At the outset, when my son was born, I had no idea what it
meant to breastfeed a baby. I wasn’t prepared for the toil and labor as I positioned
myself in back-breaking poses to suit my baby’s needs. Soon enough, within the
first week, I ended up having sore breasts with a baby who wouldn’t latch
easily to the breast. By the second week, I convinced myself that this is the
hardest thing I have ever done and still the baby just cries. My initial
assumption was that perhaps, he is hungry, why else would he cry. Quickly, I grabbed
a few bottles of formula which he gulped down his throat. And he still cried!!!
Better sense prevailed when I spoke with my lactation
consultant who suggested that I needed to let him get a hang of breastfeeding
while my own body accustomed to his needs. I nailed the thought inside my head –
Just get yourself to breastfeed him and believe that he will grow. And so, for
the first six months of life, I watched my son grow with the aid of breast-milk
which was fascinating yet the most daunting task.
There are downsides to everything in the world. And so,
breastfeeding came with its hitches as well:
1.
Sore breasts are the hardest thing to deal with
but good news – they don’t last long.
2.
It’s annoying to be woken up at wee hours only
to pull your t-shirt to pop the boob into the baby’s mouth. Imagine doing this
three to four times a night.
3.
A baby
needs to be fed so often that being outside is no exception. I used to feel embarrassed
while breastfeeding outside but I told myself that my baby’s hunger pangs
demanded Category 1 attention. Bottom-line: Ignore world.
4.
It’s amazing to see how everybody seems to have
a say on what a mother should or shouldn’t be doing. I dealt with a number of
people who encouraged to me stop breastfeeding as soon as possible. Reason: He
won’t wean easily the older he grows.
5.
Re-iterating the earlier point: weaning a baby
off breastfeeding isn’t always the pleasant experience because it’s almost like
taking the baby off the life support and transitioning him to another way of
survival. (The weaning period were the hardest two months. Thanks to my mom, I was
able to breastfeed for 17 months while working on the weaning process)
6.
Being tied down to the baby: Perhaps, this is
the most glaring fact about breastfeeding. In a world where mothers aspires to
get so much done, being tied to a baby for long time makes her immobile.
So, what’s good about breastfeeding anyway?
Perhaps, it’s not enough if you tell a mother – You have no
idea what gift you are giving your child when you breastfeeding. When your
greatest desire is to give your baby the best, why not just start by handing
him his rights – the right to breastfeed.
I can’t write anything valuable and new about breastfeeding besides
what is already on the Internet. A quick search about benefits of breastfeeding
on google will give you everything a mother needs to know before she decides to
wean her baby off the breast.
But what one American mom did, has blown my mind because she
has altered the idea of breastfeeding to a whole new magical level. So, this
American mom did a wonderful experiment - she compared a drop of breast milk and
a drop of formula under the lens of a microscope. And the results were astounding.
Breast-milk basically, changes composition and tailors antibodies according to
the baby’s needs, right from the moment of birth, the times that the baby falls
sick and as the baby keeps growing. The mom posted a video of what she found in
the breast-milk and the formula. The results were beautiful proving once again,
that the liquid gold that protects your baby is indeed gold for your baby’s lifetime. Video link: Breastmilk under microscope
Promoting breastfeeding isn’t being anti-formula because
there are number of moms out there who simply do not pursue breastfeeding
because of lack of support or work but they would have if they had the chance.
While I feel sad for the things they are missing out, a part of me is in awe of
all the hard work they put in for their babies and still manage to get things
done. It takes sheer strength and will.
And still, there are so many mothers who simply wean of their
babies too early because they are too exhausted or they believe the baby isn’t getting
enough or they believe the sooner she weans is easier or somebody pushes them
to introduce formula.
While breastfeeding may not be the right choice for every parent,
it’s the best choice for every baby. Go on, pop that boob into your baby’s mouth
and keep believing that the best is working inside of that little precious
body.
About the Author : Chital Mehta loves to explore new books. After becoming a mother, she started this blog to share her experiences as a mother. Apart from being busy with her baby, she makes times for writing, reading and watching movies. She has authored 4 fiction novels. You can find details on her facebook page :Chital Mehta facebook
Write to her : chitalmehta1987@gmail.com
About the Author : Chital Mehta loves to explore new books. After becoming a mother, she started this blog to share her experiences as a mother. Apart from being busy with her baby, she makes times for writing, reading and watching movies. She has authored 4 fiction novels. You can find details on her facebook page :Chital Mehta facebook
Write to her : chitalmehta1987@gmail.com
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