Breastfeeding Baby

I breastfed both my children when they were babies. The first was breastfed until he was 13 months old. The second was near impossible to wean off. I finally managed to get him to stop at the age of 3 and a half years old.

Lansinoh Lanolin for Breastfeeding Mothers
Lansinoh

Lansinoh Breast Milk Storage Bottles
Lansinoh

Lansinoh Washable Nursing Pads
Lansinoh

Mommy's Bliss Nipple Cream
Mommy's Bliss

Philips Avent Washable Breast Pads
Philips Avent

Breast feeding is good for the baby. Mommy's milk is the best as it contains the nutrients best suited for baby, in the exact proportions each particular baby needs. The watery liquid is richest in antibodies, so don't waste it. Let baby drink every bit of it.

It was not so easy at the beginning. My first baby did not have any problems breast feeding. I had problems with exhaustion, waking up every 4 hours to feed my baby. Even at night. Breast milk is like this. The more you feed the baby, the more milk you produce. It will meet the demand of the baby. But both mom and baby have to be patient and relaxed. The milk is released during a reflex action. It happens when mom is relaxed and baby is suckling properly.

My second baby was (and still is) an impatient one. He'd suckle a bit and then give up. It hurt terribly as baby only took in the nipple, not the entire aerola. Thankfully, the breastfeeding consultant in the hospital helped. She coaxed baby to open his mouth wide and take the whole thing in and after that, baby knew how to breast feed.

Even then, sometimes, when the milk was released, it did not trickle, it gushed, choking baby in the process. My baby figured that out. A thinker then, and a thinker now. At a few weeks old, I'd see him suckle a bit to trigger the reflex action and then duck. When the milk slowed to a trickle, he would drink away contentedly.

Earth Mama Angel Baby Breastfeeding Support Kit
Earth Mama Angel Baby

Lansinoh Lanolin for Breastfeeding Mothers
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Lansinoh Breastfeeding Collection, Disposable Nursing Pads
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Baby Magic Calming Baby Lotion, Soft Baby Scent
Baby Magic

Baby Magic Creamy Baby Oil, Soft Baby Scent
Baby Magic

I had to work in the office every day after my 2 month maternity leave was over. To continue breast feeding, I would use a breast pump to express my milk in the toilet to keep the milk flow going.

Every morning, half an hour before going to work, I'd pick up my sleepy baby to breastfeed him. If you wouldn't suckle, then I'd express the milk and refrigerate it for when he wakes up.

Lunch break would be spent gobbling a quick lunch in the office and then hiding in a toilet expressing the milk for the rest lunch break, keeping the milk sealed in bottles, the bottles sealed tightly in a plastic bag, into a box and into the fridge. I would bring an insulated container to and from work everyday to keep the milk cold and preserve it as I bring the milk home from work for the baby's meals the next day.

Breastfeeding requires a lot commitment from mom and baby. It is possible even when mom and the older folks discourage you from it. Baby appreciates it and it is the best for baby. Great for bonding with baby too.

When it comes to getting baby to stop, each baby is different. The first one was easy as when he asked for milk, I offered him a bottle of water which he would eventually take and help himself to it each night.

As I sleep beside my babies when they were small, the second one was much more difficult to wean off. I would refuse to breastfeed him, but he would just help himself. Finally, as a family we managed to talk him out of it.