MimmaBenz.com

After sharing my Breastfeeding Story of Kite. Here is Laya’s naman:

We had Laya 11 years after Kite and 11 years din after forming NewlywedsAtWork (N@W) so we were armed with a thriving support group whose members have practically been through everything that could possibly happen, we have all kinds of moms there: breastfeeding moms, formula feeding moms, mixed feeders, those who had a hard time breastfeeding, never attempted breastfeeding, longing to be a mom, wouldn’t want to be a mom ever, being a mom more often than they would want to and what have you. I knew motherhood will be so much more fun this time with so many mommies to run to for any of my most trivial questions. I knew my chances of successfully breastfeeding Laya is high, as I am very good friends with Velvet and Abbie who are experts and studied breastfeeding (their actual title escape me now); am friends too with Jenny who’s blog Chronicles of a Nursing Mom is all about breastfeeding; am friends with a lot of the members of Latch (another breastfeeding group) and there’s so many breastfeeding moms in N@W (that we can even form our own breastfeeding group if needed), need I add more? Ahh I almost forgot, hubby Abet is I think keener than me in making this breastfeeding business a success.

Hubby would bribe me by saying sige breastfeed ka, if you are still breastfeeding mag Cebu na tayo as reward by May. Syempre ako atat sa lakwatcha kaya effective naman his idea. We stayed in a hotel muna for a night to try it out. Successful kami so we went to Tagaytay for a night the week after to see if we can do it again and see how Laya behaves to traveling, aba it was easy! Off we went to Cebu as soon as Laya turned 1 month old 🙂 Hiya ko lang tumigil after Cebu diba? hahaha

Seriously, I think what really clinched it for me was hearing Mimi say I never entertained the thought I wont be able to breastfeed, basta ako mag be-breastfeed, it was so simple, yet so powerful! Whenever I wanted to stop or doubted I would remember how she said it and I remember, of course I am going to continue breastfeeding.

Let me start on the day I gave birth. I was induced March 29 and had Laya that afternoon. Wasn’t able to see Laya again til 12 hours after, by then I was told she was given glucose water already. Am old na, I dont sweat the small stuff anymore. Fine, I just told the nurse nothing anymore after that kasi I will purely breastfeed. I tried to make Laya latch and was so happy she took it in so naturally but she wasn’t hungry and was more interested to sleep. Me too, I wanted to sleep too so I went back to my room na but I requested rooming in of Laya as soon as possible. Well she was roomed afternoon na. And Velvet, my one and only visitor (we didn’t let friends visit kasi we intend to breastfeed so we dont know the schedule when Laya would want to feed, ayaw ko naman mag feed with visitors around; she dont do personalvisits anymore ha, she did it for me lang kasi love niya ako heheh) was able to visit me that day to help make sure I will be off to a good start. She watched and taught me how to latch, taught us to look at the jaw to watch and listen to her swallow, to feed and feed and feed by demand, to not even look at the clock and worry just let baby lead, to put as much of the areola in and make sure it is not just the nipple (it is the nerves in the areola that signals the mind to produce milk) most common mistake is the latching, if you latch right I think there’s 80% success. Velvet also taught us how to massage Laya. We had a smooth breastfeeding routine with Laya at the hospital that night.

As we were about to discharge from the hospital the next day I felt pain in my nape, it felt exactly what they said high blood pressure would feel like, had my BP taken yes it was getting high. I was still discharged but what I was feeling was scary na. Got home and immediately texted Nay Lita Nery (lactating masseuse) to help relax me and at the same time make sure latching is correct. She came and taught me how to feed lying down and I think 2 more positions. My BP remained high and went higher pa. The fact it was Maundy Thursday made things worse for me as I didnt want to go to the hospital on Good Friday all my doctors are away! To make things worst I was also instructed by my OB not to take care of Laya and I am not allowed to breastfeed at night! Huwat? I didnt want to feed formula and I didnt have extra milk. Worst I didnt have a yaya as the yaya who will take care of Laya is our helper whom I haven’t trained yet. And hubby the only other possible person to take care is sniffing and looks like he is going to get sick! Oh that was one super stressful Thursday for me. Lucky I have friends! First Dee came to the rescue she not only gave me milk, she delivered it pa! I had no way of getting the milk at this point (this is also why whenever I donate and I feel that the mom or dad asking for the milk have no way of getting I do personal deliver of the milk as much as I can, aside from not knowing how to handle the milk it is a really a very busy time for new parents). Milk problem solved! Now I needed someone to care for Laya, one whom I can safely leave Laya with, lucky for me Medical City’s nurse station helped me secure one. Sigh! All my immediate problems are solved. The midwife stayed with us that night and cup fed Laya. I wasnt able to sleep a wink. It was hard having somebody else in our bedroom and I missed Laya too. Oh added to the already stressful situation was my dilemna, all the ge-lai food I should eat are also the same food a high blood patient shouldn’t be eating ayayyay! Good think my childhood friend Nancy (my friend since I was 1 year old) took me under her wing, she’d cook a big pot of whatever food I am to eat that day, she’d bring it to me before lunch and then I would reheat the remaining portion for dinner (inaagawan pa ako ni Abet! kasi yummy) she’d carefully choose and ask what are the food allowed sa ge-lai and allowed sa high blood, yes fish nga with lotsa soup! She’d bring it to our place while I am asleep and would teach my helper what to do with it. Am so blessed with so many friends talaga those days! We got over the high blood episode on Easter Sunday (so apt no?), and the midwifes trained Laya’s yaya on how to care for a baby too, she can do everything except she is not comfortable giving Laya a bath. Fair enough, I am also not comfortable entrusting Laya’s bath to her yet.

Breastfeeding Laya was smooth but it was hard. There’s pain, lack of sleep, doubts and a whole lot of other things. Major was the feeling na I cant function, cant do anything kasi a needy child is relying on me and would need me anytime. I remember it was Mother’s Day and I was awake middle of the night so I took that time to greet my mommy friends and hopefully disrupt their sleep. I was at this point wanting to stop breastfeeding na kasi am tired and aching and was really finding a valid reason to stop. Eh yun nga wala akong nahanap na reason so I went on. Every step of the way when the going got tough I would do mass texting, (my regular text victims were Velvet, Abbie, Jenny, Rica, JenCC, Dee, Mimi… either some or all of them hmm forgot who else) always may 2 or 3 na sasagot hehe. I also started going to Abbie’s La Leche Meet and also Breastfriend at Mary the Queen. I started going with so many hang ups, questions and I got my groove there. So my BF Support Group friends saw me turn into a swan. They were with me through all my issues and now am with them egging the newer ones to go on. Now am paying it forward na.

Why am I blogging about my breastfeeding story? 1. It is breastfeeding month kasi. and 2. After reading Confessions of a milk machine and Breastfeeding: It’s a Choice I felt the urge to blog or say my piece. But I also do not like to be perceived as puro breastfeeding na lang. The blog by Frances or better known as TopazMommy, I don’t want to be a lactivist, is so so true. So there.

While I am on a roll let me share na din Why I love breastfeeding.

1. It is so convenient. We just bring a small bag with change of diapers and clothes and a small towel to wipe and we are ready to go anywhere.

2. Because I breastfeed, I had a very easy time taking care of Laya, imagine we went on an overnight stay before she turned 1 month and had her riding an airplane by 6 weeks old, went out of the country for 6 weeks when she turned one.

3. Breastfeeding is the solution to everything! She falls? I feed her and she is ok; She is cranky? I feed her and she is ok; She got hurt? I feed her and she is ok; when she wants something she cant have and is about to throw a fit, I show her my booby and she forgets everything. Breastfeeding her solved EVERYTHING!

4. You know whats amazing, you have booby antennas that tells you your kid is hungry, you actually feel it before she cries that it is feeding time! The things you will realizes are simply so amazing.

5. I watch her feed and the muscle movements from her cheek, tongue and jaws am sure help her so much, while bottle feeder just suck and the milk comes out, the breastfeeder work on it so early and get to use na their muscles.

6. A breastfeeding baby can detect boobies even while asleep. This one still amazes me until now. Sometimes at night I just watch her and she knows which direction to face and when to open her mouth! Amazing talaga.

7. Breastmilk cures everything. I was a cynic too at first, OA naman yan ano magic? Have a cut? Rash? Itch? Put breastmilk and it really does cure! Did it and it worked 🙂

Miss U moments:

People who made it possible for me and helped me with this mommy journey!

Velvet – who would be my rah rah girl talaga throughout the journey. Did I also mention I met up with her for a one on one session on what to do with a newborn aside from about breastfeeding? And when I was looking for a midwife to care for Laya and was not getting anywhere she even offered to yaya Laya sa house namin, papahatid siya kay Atan and stay the night in our place, grabe my heart was filled with gratitude for that text she sent. Super duper thank you Velvet! I owe you!

Dee – she sent me milk when I wasn’t able to breastfeed, if I resorted to formula then and had a taste of convenience I am pretty sure I it would be super hard for me and will constantly be tempted. I also learned from her how to pack and freeze the milk, hers was so flat and so pretty to look at!

Mimi – since she is always no nonsense and frills free I go to her when I am stressed and true enough her ways are the simplest.

Rica – she is like me oldie na and habol baby na lang ito so we can relate with each other, her amazing story of being able to pump 16 oz in one sitting helped motivate me to reach that level.

Nancy, Grace & Morning – oh these are my childhood friends who fed me and made sure I dont stop the ge lai thing. Morning and I had a one on one session too on the meds and drinks to take.

Abbie, Jenny, JenCC, Rica – for always receiving my text and for most of the times replying 🙂

Didda – for making it so clear stop breastfeeding is not an option.

Laya is 16 months old now and we are still breastfeeding. She’s been taking solids since she was 6.5 months old and had her first taste of cow’s milk in Australia. Am now trying to let her get used to the taste of cows milk so she have milk to drink when I go out at night in preparation for the time I go out of the country. She is so loving the chocolate milk from MilkMan, yung fresh milk sometimes she likes sometimes she doesn’t, so what we do we milk the choco milk with milk na lang.

Again, if you are breastfeeding or would like to breastfeed, please know you can drop me a line here or thru my email or thru my facebook or text me if you have it. Would be more than happy to be part of your breastfeeding journey.