Another BF story....

And it has been a while when I last talked on my breastfeeding journey.. I called it ‘journey’ since there are lots of ups and downs…

Well, when I first got pregnant, I’ve equipped myself with breastfeeding knowledge… but deep inside, I’ve always thought that BF is a natural thing between a mother and a baby… a “plug n play” thingy.. easy….

WRONG!!!

Breastfeeding is a learning process between a mother and a baby.. and it requires a lot.. and I mean A LOTTTT of effort…… and that is why I truthfully respect mothers who could BF their babies up tilll 2 years.. or more… not to mention who successfully EXCLUSIVELY BF … lagi la haku tabik…

Dalam surat Al Baqarah [2]: 233 disebutkan, "Para ibu hendaklah menyusukan anak-anaknya selama dua tahun penuh, yaitu bagi yang ingin menyempurnakan penyusuan."

I would say I felt pity to the babies who did not get from their mothers.. Personally I would feel less motherly if I don’t give the best to my baby… and it is really heart breaking when some of the mothers “decided” not to BF their babies, even b4 the baby is borned.. no offence, anybody… unless there’s a great excuse not to BF a baby, then I would 100% support working mothers to exclusively BF their babies.. and that’s the main reason why the request for a lactation room in MI*C came up… (thank you ayang who gave full support on this…!! *_* )

I’ve personally heard a lot of.. I’d say…”unacceptable” excuses not to BF… These 3 are the most frequent one…

-“sakit….”
-“leceh”
-“takde tempat nak perah”

I don’t say BF for me is easy… I cried when the midwife massaged me, since the milk wont came out in the 1st week of confinement….I had blisters on my nipples when I just started… Bleeding… Kulit terkopek2… Can you imagine how painful it was… And I was always in tears when Lya started to suck my milk… and I was stomping my feet when she’s sucking on them, and I cried… It was that painful… But it gets easier in time….

When Lya was 3 months old, she refused to be BF when I came back for a 2 days outstation, because my milk supply decreased tremendously.. My MIL kept asking me to give her formula milk… since Lya was continuously crying.. and she couldnt bear to let her cried... but I chose to be “temporary deaf”.. I just listened to Along, instead… I let Lya cried because I know if I stop BF her.. then my milk would decrease more.. and it would be permanently stop… That was what Along experienced.. and mind you.. she had 4 children, and the 4th child is the one that she’s successful of exclusive BF…

I became known to hotel workers when I attended a 2 days course, just because I asked to store my milk in hotel’s refrigerator during the 2 days duration course… (I brought my ice pack… but I felt more confidence the milk is not contaminated when they are kept in a freezer rather than in my cooling bag)

I became known to the office where I attended a 1 week course in Singapore.. when I requested a place to pump out my milk… and a place to store them…

I pumped out my milk, whenever I can, at the aiport, even at my seat in a flight back to KL, when the flight was delayed, and my breast became engorged and painful.. I did that because once I skip a session, the result would be.. my milk supply started to decrease again.. and it takes time to ‘recover’…The airport workers were confused when I brought milk stock but there was no baby.. took me a while to explain to them…

I ate everything that could increase my milk supply… and at one time, I became gemuk gile.. hahaaa.. now I’m still gemuk.. but hey… I managed to lost few kgs last ramadhan.. without affecting my milk supply…! Hehehe…. But now I think I’m gaining back.. haha…

I brought my pumping equipment bag ke hulu ke hilir at the office twice a day.. and being called as ‘beg pramugari’…. Lantaklah…..

Those are few of my breastfeeding experience…. I am no expert in BF.. learning.. still and always am….. thank you to my friends.. (esp Ati.. & Neny.. ) whom always be my friends in need when it comes to BF.. hehehe..

Oh wow.. turned out this was a lil bit long entry… It’s 2 o’clock now.. gtg…

Oh.. here's a pix of our lactation room.. a small one.. but hey.. this is just a start... as long as it has all that a nursing mother requires.. especially a sink and a referigerator.. it is okay... yup.. just okay...

blurr la pulak gambo nih....