One of the things I have looked forward to upon giving birth was breastfeeding. There was never any doubt in my mind that breast milk is nature's perfect food. Nothing could ever replace the benefits that breast milk could give to one's baby. And so, within 24 hours from giving birth, i attempted to breast feed. IT HURT LIKE *($#)&%@)!!!
No book could ever describe how much it hurt the first few days.
But no book also described how good the feeling breastfeeding gave to a mom who breastfeeds.
Whenever I see my baby get heavier each month and looking healthier and more beautiful, I could not help but be in awe that God gave me such a beautiful gift and God created such a perfect food for my little angel.
So when I came back to work, I never hesitated to bring my trusty breast pump ( which was formerly my sister's) with me to work. Every couple of hours or so, I express milk and store them inside little canisters and put them inside the freezer. My guilt for leaving my baby without his mommy beside him the whole day is lessened because I know, when I get home, I have something for him to enjoy - frozen breast milk!
I also have a lot of spare milk that my baby could not finish off. This I donate to a relative's baby, whose mommy does not have breast milk. I usually "donate" about 12 ounces every weekend.
I did this until my baby is about eight months old. Milk production is indeed lessened if the baby does not regularly suckle on the breast (the pump can't empty the breasts of milk unlike a baby's sucking). So my baby is now into mixed feeding - formula plus breastmilk whichever is available.
So for now, good bye pump, but I still breastfeed whenever I am home.
I hope all mommies who just gave birth have lots of breastmilk to share. I also wish all babies have mommies who are willing to sacrifice a lot of things just to breastfeed.
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