Breastfeeding — How I drowned, floated & sailed through it.

I am sharing a series of posts… all out of experience!

I decided to write this (actually post this on Instagram) during Breastfeeding week 2019 — to share my experience — with the hope to help new moms in my own little way.

P.S- I will be happy to help a new mom (even if it’s just talking you through) with your challenges 😇

Breastfeeding was a large large part of my routine day, so here I am sharing a series of posts… all out of the experience!

Part 1: The Assumptions & Struggles 🙌 .

I always wish someone (at least mom or sis) had told me how miserably hard it would be to breastfeed a baby 🤷‍♀️ .

I had no clue…absolutely no clue that a newborn was to be fed every two hours (yes read that again) from my body and I was NOT prepared for it 😌

I assumed breastfeeding would come naturally to me, isn’t that the way of nature else they would teach you right? But no! Both the mom and baby are expected to learn on the job… with zero experience 🙆‍♀️

Have the garlic, have the oats, have the methi… and leave out all the Mangoes… even after that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea to fill bottles of breast milk…but every new mom always puts herself under stress 😓 .

Comparing one mom to another, one baby to another, one menu to another and even one boob to another is a BIG no if someone wants to get close to succeeding at breastfeeding! 🤭

Just hold the baby close to you can chill? Easier said than done! I would suggest every new mom to invest in comfortable clothing & pillows to make at least the position task simpler 😬

In the initial days the lactation experts at @cloudnine_care and the #BSIM group on Facebook gave me the guts to stick to my decision of continuing to breastfeed.

Also a big thank you to my mom’s dedicated support and yummy diet that helped me survive those days! 🤗

Part 2: The Exhaustion & Drama

If you choose to feed you baby breastmilk (any form — includes pumping, expressing, donated BM) you are still a #breastfeeding mom — and most of us go through this phase!🤱

A pumping mother’s best friend is her breast pump! Mine entered the bag even before my phone 😋 but there were days where I forgot a part or two at home and landed in tough situations ( Comment below for details and hacks) 😅

I resorted to pumping for the main reason that Yajur was unable to latch in the beginning (its not uncommon and I don’t blame him at all), some words to describe my experience — Exhausting, Painful & Boring .

Already knows as hitler, my schedules were even more strict with pumping — same time everyday, same duration every time and so on… 🕰 .

Talking from experience, make sure your breast pump is treated with respect — change parts frequently (else you can hurt yourself — happened to me) ; keep it clean and sterilized (else it can affect your output) 😓

Expect added chores of sterilization of bottles, spoons, nipples, pump parts and more. I hated this! 😔

Find ways to keep you going. I used to watch videos of Yajur to get my let down and then happily move to Netflix & Amazon Prime 🤭 (Comment for a watchlist) .

Just like breastfeeding in public is NORMAL, so is pumping! I’ve done it at Traffic Signals too!

Learn how to use a pump, just like breastfeeding this is also an art! Overuse of the pressure buttons or very less pressure can affect the output! 🙇🏼‍♀️.

The best and worst thing about #pumpingmilk is the fact that it can be ‘measured’ — it helps to see how much the little one had so you can plan the next feed sooner or later, but it also plays on your mind about your supply! Remember to trust your body to feed you baby… they know each other 🤗

Do not ever compare two mommies, two pumps or even two boobs! With the exact conditions too your output will vary! But when you do fill those bottles ( mine had no measurements) save pictures for keepsake 📷 .

A big shoutout to my sis for giving me various pumps & bottle-feeding Yajur with my BM 🤗

Part 3- The Ease & Enthusiasm

As you get the hang of breastfeeding you begin focusing on all the benefits versus the challenges!

One advice every new (breastfeeding) mom gets is ‘enjoy this phase’ it gets tougher later! I used to cringe to this! But now I know why! 🙆‍♀️

Breastfeeding makes traveling super easy for everyone — mommy & baby mainly! No drama of spoons and bottles and heaters and more. Ask me how else 15 flights in 12 months with this little one was ever possible 😅

Every cranky night, bored afternoon or unwell morning, my BM has been the ultimate saviour🙌 it has also worked on mosquito bites and rashes! 😬

My favourite way of bonding with Yajur was while breastfeeding him! It was the perfect excuse to keep him all to myself even for those few minutes when the whole world wanted him! I had superpowers of making milk you see 🤷‍♀️

Not sure why my baby was hungry at the weirdest of places (even a sound and light show 😅) but a breastfeeding mom has NOTHING to worry about! The show will go on 🥳 .

While my own perseverance allowed me to reach this lovely phase where I enjoyed breastfeeding, I would love to thank friends (other breastfeeding moms) who talked me through it. 🤗🤗

It is at this phase of my #breastfeeding journey that I started helping other moms overcome similar challenges I faced and lending a ear to their struggles. Because through experience I knew it will only get better! 😇

Part 4 — The Decision & Distance 😌

A breastfeeding mom needs respect — irrespective of how long she feels her lo (2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months or 2 years). And when I say respect it means — no one needs to question that decision. .

A zillion people have a zillion opinions. People assume you stop feeding coz you don’t make any more milk, coz you decide to start working, coz you want to have a drink! Even if one of these is your reason… it shouldn’t bother anyone else right? 🤷‍♀️

When you do make your decision to stop breastfeeding your baby, make sure the decision is yours and your baby’s — talk to the little one (trust me they understand really well) 🥰

Remember it’s different for different babies! Some will easily accept the fact they will no longer get ‘Amma Duddhu’ (like mine) and some will not let go. Have patience and go with the flow (pun intended) 😬

Don’t compare! (A std point in all my posts) with another mom or baby. Trust your baby, your body and your decision. 🤗

Turn a deaf ear to the advices. Being a mom, you will wish nothing but the best for your baby. I ignored the doc’s advice and continued to breastfeed, and I also ignored my mom’s advice when I decided to stop breastfeeding. It was my decision with Yajur’s conscent. 😇

Expect to go through a bout of emotions ( Almost similar to post partum) when you do stop feeding. It’s normal & natural. Remember to care for yourself and make that extra time to bond with the baby 🥰

Im forever grateful to my husband for being extra supportive during my breastfeeding days (he dint interfere in my ways, dint influence my decisions or disturb me — — as he was busy sleeping 😋) He however did help me try different positions (demonstrating himself), rectified my pump issues and bought me a lovely expensive gift for accomplishing the task and took me out to celebrate when the journey ended!🍷

Originally published at https://yajurchronicles.com.