Happy World Breastfeeding Week 2017!

Every year, World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every first week of August.

I’ve already breastfed three children. That would be at least seven years of breastfeeding because all of my children breastfed from me for more than two years.

My eldest breastfed for his first two years of life. Then, when he was almost five years old, he decided that he wanted to breastfeed again. Thus, I tandem-fed my eldest and my second child. I breastfed my second child until I was pregnant with my third child. I only stopped because I was suffering from severe vomiting which lasted until my second trimester. Currently, I’m still breastfeeding my third and youngest child. He’s now two years old and eight months!

Let me share the TOP 3 Lessons I learned from breastfeeding my three children over the years.

#1 The first few weeks are the hardest.

I mentioned that I have already breastfed three children. You probably think that I no longer had breastfeeding challenges with the last two. You’re wrong. I still experienced difficulties in breastfeeding my two younger children during the first few days and weeks after giving birth. I still experienced sore nipples. It’s just that this time around, I knew better what to do as soon as I felt that my nipples were becoming sore.

When I felt some lumps on my breast, I already knew that I had to change the baby’s position and use his chin to help dissolve those lumps. I also knew that warm compress can help the milk flow better and prevent these from recurring. This leads to lesson #2.

#2 It gets easier over time.

I first learned this when I breastfed my eldest child. Thus, when I was going through difficulties with my second and third child, I knew better. I knew from experience that after I survive the first few weeks, things would be easier for me and my child. We would find our rhythm. My milk supply would be enough. My baby would be able to latch better. My baby would sleep longer and I can sleep longer, too. Knowing all these things helped me endure.

I knew that once the baby starts eating solid food, it would be so much easier because he will not be dependent solely on my milk for nourishment. So, I knew that I only needed to soldier on during the first six months and it would be “a breeze” after that.

#3 It’s never easy to wean a child.

I didn’t have this problem when I weaned my eldest. I simply told him before he turned two years old that he will stop breastfeeding when he turns two years old. True enough, after his second birthday, I talked to him and reminded him that he can’t breastfeed anymore. He just accepted it. It must be because he was already mix-feeding by then. Unlike his two younger brothers who were purely breastfed.

It was heartbreaking when I weaned my second child. He wasn’t ready. We were both crying. He was even wailing sometimes when my husband would bring him away from me. I felt bad for him but I was feeling very weak from constant vomiting. I simply didn’t have enough energy. I was also in danger of dehydration. I had to protect myself and the baby inside me. It was difficult because he didn’t like any other milk then. He cried for weeks. Eventually, he would cry for shorter periods. He would also be comforted by simply lying down next to me or touching my breasts while hugging me.

When my third child came out, there were times when my second child would breastfeed also with the baby. I just let him. I know that it was not anymore for nourishment. It was mainly for comfort and assurance that he’s still loved by me. Eventually, he stopped breastfeeding and self-weaned.

My third child doesn’t want to wean yet. He’s almost three years old and I really want to wean him already. His teeth are sharp and it hurts a lot when he gets to bite me, especially when he’s dozing off. I hope to wean him completely when he turns three years old. I’ve been talking to him already and explaining to him that he shouldn’t breastfeed often anymore because he needs to eat more solid food. I try to limit his nursing sessions to sleeping times and nap times. But he still looks for me every morning to nurse first thing in the morning. I still try to limit these times so he would eat more solid food during breakfast.

In truth, weaning is not only difficult for the child. It’s also difficult for the mother. I cherished and still cherish those days when my nursing children would say at night that their high point is breastfeeding. As they grow older and spend more time playing and doing other things, they add more activities or moments to their high points but breastfeeding is still on top of their answers. So, I missed hearing this from my second child when he stopped breastfeeding from me. But I was glad that I had those moments with him.

I continue to savor these moments with my youngest. I know it’ coming to an end soon. It could be this year.

Breastfeeding is not for the faint of heart. I went through a lot of challenges. But it’s all worth it! I have seen and continue to see the fruits of my efforts and sacrifices for my children. Truly, like the title of one of my books, breastfeeding is a journey worth taking!

If you are also a mother and you are going through breastfeeding challenges, I invite you to check out my book. I wrote it especially for moms who need inspiration, encouragement and who need relevant information on breastfeeding. I wrote it to help mothers succeed in achieving their breastfeeding goals.

Whatever is your background, I’m confident that you can relate to my books because this book is also a compilation of success stories of women who breastfed their children from different walks of life. Some were stay-at-home moms. Some were work-at-home moms. Others were working moms. There were also mompreneurs. My message is that YOU can succeed whatever is your situation or background.

You can buy a copy through our online shop here for only P499 or through Amazon. We have an ongoing promotion. Those who buy print copies this month of August get FREE Moringana malunggay capsules. I had been taking these capsules while breastfeeding my kids and I can attest that this lactagogue has been helpful to me.

Cheers to all breastfeeding moms!