Tv channel One PH’s mom-oriented talk show, Inay Ko Po, dedicated one of its recent episodes to talk about breastfeeding this Breastfeeding Awareness Month. As many moms are aware, the benefits of breastfeeding include a lower risk for breast and ovarian cancers in women. Jennica Garcia-Uytingco, who co-hosts the show, shared that she believes breastfeeding caused a cyst on her left breast to disappear.
The mom of two first learned about the cyst when she was in fourth-year high school. It was non-cancerous and was not painful, but it was growing in size. Her doctors advised her against having the cyst removed via surgery, and Jennica was afraid of going under the knife as well. But she was then just starting her showbiz career and became conscious about having a visible lump on her breast just above her left areola.
“Alam mo kung paano mo siya nawala? Breastfeeding. Natanggal siya naturally,” the mom of two said. She breastfed older daughter Mori, now 4, for a little over three years.
Jennica’s next thought was that the cyst or its elements were transferred to her baby, but her doctor assured her that it did not. “There is a blockage. Malayo ang cysts kahit na nasaang part pa ‘yan ng iyong breast, that cyst will not transfer to your child,” she said.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWThe mom of two revealed in the talk show that she didn’t exactly rejoice when her breasts grew bigger while she was nursing. Jennica found it challenging to dress with her expanded chest size, so she bought bandeaus to cover up her deepened cleavage. “After breastfeeding, it will go back to its natural shape so talagang ang cup size ko ay bumalik sa dati niyang flat size,” said Jennica.
It’s a common breastfeeding myth that small breasts can only produce low amounts of milk. “Kahit maliit yung breasts mo, mag-a-adjust talaga siya. Kung mas marami yung kinukuha ni baby, mas marami yung ipo-produce [ng breasts mo],” Jennica assured moms. (Read more about breast cup size and milk production here.)
CONTINUE READING BELOWwatch nowThe actress also proudly shared that she was able to do tandem-feeding even with her originally small-sized breasts, and also to show that cup sizes don’t dictate the amount of breast milk a woman produces.
“Maliit po ang suso ko dati, pero nakapagtandem feeding pa po ako. Ibig sabihin, nakapagpasuso po ako ng dalawang bata sa aking suso ng sabay,” Jennica explained. She admitted, however, that she found tandem feeding difficult. (Click here for tips on how to do tandem-feeding successfully.)
Jennica shared that she was able to breastfeed Mori for three years and two months. However, she weaned her younger daughter Alessi from the breast after her first birthday last June. The nursing journey is different for every mom and for every child.
In the episode, the mom of two strongly recommended having breast massages to help stimulate milk production, and reiterated her suggestion to use correctly-fitted nipple shields to control the strong flow of breast milk. Watch the full episode of Inay Ko Po below:
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