Breastfeeding is considered an easy task, but there are times you will meet with difficulties, but it's a test which you should try your best not to fail.
I never thought I would breastfeed my kids because in our house, we don't breastfeed. Once I asked my mom if she breastfed me and she said "Hell no, you were formula fed" Oh well, maybe if she had breastfeed me I'd be a genius with an amazing immune system, who knows huh?
And another experience I had with breastfeeding was when I visited my friend in her house, she brought out a boob and put it into her baby's mouth. I was embarrassed, I didn't know where to look. And I felt offended that she thought nothing of bringing out massive boobs in front of me (Don't mind me, I was still forming posh).
Some months after, I was having a talk with my fiance who I'm now married to, and one talk led to the other and we talked about breastfeeding, "No, I'll formula feed my baby" I said in response to the question of how I would feed my baby. He gasped unbelieving, but when I gave him a lot of reasons why I shouldn't breastfeed, one of which was that my breasts weren't created for breastfeeding, he stopped talking. He probably thought I was a spoilt-brat and unreasonable.
A year later, we got married. I became pregnant some months later, I was obsessed with having a perfect pregnancy and being a perfect mom, I took folic acid, prenatal vitamins, and I slept like palm oil for the most part of my pregnancy. I stopped drinking alcohol, took wine sometimes for the iron content and I read books about pregnancy and parenting.
When my beautiful girl was finally born, and I was asked by the matron how I would feed her, I answered without hesitating "breastfeeding of course, if that's okay" She said it was okay and I can go ahead.
But alas! I put my baby to my nipple but nothing. I tried every lactating position still nothing. I was asked to talk to an expert, yet that didn't work either. My baby will not take the breast. She was hungry and to make the breast appealing one of the nurses rubbed formula on my nipple yet it was in vain.
I was angry with my stubborn baby, why will she not take the breast? And as I watched the baby on the other end sucking loudly I tried to push my nipple into her mouth but it felt wrong and abusive so I stopped.
Any time my baby is weighed by a nurse, she'll announce that she's losing weight every day. With the hope of breastfeeding lost, I went ahead and bought a formula recommended by my friend, but she had trouble sucking from the bottle too.
Before now, I never knew this could happen, I felt it was naturally for the baby to put his/her mouth on the breast and suck, I had a panic attack, what should I do? And while I was complaining, no one told me to persevere that it happens sometimes, they just acted as if it's weird.
At this stage, my nipples were cracked and bleeding but I kept trying. To keep the milk flowing, I kept pumping. A week after, when the sour on my nipple has healed, I gave breastfeeding a try again. And when I guided her cute mouth to my breast, she sucked, she actually sucked. Tears of joy streamed down my cheeks, my frustration gave way to happiness. At the long run, my perseverance paid off, it felt so good to see her sucking. While sucking she'll look into my eyes and gently massage my breast as if to keep it flowing.
Tears of joy streamed down my cheeks, my frustration gave way to happiness. At the long run, my perseverance paid off, it felt so good to see her sucking. While sucking she'll look into my eyes and gently massage my breast as if to keep it flowing.
I was combine-feeding her, and that made it easy for me to wean her at 8 months. My husband all the while, was very supportive, although my mom wasn't so optimistic, I guess she was just feeling guilty for not breastfeeding me.
I breastfed my second and third born exclusively and it was very easy. When breastfeeding in public, I cover my boobs with a scarf so as not to offend some people. And if the scarf drops, I don't care, all I care about is my baby's well-being.
The only time I had problems was when I try to introduce bottle and when they were teething, it's so sad when you have to force bottle into your child's mouth when all they want is breast milk, yet your breasts are there wasting away.
The major problem I have with breastfeeding is you are the major source of baby's food and that is exhausting. When I remember how I do most of the house chores with my last born latched to my breast and my second born clinging to my legs, I'll smile and wonder how I made it.
I did it and I'm proud of myself. In the future, I'll proudly tell my kids I breastfed them.
So if you are also having problems breastfeeding your child, as long as it's not medical, keep trying and persevere like I did.
Breastfeeding has many benefits, saves your money, you can eat food high in calories and not worry because your child will suck half of it, and no periods! A little more effort is all that is needed.
I know that some people can't breastfeed their babies for medical reasons and that's okay, others who don't have such issues are the ones I'm trying to encourage.
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