Happy Breastfeeding Month!
This month is breastfeeding awareness month and it means the entire month is dedicated to advancing advocacy, protection, and promotion of breastfeeding to ensure that all families have the opportunity to breastfeed. I am a proud breastfeeding mom for already 24 months! Wow, that sounds long already!
My baby boy had turned two years old on the 25th of July and there's no sign yet of weaning him. He still asks for the breast especially when he is sleepy. He loves to latch to sleep!
In this blog, I would like to share with you the struggles I had gone through when I decided to breastfeed. Prior to giving birth, my mind had already been set that I will breastfeed my baby. I have friends who had shared with me their own experiences with breastfeeding and had also informed me of the importance and significance of breastfeeding.
I also joined online breastfeeding advocate groups which had become my virtual support group, it is there that I search for things that had been wondering in my mind, questions, and even struggles, I have also found that I was not alone in that journey. Also, the group had showered me with answers to all my anxieties. More importantly, I was able to survive the first few months of breastfeeding and am now happy that I didn't give up!
When a woman becomes a mother, there's a whole new person that emerges, there are indeed several changes, several new sets of emotions, and physical damages, and it is very crucial for one to have support, the husband plays a huge role in that. I am thankful to my husband who had been with me throughout and even until today, he is continuously supporting me in this season of my life.
I had my own fair share of frustrations, and heartaches, to the point of almost giving up when I was starting my breastfeeding journey. It is a natural thing but just like us learning new things, like a baby learning to walk, there are times when we get hurt, there's a pain in the beginning, that's how my breastfeeding journey began as well and I believe it is the same for most first time mothers.
But by the grace of God, I was able to surpass all the milk clogs, breast engorgements, wounds, nail-biting pain whenever my baby latches, and the sleepless nights. Today, my baby latches but it is already without pain. He also knows where to find it and opens it himself which is funny.
So, just recently, we were about to go to bed when my baby was holding his stuffie and we were talking about something, I forgot the topic but out of the blue, the baby said stuffie "dede" which means he wants to give milk to the stuffie!
Then he opens his shirt and points the stuffie's mouth to his breast! It was hilarious that I asked him to do it again so I can film and thankfully he did! He even kissed the stuffie and said good night at the end of the clip!
This act made me realize how he had been super attached to breastfeeding. Aside from providing him with the best milk because our liquid gold is packed with so many nutrients, no formula milk could ever surpass, I am also after the bond that we share whenever I breastfeed him.
The fact that he kissed the stuffie speaks so much of how he also felt loved and taken care of when I am breastfeeding him. Whenever he breastfeeds to sleep, I kiss him so I believe it brings so much attachment to him.
Some of my family and relatives question me on how long will I be breastfeeding my baby and I answer them as long as he still wants to. I can see how they react but I believe that they are not educated well enough about the benefits of breastfeeding. I have not been affected anymore whenever they show me that look but I am more concerned about the benefits and pros of what breastfeeding could give to my child.
If you are expecting and are thinking of breastfeeding, by all means, do so. There are so many ways how you can continue to breastfeed even if you are working. In the Philippines, we have the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act where public places and private institutions are required to observe the laws on supporting lactating mothers to be able to provide milk to their babies. There are breaks intended for moms to be able to pump while at work and public places need to provide lactating rooms too.
Thanks for reading, here's my previous article: Cooking Sweet and Sour Pork for Brother's Birthday!
xoxo,
momentswithmatti
Mother | Boholana | Cebu | Philippines | Travel | Photography Enthusiast | Calligraphy | Art | Crypto Noob
As long as he wants go lang, usually naman after 2 years nagsisimula na sila magexplore ng ibat ibang klase ng food mostly at night na lang sila naghahanap kasi they are looking for the comfort and warmth when they feed close to you. Yung bond at connection talaga between mom and child is nakakagulat at sarap sa pakiramdam. During my breastfeeding years kain construction worker ako pero hindi ako tumataba, hahaha! but now that i'm done with it , yun na hinay hinay na sa food, hehe lakas na makataba.