As much as possible, I try not to pass judgment to those women. After all, I don't know what they're going through. But what I don't understand is why some mothers won't even try. Even when I was still a child, I already dead-set on breastfeeding my future children. This is funny, considering all of us siblings weren't exclusively breastfed. My younger sister was only breastfed for the first two months, I think, and it wasn't even exclusive.
But I knew I would breastfeed because I know it's the best for my baby. This is what I don't understand with some women. Here are some of the common reasons I encounter:
Baby won't latch - Mommy, the baby was used to eating 24/7 when he was still inside the womb. The realization that he actually has to do something to eat is shocking for him. You need to work together, not expect the baby to suck on his own. Practice, practice, and research!
Not enough milk - Newborn babies have a stomach that is just as big as a large calamansi. Can you imagine how small that is? Now, imagine filling it with milk. The newborn baby doesn't need as much milk as you think, mommy. In fact, in the early days of life, they don't even need milk to be full. They only need to suck to feel comfort.
Stress - Mommy, when I gave birth, my baby's father wasn't there. My family didn't want the father to be there. I had to take care of my baby virtually on my own. I spent the first couple of months (yes, 2 months) of my baby's life fighting postpartum depression. On top of that, Y had colic. I stayed in the living room day and night because I barely slept. So don't get me started on stress.
Baby prefers formula milk - Seriously? You think that? I urge you to make yourself a mixture of formula and also pump some breast milk. Taste the difference. Hello? (And yes, I do taste my breastmilk. It's crucial when you pump so that you'll know if the milk is still okay to feed the baby with.)
Inconvenience - Would you rather breastfeed in public, or lug around a huge diaper bag full of formula and bottles and water? And if you run out of water, where will you buy? How will you sterilize it? How can you even travel with your baby, mommy?
Had CS - I had CS. Enough said.
Work - And here's the number one reason why some women won't breastfeed. Work. Mommy, there are a lot of pumps out there. All you need to do is invest on one. Sure, they cost a lot, especially those that are hospital-grade, but cans and cans of formula still cost higher. And they aren't even half as good as breast milk.
Unless you have undergone breast surgery, have infectious and serious disease (like TB), or are undergoing radiation therapy, among other things, I think there's no reason why you won't breastfeed. Heck, even mothers with Hepatitis-C can breastfeed!
Shocking realization: We have this notion that most breastfeeding moms are those who can't afford to buy milk, or those living in remote barrios or something. Now, I am online most of the time, which gives me opportunity to observe some of my Facebook friends who are already moms. I observed that the moms who belong to the upper-middle class and the ones who have high educational attainment are the ones who strive to breastfeed their babies exclusively.
Well, considering the knowledge it takes to breastfeed, the realization may not be that shocking after all.
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| Breastfeeding 5-month old Y in church: excuse the bra straps. |
