Breastfeeding Room Story

"Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (November). For this month, participants share their experiences on extended breastfeeding. This includes tips to moms with young babies, as well as barriers and myths which discourage extended nursing. Please scroll down to the end of this post and check out the other carnival participants."

It’s a happy, happy day! We’re strolling without errands or a definite agenda for the afternoon. I might be able to buy a stuff or two for myself. Thinking about all the possibilities make me giddy. But within 10 minutes after this thought bubble in my head, my baby is suddenly hungry. Thank goodness this mall has a breastfeeding facility. We walk faster. Oh, there it is! He is getting fussy and wants to be fed.

We open the door and greet the lady at the desk. “We’re here to use the breastfeeding room”. The lady smiles. She smiles and asks “where is your baby, ma’am?" “Ah, this is my baby”. And together, we pushed the door leading to another room inside.

My ‘baby’ is walking, pushing doors and talking… a lot. He was 2 years old then.
After that long walk, he was tired and cranky. Wanting to appease him, I immediately pulled up my top to give my peace offering. He latched on, but there proved to be distractions in the same room. The inquisitive boy got down, left my boobies exposed, and walked to check on the other babies.

Inside, I still get stares from other moms because while their baby feeds peacefully, mine keeps getting down and playing peek-a-boo with theirs. He keeps on inspecting. Yes, inspecting every baby, making other new moms uncomfortable in the process.

The first 6 months were the hardest in this breastfeeding journey. That was when I was stressed the most on my son’s weight gain, my output, and when I got back to work, on my pumping schedule. Breastfeeding him after his first birthday was relatively easy. He didn’t feed that often, I’m more comfortable in little baring episodes (my son sometimes will just push my shirt up, or put his hand inside my to), I can leave him for longer periods without worrying on what he's going to drink. It is actually quite convenient, too. Imagine I'm al groggy from sleep and he askes for milk at 4 am. When I'm too sleepy to do what is needed, he'll usually be the one to pull up my shirt, drink until he's satisfied, then go back to sleep on his own.

With that story, what can I share to all moms who chose to breastfeed longer than what most people know and think is possible? Breastfeed as long as you can. You can never go wrong.

Jared breastfed until he was almost 3 years old. His favorite expression is "Oh, there it is!" He stopped on his own, without fuss and drama, after the author was away on a week-long business trip. This mama considers those times the most precious and to this day, does not forgive herself for not having a nice enough breastfeeding picture for all the world to see.

Top 10 Things I Wished I’d Done When I Was Still Breastfeeding

I was supposed to join the Milk Mama blog carnival, but other activities and things got in the way so I didn't make it to the deadline. But I'm posting my Top 10 here just the same._______________________________

Breastfeeding was a wonderful experience for me and I’m pretty sure for my son, too. I breastfed him for 2 years and 8 months until he weaned at will. Up to now, I still miss that special bond, the look a baby gives his mommy, during feeding time.

If only I could turn back time, I will…

1. Jot down my breastfeeding experience in a journal or blog from the very first day. I was apprehensive on starting a blog and letting everyone in on our lives. I started actively writing in the blog when my son was already 8 months old. The result: a lot of backtracking and in the process, forgeting the minute details that will forever be unexpressed in words. Write down your breastfeeding experience and and let other moms learn from your experience.

2. Sit down for a nice photograph. Breastfeeding is one of the most beautiful moments experienced by mother and child and it is but apt that you immortalize that moment in a nice photo. If I have one, I’d gladly display that in a prime spot in the house. Sadly, I only have photos of me breastfeeding in ratty clothes. Tsk, tsk.

3. Raise the awareness on breastfeeding more actively. We still lack breastfeeding facilities in the Philippines. I was lucky I got pregnant and gave birth at a time when information and the importance of breastfeeding is being resurrected. And we are starting to have breastfeeding stations in malls. I know breastfeeding in public ( in plain view) still makes people cringe—not the mommy but more of those around her. I regret not writing to malls who still doesn’t provide breastfeeding stations, and then not writing to let them know my appreciation as a user of the breastfeeding stations available. I can go on and on here.

4. Wait until I meet my son before buying baby stuff, breastfeeding stuff included. I bought a lot of breastfeeding covers before I even met my son. I didn’t know yet he will sweat and feel utterly uncomfortable under one and rendered my purchases unfit.

5. Not dilly dally in my decision to shell out money for an electric pump. I’m a working mom and I’m not yet in a position to give up work to be with my son 24/7. So like most CS moms, I went back to join the workforce after 78 days. And with only a manual pump to build up my stash of breastmilk and to use as pump at the office for a month or so, I got sore fingers and almost, almost gave up on breastfeeding. The P16,000 I spent on an electric pump was one of the wisest decision and well-spent investment I’ve ever made.

6. Chillax. As a first time mom, I wanted to be the best, to do everything for my baby, to be supermom. I didn’t want anybody to hold him. In the process, I was putting added pressure on my already sleep-deprived and harrased self.

7. Buy a fridge to go. I lugged around my breastfeeding paraphernalia in one eskimo cooler. Not cool. It always looked as if I’m carrying an organ for a transplant. Hahaha.

8. Bring my baby to out of town trips. The most stressful moments I had related to breastfeeding were during trips when he wasn’t with me. The first time was when he was a mere four months. I was pumping and stressing over my milk half of the time. I pumped on the plane ride beside a male colleague who had no idea what the movement was behind that breastfeeding cover I had on and I experienced expressing milk by hand on a bus (my manual pump broke at the most unfortunate time). It would have made life easier for me. Now if only I can do that for business trips.

9. Eat tons of malunggay! Not only does it increase milk supply, but it’s also really nutritious. I ate lots but if I can do it again, I’d put malunngay in everything I ate. I discovered the wonder of malunggay powder late.

10. Maintain the weight I had when I was breastfeeding. I was 120 lbs when I got pregnant and ended up 40 lbs heavier when I was due. Three months later, I was able to fit back into my old clothes. Then, a year after I was down to 116 lbs! Thinner than when I first got pregnant. Breastfeeding burns calories. I was constantly hungry and eating but didn’t put on a pound. It’s just sad I kept the appetite even after we stopped breastfeeding. Don’t ask me how much I weigh now.

The good news is, I still have the chance to correct these mistakes once we’re ready for baby #2!