, I hope I stayed in your heart a living example. Carry me in your heart and mind as you enter mommyhood. The world you’ll enter by then is very different from the single days. I am here if you need help. Xoxo.
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