Why I Choose the Best: My Breastfeeding Story

When my husband and I found out I was pregnant with our first child, we were still based in Timor Leste as lay missionaries. We were overjoyed and not a bit overwhelmed, as we had only been married three months when I started having pregnancy symptoms — nausea, dizziness, aversion to certain smells and food, among others.

At that time, we had very limited Internet access and there were no bookstores selling books on pregnancy, childbirth and parenting. I felt a bit clueless as to what I was supposed to do as a first-time mom so I was basically just “going with the flow,” trusting my instincts and “listening” to my body. This went on until, as fate would have it, we were evacuated out of Timor when I was five months pregnant because of civil unrest there.

Once we got to Manila, I went for a thorough check-up with an OB-gyne recommended by friends. I also bought a few books on pregnancy and childbirth. It was in those books that I first read about breastfeeding and its benefits to both mother and child. I remember saying to myself then that I would do my best to breastfeed our baby.

We returned to Timor when I was seven months pregnant even while the situation was still unstable. When I gave birth to our son, it was one of the most surreal, beautiful experiences. The midwife immediately placed him on my chest and brought him to latch onto my breast. It hurt initially but I didn’t care. I was nourishing my baby with my body, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world!

I would eventually overcome the “obstacles” of cracked nipples, mastitis and initial apprehension from my well-meaning mother (who has since become pro-breastfeeding) to breastfeed our son until he was two years and four months. I only stopped because I was already pregnant with our second child, and although I wanted to try tandem nursing, the nipple soreness became unbearable for me. Really, I envy the moms who are able to nurse throughout pregnancy!

When our second child was born, still in Timor Leste, I thought breastfeeding would be easier for me. I didn’t expect that our little girl would have such a hard time latching on to me.  Still, I persevered with the support of my mom and my husband, and breastfed our daughter beyond three years — again stopping only because I was pregnant.

I’m still breastfeeding our third child as of this writing. She’s three months old now and I hope to nurse her for as long as I can, just like her two older siblings. Ironically, the beginning of our breastfeeding journey was the rockiest of all due to inconsistencies in the hospital where she was born here in Manila (you can read about it here).

Related story: Moms Benefit from Breastfeeding Too

Related story: Breastfed Babies 24 Percent More Likely to Have a Higher Social Status

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Yes, breastfeeding can be challenging but definitely worth it. Let me share with you some of my reasons for choosing to nurse my children and give them what I believe to be the “best start” in life:

• I believe God made our bodies for a specific reason — for us women, it’s to bear and nurture life. Our breasts are there to nourish our children, plain and simple.

• There are SO many benefits to breastfeeding — both for the baby and the mother — I would have to write a completely different article just to enumerate them!

In fact, a study published on July 30, 2013 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics suggests that breastfed babies perform better on intelligence tests later on in life. The study, led by Dr. Mandy Belfort, a neonatologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, showed that the benefit was most significant in babies who were exclusively breastfed for the first six months. Isn’t this a great reason — among others — to pursue nursing our babies?

• Breastfeeding became one reason for my husband and I to grow closer to each other. His support and encouragement were crucial during the initial days of nursing our children, and it became just one more reason to appreciate him as a partner in life and parenthood.

• Although I know that many moms who formula-fed their babies can also say the same, I’d like to think that breastfeeding helped me bond more with my babies. At the same time, I was/am able to provide them with the best “food” during the early years of their lives.

While not all mothers can breastfeed their babies and have different beliefs and opinions on the topic, I’d like to encourage all expecting moms and even moms who have given up breastfeeding to pursue it (there’s such a thing as re-lactation for those who have stopped or did not try breastfeeding). And to those moms who chose to breastfeed against all odds, cheers to us!

Happy Breastfeeding Awareness Month to all!

Reference:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/breastfed-babies-smarter-study-finds/storynew?id=19807844

Image from un.org