When i was pregnant with baby Andrea, I committed to breastfeed her exclusively. I read a lot of articles about breastfeeding, equipped and educated myself prior to my D-Day. Sometimes though, things happen the other way around. After my ceasarian operation, the nurse informed me that i was given Morphine for my pain reliever. So when my baby was brought to the room for breastfeeding, i refused to nurse her. Though it was against my will, i opted to give her formula. I just didn't like the idea of breastfeeding my baby while i was in Morphine even though the doctor assured me of its safety. It was just a mother's instinct. Andrea would rather have the formula, than be at risk for the drug's potential side effects. The second day at the hospital, i tried to offer my breast to baby Andrea. Well, the breasts normally gets engorged 3-5 days after delivery but I just wanted to give her my colostrum which is just the right amount for a newborn's first feeding. Andrea is almost 8 months now, and i continue to breastfeed her exclusively.
Breastfeeding entails a lot of sacrifice. You have to let go of your comfort zone, you have to watch what you eat & drink and be mindful of the medicines you take. The "do's and don't's" of pregnancy still applies. Forget about diet, and forget about diet pills. Which reminds me by the way..because they said that breastfeeding helps you get back to your pre-pregnancy size. Unfortunately, not for me.
Breastfeeding takes a lot of determination & commitment. I need to pump & store my milk whenever i have to be away. Thanks to my ever reliable ISIS Avent Manual breast pump which i bought 4 years ago when i gave birth to Miggy. And thanks to hubs for giving me an electric Medela Swing when my left hand was already in pain due to pumping. Honestly, pumping has been an added chore for me but i know that my baby deserves the best. And it's the best i can offer her for the first few months of her life. Considering the culture here where we are based, i haven't seen a mom who breastfeed in public. Whenever my family go out to stroll at the mall, I usually breastfeed Andrea in dressing rooms or baby rooms provided by baby shops. Often times though, i nurse her in the car while on the road then I bring along one bottle of pumped milk just to be sure she has something to take whenever we can't do it privately.
I am proud to say that I am an advocate of breastfeeding. Breast milk is free, reducing the cost of formula and breastfeeding develops a special bonding between mom & baby. Aside from this, here are more reasons why I chose to breastfeed up to now.
BREAST MILK FACTS:
Breast milk is an amazing substance that cannot be duplicated by any artificial means.
- Unique in its composition and function, breast milk helps keep babies healthy. Breast milk protects against many types of illness like colds, flu, diarrhea and ear infections.
- Breast milk is ready day or night, anytime your baby is hungry. It is always the right temperature.
- Breast milk is easy for your baby to digest, since your body makes it for your baby.
- Breast milk is naturally clean. It passes from the breast to the baby’s mouth and can not “Go Bad” or “Spoil”.
- Breast milk helps prevent diaper rash.
- Breastfed babies are less likely to be overweight later in life. They learn to stop eating when they are full, instead of when the bottle is empty.
- Babies fully breastfed for six months or longer are smarter than formula fed babies when given IQ tests at school age.
"When we trust the makers of baby formula more than we do our own ability to nourish our babies, we lose a chance to claim an aspect of our power as women. Thinking that baby formula is as good as breast milk is believing that thirty years of technology is superior to three million years of nature's evolution. Countless women have regained trust in their bodies through nursing their children, even if they weren't sure at first that they could do it. It is an act of female power, and I think of it as feminism in its purest form." ----- Christine Northrup M.D.
