Breastfriends: A Guide to Breastfeeding

As the Breastfeeding Month comes to an end, I’d like to take this opportunity to answer some of the most asked questions that I get from my Facebook Group, Mori Mom Sisterhood on breastfeeding.

If you have been reading my entires for awhile now, you already know that I had a very rough start with breastfeeding. Looking back, I can say that it has caused me to be depressed for a certain season in my life as a mother. In order to recover from it, God used my good friend, Amrit to relay His message which is to not fear because as a  believer of Christ, the enemy has no control over me.

Not being able to feed through my left breast made me feel incompetent and powerless. I had no shirt on, both breasts are out. All she needs to do is suck for the milk to come out but no… For some reason the left breast is just not as good as the right breast. My left breast was already purple in color. My nipples were constantly bleeding. I can no longer move my left arm, the left side of my face is numb. The pain was excruciating but what hurt me the most was not being able to soothe and give the needs of my own baby. Mori’s loud, long and desperate cry for milk kept on echoing in my ear. It broke my heart and in my entire existence, it was the only time that I got so desperate and shouted the name of the Lord in prayer because I felt that He can no longer hear me.

It was around 3 or 4 in the morning, my husband and Mori is sleeping. I thought I’ll go insane. I shouted for help, “Lord! Lord!” It was all I could say. My husband, startled from his deep slumber awoke and consoled me right away by hugging me tightly and praying with me. Looking back to what exactly happend during that night, God actually made a way for me to know that He is right there with me! My newborn could’ve been awaken easily from my cry but she remained peacefully asleep despite my loud cry for help. This is the second time God proved to me that miracles still exists to this very day.

The following day, the Lord answered our prayers. He led me to professionals whom I consider my angels on earth.

The women behind my success in the breastfeeding department:

1. Nurse Joyce Zaragoza-Martinez

Credentials:
– Registered Nurse with Hospital and Community Care Background for 8years
– with Master of Science in Nursing degree major in Maternal and Child Nursing
– Trained and Certified by Healthy Children Project and Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice -USA as “Certified Lactation Counselor” (only those who completed and passed the certification process can use CLC and manage patients)
– Certified by International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners as “International Board Certified Lactation Consultant” (IBCLC)

Nurse Joyce hosts breastfeeding workshops once in awhile. My husband and I attended one of her classes when I was still pregnant. You can contact her through her mobile number or email to know the details of her next breastfeeding class. I highly suggest this workshop to all mommies because all of her insights and advices are on the dot.  Expecting moms will learn a lot from her while those who are currently facing difficulties in breastfeeding can book a one-on-one consultation. Nurse Joyce taught me different breastfeeding positions, positions that are preferred for certain concerns (plugged ducts, lumps etc.) Out of the many people that I hired to help Mori latch, Nurse Joyce was the only person who successful helped me with my breastfeeding problem.

Contact Details:

E-mail: joyce.zaragoza@yahoo.com.ph

Viber or Text: 09176569233

Facebook Group: Best About Breastfeeding For Younglings (B.A.B.Y)

2. Nanay Estella Rivera-Perona

Unlike most mothers who has a problem with low milk supply, mine is the opposite. Because I tend to produce a lot of milk, I am prone to ‘engorgement’ which is a term used when a mother grows lumps or bukol (in filipino slang) in her breast. This is very painful and when not dealt with might immediately lead to ‘mastitis’.  Believe me, you wouldn’t want to experience it! Nanay Estella does lactation massage that is not painful. I repeat, NOT painful. Since I got to experience being massaged in the breast by different lactation massage therapists that claim to be experienced in the said field, I thought that being in pain when they massage my breast is normal when in truth, it isn’t! (Hindi dapat masakit ang lactation massage mga inay!) A good lactation massage therapist is patient, she takes her time by being gentle and slowly applies pressure so that you won’t squirm in pain. Nanay Estella is a master in this field and is praised by lots of moms from my Facebook Group, Mori Mom Sisterhood.

Contact Details:

Text or Call: 09071049670 or 09265494984

Tips for Mothers with Low Milk Supply:

1. Mother’s Milk Tea – available at Healthy Options.

2. Earth Mama Angel Baby Milk Tea – Available at Baby Mama PH.

3. Milk bombs by Bettina Carlos.

My Recommended Breast Pumps:

1. Medela Manual Breast Pump

I bought mine at The Parenting Emporium and I recommend buying it from them instead of getting yours from the department stores because they can help you pick the right size of breast shields so that expressing milk won’t be painful.

2. Spectra S1

It is an electric pump that is given to me by Baby Mama PH. Thanks to their gift, I came to experience the perks of using an electric pump compared to a manual pump. An electric pump is a must for working moms. It makes expressing milk so much easier. There was also a time where I lent my trusted Spectra S1 to a friend of mine who gave birth to her son prematurely. I asked how her experience was since she got to use it more frequently than I did. When she returned it to me, she said she really liked it and will eventually invest on getting from the same brand. Baby Mama PH also has an actual store. Just like The Parenting Emporium, they can assist you in picking the right breast shield size. You may also reach them through their Instagram. They also have a manual pump that is only P900.

The difference of Extended Breastfeeding and Fullterm Breastfeeding:

To simply put it, extended breastfeeding is nursing your child past their first year of life. On the other hand, full term breastfeeding means nursing your child from 2-8 years old. In short, the mother lets the child decide when he or she chooses to no longer feed from the breast.

Why I chose to breastfeed, full term:

The way the Lord designed breastmilk to be is just amazing. It has antibodies that no formula milk could ever imitate. These antibodies help an infant avoid diseases in various ways. With that being said, I hope it gives you an idea on why I am choosing to breastfeed until Mori decides that she no longer wants to. If you come to think of it, our toddlers need our breastmilk even more since as they grow they are more exposed to viruses that can come from different forms. Aside from this, I can really tell that Mori finds my breast comforting. She sleeps better when nestled on my breast. If she gets hurt from playing, gets nervous or scared..there is nothing that my breast cannot fix! Breastfeeding is an instant mood changer. No matter the chaos in the environment, when I offer it to Mori, it gives her the familiarity of calmness which in the ends makes her feel that the world is a peaceful place.

Other tips that may come in handy:

1. Always, always feed on both breasts. During the first 3 months of Mori’s life, I’d wear a ponytail on my wrist so that I’d know which side I last fed.

2. Do not sleep on your side or on your tummy if you are prone to engorgement. You don’t want to put “pressure” in the breast. I happen to have mastered the art of sleeping on my back because when I sleep on my side, I wake up with lumps and plugged ducts!

3. If you have an engorgement, use cold compress.

4. Warm compress stimulates the breast to produce more milk. Never use hot compress, only warm and always finish off with a cold compress when baby is done feeding.

5. Bras with wire on them can cause a breastfeeding mother to have lumps on the breast. This can be painful so invest on a comfortable nursing bra with no wire. If budget is tight, bandeus works great and costs so much cheaper when bought from SM Department Store.

To summarize everything, breastfeeding is a challenging task so prepare and educate yourself. Do not be surprised when your husband takes a photo of you while breastfeeding and the result is hideous when compared to photos that we see online of breastfeeding mothers. It will only be like that in the beginning. It won’t hurt forever and it will get better in the coming months. On my end, at 5 months, the pain when nursing is already very minimal. Now, at 1 year and 1 month even if Mori bites my nipple from time to time it does not hurt anymore! Hahaha! 🙂

Whew! That was a long post, ano? Please share to your friends who are having difficulties in breastfeeding. Be their angel!

Happy Breastfeeding Month!