On being a mama cow

I've been proudly breastfeeding for the past 15 months and I have no intention to stop anytime soon. It gives me and my baby precious bonding time. It's my alone time with him and it is during those moments that I can make him feel how much he is loved by mommy, after being away from him for most part of the day.

Many are still amazed that I still have milk. Sometimes I am amazed myself. I still pump 2x a day at the office and he feeds from me directly in the evenings, before I leave for the office in the morning and on weekends.

I admit it wasn't easy at the start. During the first few weeks, my life is one long loop of breastfeeding, burping, changing nappies and breastfeeding again. My baby can't seem to get enough of my milk. While emotionally rewarding, it was on the other hand physically draining, too.

Jared thankfully had no trouble latching. Many thanks to the kind nurses at The Medical City who taught me and baby the proper way to feed.

While there are days that I hate lugging around my cooler and my pump bag, those are few and far in between. Epecially when I think of how much my baby loves mama's milk more than formula. He can gulp my milk in seconds while it takes him time to drink the same amount of formula.

I read in one forum that to breastfeed is something that you have to decide on even before you gave birth. It also says that it is a mind-game. If you believe you can give nourishment to your child, you can produce enough milk.

Such became my mantra for my last trimester of my pregnancy. I was mentally preparing myself for the birth of my baby. When I gave birth to a smaller than average baby boy, weighing 5 lbs 2 oz, my resolve to breastfeed grew stronger.

That same phrase was something I keep repeating to myself while I pump. I was able to purely breasfeed my baby for the 1st 10 months-- not a drop of formula. Then I got busy at work and had to reduce the times I pump at the office from 4x to 2x, hence we had to supplement with formula.

We're taking this one day at a time. But as long as I know he still wants my milk, I'll breastfeed him for as long as I can.

I'm a mama cow and I'm so loving it.




Since we don't have a decent enough photo of me breastfeeding, I'll just post this photo of Jared drinking mommy's milk in a bottle (Jared at 4 months old)