Saturday, February 11, 2012

Stubborn Me! Sure Glad I Didn't Give Up

"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."




=========================================================

     I knew I was going to breastfeed my kids.  I thought breastfeeding is as simple as offering your breast to your baby when they're hungry.  I thought wrong.  I soon found out that it's a skill developed by both the mother and the baby.  It's just unfortunate that I learned that the hard way with my firstborn.  The wrong latch and the pain made me quit at 1 month.  Back then, formula feeding seemed like the best solution.

Second Time Around
     Fast forward to a few years later, I got pregnant with my son and breastfeeding was at the top of my list.  The pain must have missed me because it was still there when I started nursing.  I keep reminding myself that I am more determined this time.

     My son being the first grandson (our families have been having granddaughters for years) put so much pressure on me.  I heard a lot of comments such as "I dont have enough milk." and that I am "starving" my son.  I'm sure the lolo's and lola's mean well but as early as one month, my son is already mix feeding.  His crying was interpreted always as being hungry.  I thought this could not be happening again. 

     Reaching out to my colleagues who have been successful with breastfeeding was probably one of the best decision that I made.  One of them  told me "You're the mother.  You know what's best for your child.  Just listen to your instincts.  And don't stop breastfeeding." Come to think of it, this advise did make sense.  

     My stubbornness and persistence must have worked.  I refused to feed him formula milk and offered him my breast instead.  I eventually figured out what his cries meant - and I became more confident about my ability to supply the milk that he needed.  Month after month his intake of breastmilk increased as the formula milk became almost like a history.  And when they say I'm not producing enough milk, I help myself with galactagogues and try not to mind the comments.  

To the New Moms

     Every breastfeeding journey is different.  You will find a lot of people challenging you simply because you can't see the amount of milk that your baby is consuming. The best preparation that you could ever do is by arming yourself with the right information.   You are the best person to filter out which ones are facts and which are fiction.  

The smile that greets me when I wake up in time for his morning milk.
     
     Having gone through the experience has made me become the advocate that I am now.  The journey was challenging but definitely the most rewarding.  To date, my son is 19 months old and is still not showing any signs of weaning off my breasts.  Pretty soon I know he'll grow out of this but  I know I can always look back and say "I'm so glad I didn't give up."


=========================================================
Please check out the other carnival participants


The Articulate Pen's Breastfeeding needs Patience
Diapers and Stethoscope's Back to Basic
Ms. Masungit's From One Mom To Another
The Odyssey of Dinna's Breastfeeding Words of Wisdom
I Am Clarice's Paying it Forward
Planet Marsy's Better Than None
Mommy {T} Coach's Saved by the Nursing Mommas
Adventures on Planet Mom's Stubborn Me! Sure Glad I didn't give up
Starting at Twenty-Five's My Husband's Best Breastfeeding Advice
Mommy Mama Rat's My Breastfeeding Mantra
Apples and Dumplings' One Word of Breastfeeding Advice
Touring Kitty's Just Do It
the canDIshhh tales' My Breastfeeding Advice
Mec as Mom's Enough is Enough
Chronicles of a Nursing Mom's On Breastfeeding Number Two - Redux



29 comments:

  1. kudos to you. i adore mommies who are experiencing the joy of extended breastfeeding. keep it up! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you mars. its something that i look forward to at the end of a really really busy day.

      Delete
  2. The pain must have missed me because it was still there when I started nursing. - I laughed out loud at this one. And right, being stubborn does pay off sometimes! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. it does, doesnt it? my hubby kasi would often say na sobrang tigas ng ulo ko especially when i set my mind into doing something. hehe

      thanks for dropping by.

      Delete
  3. mothers know best talaga! wow, 19 months! ikaw na! glad to be part of this blog carnival. i gain inspiration from your stories. go, go, go extended breastfeeding!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you. ive been challenged na i would stop when my son started teething. again...matigas lng ulo ko. haha.

      Delete
  4. I know what you mean about trusting your gut! Congratulations to you and your persistence!

    ReplyDelete
  5. It's sad that you were given a lot of pressure to give formula, but it's very admirable that you didn't listen and persevered with breastfeeding! And 19 months! Hope I can last as long with my secondborn as well. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Our families are formula fed. Back then i didnt research about support groups for breastfeeding moms. I was too fixated on making sure i had a successful vbac. I refused to be a failure twice kasi i really want to breastfeed.

      Dont worry. Im sure youll breastfeed your 2nd born longer. Sabi nga nila pag gusto me paraan. ;-)

      thank you for dropping by.

      Delete
  6. grandparents mean well, but can be so annoying sometimes... haha..

    ReplyDelete
  7. 19 months! Wow! Congratulations! And you're right, we often fall into the doubt-trap and it is such a comforting advice to acknowledge that as THE mom of your child, you will know what is best :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. Sometimes you just do it and the next thing you know, months have already gone by.

      Delete
  8. I love those happy smiles they give! It gives us Moms a lot of encouragement because it shows that our hard work really pays of to these beautiful babies.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love them too. Its like his way of saying "thank you mama."

      Delete
  9. I'm sure your little one is glad you didn't give up too! ;) Congrats too on extended BFing! ;-) We're going for 36 months this July! hehe! God bless always!

    ReplyDelete
  10. was also stubborn like you. with N, i was told by my mom to mixfeed so i wouldn't be so harassed. a doctor-friend also told me, ok na yan, N has already gotten your colostrum. but i persisted and went on to nurse her for 46 months! yay for being stubborn and persist!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! 46 months? IKAW NA! Pero seriously I look up to moms who breastfeed longer than 2 years. they are my inspiration. Thank you. And I'm so glad I stumbled into your blog when I was under a whole lot of pressure. I love love love everything you've written.

      Delete
  11. wow I wish I could go that far too. Congratulations to you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. you will! if you were not successful the first time, there's always the 2nd time...and the third or the 4th.... :)

      Delete
  12. It's really kind of difficult if we are in a society where we don't get all the support we could get to breastfeed. But I guess that makes it more challenging, and fulfilling on our part. Kudos to mommies who are stubborn and who don't give up!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree. The harder the challenge, the more rewarding it is in the end. Kudos to you too!

      Delete
  13. I am so happy seeing more mommies breastfeeding! I breastfed my youngest even if I was working full time. My constant companion were my breast pumps, ice and bottles and since I work on field, lahat ng klaseng diskarte to get a room to pump, nagawa ko. And I am glad I did persist in breastfeeding. He is now a healthy smart seven year old!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I failed to fully breastfeed my son so I promise I will do my best to breastfeed my future babies. Will you be my guide? Thanks!

    Mommy Maye2

    ReplyDelete
  15. I failed to breastfeed my firstborn too because she cant latch and everyone was pushing to feed her formula kasi kawawa daw, gutom. For my second, I breastfed for six months but yung youngest ko, four years.

    ReplyDelete

Planet Mom Readers' Corner

Let me know what you think.