The Truth About Breastfeeding...

Came across this article on "The Truth About Breastfeeding" and decided to share my thoughts and feedback on this since I've been breastfeeding for 11 months plus now.

I do hope to breastfeed for as long as I can. Feel free to share your thoughts on this! :D

(*Note: Image taken from http://www.breastfeedingmomma.com/breastfeedingquotescomic.htm)

* The feelings of pride and achievement that breastfeeding gives you. You look at your growing baby and think: I did that, I am feeding that wonderful little person all by myself.
(My thoughts with 11mths and counting experience in BF-ing: Oh yes!!! I am VERY VERY proud of my breastfeeding... and my ability to breastfeed! And of course, the perseverance and never give up and don't bother with what other people say attitude... Everyday I look at my ever active lil' monster and I tell myself... he is so strong and healthy thanks to me and of course, God's blessing and protection!)

* It can take a while – longer than bottle feeding. Think of it as bonding time for you and baby, and valuable rest time for you. Those moments cradling your baby to your breast will never leave you. Breastfeeding is the stuff memories are made of.
(My thoughts with 11mths and counting experience in BF-ing: Seriously speaking, during the first month, it takes about half hour for each feeding session, and I feed on demand, normally every 2-3 hours. The interval gets closer during Ben's growth spurts which is when he was 1, 2, 3, 6 and 9 months old. From 6 mths old onwards, Ben usually feeds within 5-10 minutes. I don't think its slower than bottle feeding... and do note that I DO NOT NEED TO BURP my baby after feeding! :D)

* It will probably hurt at first. As you get breastfeeding established, the let-down reflux can be knee-crunchingly painful, like a sharp stabbing sensation. This pain should not last more than a couple of moments; if it does, your baby may be incorrectly latched on.
(My thoughts with 11mths and counting experience in BF-ing: Seriously again, I never had any problems breastfeeding Ben. He latched on immediately after I delivered him and had no problems at all. Of course I had to say that during the first 2 weeks my nipples were a bit sore due to the initial getting used to feeding frequently and on demand)

* Milk squirts out surprisingly fast and powerfully. Make sure you have a muslin or hand towel close by to catch any excess.
(My thoughts with 11mths and counting experience in BF-ing: Oh yes... I found out about this after a spraying episode in the church's baby room... I was just having my let-down and Ben pulled away suddenly, the sight of the milk squirting out fast and everywhere scared the heck out of me cos I wasn't expecting a jet stream of milk spraying at all directions... and to think all this goes to my boy who is innocently and quietly gulping it down as if it's normal!)

* You may find it hard to get your baby to take a bottle later on – what’s the attraction of a plastic teat when you could enjoy sucking on a sweet-smelling nipple?
(My thoughts with 11mths and counting experience in BF-ing: Since I'm a SAHM, I don't bother with the bottle anymore. Of course, during the 1 month when I had to serve my resignation notice we had to rely on bottle to feed my breastmilk to Ben but again, he has no problems with the bottle as well except on the 1st day when I returned back to work and this is only because he misses his mummy's sweet smelling nipples :P)

* The thirst of a breastfeeding woman knows no bounds. Stay hydrated by keeping a bottle of water to hand at all times.
(My thoughts with 11mths and counting experience in BF-ing: I have always been drinking very little, even now... but I do noticed I eat and eat and eat and still stay thin. So much that I'm thinner than before I got pregnant. And this sickens me cos I really want to put on back some flesh on my skeletal body...)

* Your diet affects the taste of your breast milk. Some babies are very accommodating, while others may protest if you go heavy on the chillies.
(My thoughts with 11mths and counting experience in BF-ing: So far, I don't have any problems with my diet.. since I eat like a hippo but I do noticed sometimes Ben gets eczema when I have my dose of nasi lemak which is one of my favourite dish - I'm suspecting the eczema is caused by the chilli mixture)

* Breastfed babies have much less stinky nappies than bottle-fed babes.
(My thoughts with 11mths and counting experience in BF-ing: Yes! Agree!!! I know cos my mum used to care for my formula-feeding niece during work days while my bro and sis in law go to work)

* Breastfeeding isn’t forever. If you’re finding broken nights and long day-feeds a chore, remind yourself that this is a very short period in your and your child’s life. Even if you manage to breastfeed for a year, you will soon have forgotten about the temporary inconvenience.
(My thoughts with 11mths and counting experience in BF-ing: At night since day 1, I dreamfeed Ben and he co-sleeps with us, so no problems at all... )

* Breastfeeding means not having to worry about sterilising, heating and cooling milk while your baby screams her head off, or going out for the day armed with feeding paraphernalia.
(My thoughts with 11mths and counting experience in BF-ing: Totally agree! But I do get the baby-screams-his-head off nowadays when I was slow in preparing his solids... :P)

* Don’t be afraid to seek help. Ask other mums about their experiences to get the real picture about breastfeeding. Find out the phone number of a local breastfeeding counselor and keep it on hand in case you need support or advice.
(My thoughts with 11mths and counting experience in BF-ing: Yes, I love to share my experience and whatever I can to support BF-ing mums-to-be. When I was pregnant, I surfed the Net gathering as much info I could on BF-ing, asked among colleagues and relatives who have experiences in BF-ing, attended ante-natal class, read many many baby books and magazines. )

* Taking baby abroad? You don’t need to worry about the availability of local milk supplies if you are doing it yourself. Breastfeeding in a hot climate keeps your baby perfectly hydrated and helps boost her immune system so she’s less likely to fall ill.
(My thoughts with 11mths and counting experience in BF-ing: Yes! So agree! We don't have to lug around baby feeding equipments or worry about sterilising those equipments in strange places...)

* Worried about breastfeeding in public? Don’t be. Breastfeeding should be - and can be - a public non-event. A delicately draped muslin, scarf or coat can make it a totally private event. Once you’ve established breastfeeding and feel that you know what you’re doing, there’s really no reason why you can’t breastfeed anywhere. Don’t feel you have to retire to a public toilet to feed your baby if you’d rather be sitting in a café drinking a cup of tea.
(My thoughts with 11mths and counting experience in BF-ing: Well, here in Malaysia, the newer shopping malls are equipped with baby feeding rooms so, no worries about having to feed in toilets. Of course there is one time I had to BF at the corner of this top floor in the shopping plaza as there's no feeding rooms available and I don't want to hog the toilet cubicle or the baby changing cubicle due to hygiene reasons... You can also read my baby room reviews if you like.)

* You don’t have to completely cut out alcohol just because you’re breastfeeding. You’ve already spent nine months or so on the wagon – treating yourself to the odd drink here and there will not harm your breastfeeding baby. But having a heavy night’s drinking might leave you dehydrated and reduce your milk supply so it’s probably best not to go too mad.
(My thoughts with 11mths and counting experience in BF-ing: Luckily I don't drink at all so no loss there...)

So there you have it... me sharing my experiences with my 11 mths and counting on the truth about breastfeeding. You can read my previous post on:
* How Do I Make My Breastfeeding Works?
* What Happened During My Maternity Leave?
* He Ain't Heavy...
* Alternatives usage for your breast milk...
* Common Breastfeeding Myths
* Benefits of Breastfeeding