Breastfeeding Article By Rachel-Heng Walters

Warning: If for some unfathomable reason, you're uncomfortable about breastfeeding, don't read further.

If you're not squirmy about this very natural act (Yay!), then carry on reading my blog.

Go read this article on breastfeeding!

http://www.family.sg/HEALTH/2009/07/14/en-us/0000169/article.aspx

It's written by my cousin, Rachel, who resides in Canberra, Australia. She's the editor of Australian Breastfeeding Association’s national magazine. Great info!

If only information had been so readily available to me as a young mother. Although breastfeeding a baby is a thing of the past for me now (I'm a mother of two teenagers), I still recall vividly trying to cope with my engorged boobs, stinging nipples and the sometimes feverish bouts of pain. On top of this, trying to cope with the pain from a recovering C-section surgery.

Breastfeeding didn't go down well with my firstborn. She'd shut her mouth up and pout till her whole face turned red. I even recall her pushing her tiny palm against my breast as if to tell me to give it up! Straight after delivery, the nurses at the hospital had asked me if I wanted to breastfeed or formula feed my baby at night and being a young mother in what I would describe as suffering from shock at the pain post-surgery, I opted for formula. I suppose after tasting formula at night, my baby just didn't dig breast milk in the day. Looking back, I realise that choice had been a mistake on my part.

Having said that, after our discharge, I still tried my best to breastfeed her full-time. She'd cry. I'd cry (you know how emotional one can get after giving birth!). Especially to the slightest comment that I wasn't producing enough for the baby.

Baby refusing to feed + engorged breasts + hurtful comments + surgical pain = giving up.

Sadly, I gave in to the bottle after a few weeks and she became a happy baby.
Was I a failure? I didn't think so at that time. She was happy to have Daddy feed her. Mummy was happy Daddy could feed her.
I still had my bursting boobs to contend with though. Finally when the leaking wouldn't stop (who said I didn't have enough milk?) the doc prescribed Parlodel for me. I popped just ONE and fainted a few hours later while in the toilet and again the next morning whilst getting out of bed. I mean, really collapsed. Blacked out. My boobs also dried up immediately after that single pill. I personally wouldn't recommend taking Parlodel to anyone. Apparently, it had an adverse effect on my blood pressure. If you can, please bear with the pain and let the milk supply run its course.

With my second child, the C-section pain was expected and the boy just latched on to my boob like a pro from the word go. Just as it had happened with my daughter, in the beginning, it was hilarious how milk would start squirting from one boob while I was feeding my baby on the other. At times, I'd be yelling at Mike, 'Mike! Bottle!' and he'd come running with an empty milk bottle to place it on the unutilised boob just so the milk from this Mama Cow didn't go to waste!
The lil bub would drink and drink and drink. Even through the night. I was tired but I perservered. I felt 'rewarded' each time the womb contracted whilst he fed. Convinced myself it was helping my tummy get back in shape (which it did).

My saddest regret was to not have taken a longer time off to spend with my baby. I had to get back to work just after the standard maternity leave ran out. A week before it ended, I started introducing the bottle to him. He refused. We went out and bought different shaped nipples and finally he was more accepting of the NUK brand.

I had to contend with leaking breasts (used a motherload of breast pads) at work because I didn't find the schedule nor place convenient to express my milk (I was a school teacher).
In the evenings, back from work, I'd pump out my milk and keep a couple of bottles in the fridge and these would be for his daytime supply. (Oh, the comments that I may not have been producing enough milk still came, until the bottles of milk were spotted in the fridge!).

It was heart wrenching the first few days because I'd come home and my domestic helper would tell me my son had refused the bottle the whole day. I'd put him on the breast and he'd suckle like mad. After about a week of putting the bottle to him in the day, he took to it. It was still breastmilk and we'd not introduced formula to him yet. In the nights, he'd sleep beside me and he'd suckle through the night. This routine continued for 6 months. Not a long time but at least we tried. Was I a failure? I'm not sure. I feel I should have tried harder with my girl and I should have fed longer with my son. I should have done better. It's what mums do isn't it? Beat themselves up.