Breastfeeding Sisters

Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (July).  For this month, we join the National Nutrition Council - Department of Health in celebrating Nutrition Month with the theme "Isulong ang Breastfeeding - Tama, Sapat at EKsklusibo!" Participants will share their experiences in promoting breastfeeding or their tips on how breastfeeding should be promoted.  Please scroll down to the end of this post and check out the other carnival participants.

In our family, breastfeeding is the norm rather than the exception.  My sisters and I produced three kids, all born in 2010. Coincidence? No. It's probably God's way of letting the world know that our bountiful milk supply is not just for each other, but for sharing to the rest of the world as well. You will probably see us in the mall nursing together. We are walking breastfeeding advertisements.

As a breastfeeding tripod, we influence each other to breastfeed. We call each other when one is down, or are having problems breastfeeding. We nurse each other's kids when the need arises. We have breastfeeding powow sessions wherein we discuss everything under the sun, over glasses of juice. We laugh, we cry, and we discuss all things possible over breastfeeding. Our kids know each other really well too as they share their respective mommy's milk.

Breastfeeding is really a good conversation starter. I have started conversations with breastfeeding moms in the most mundane of places -- bus stops, inside jeepneys, LRT, and doctor's waiting rooms. Most especially Starbucks.

Us sisters share milk to those who need it. We're a text, or a Facebook message or a call away. We cannot count how many children who collectively benefited from our milk.

How do we let the world know about breastfeeding?

1) Be an expert.

There are a lot of breastfeeding support groups -- La Leche League, Breast Friends, Breastfeeding Club, LATCH, Medela Moms. You can share breastfeeding experiences and ask questions about breastfeeding and parenting. There are also online resources that can help you out.

2) Breastfeed in in public.

I am a proud tandem public nurser. My kids rival that of a 1985 unmaintained Toyota (do you know how noisy it is?!) when they need to nurse. Everybody knows when my kids want to nurse because of the ruckus they create. Like what I said, this happens to be a great conversation starter again.

3) Influence though knowledge.

I have influenced other mommies in my office  to breastfeed. I am a proud mother hen to mommies who tell me about their breastfeeding relationships.

To my sisters, it has been a wonderful ride. Let us continue to share our blessings.

To the babies who made us realize our purpose, bottoms up little ones.

To the moms who need breastmilk, we are still here. As long as we produce milk, we will continue to give it.

Breastmilk is like water. It is free. It is our life.

Do check out the different carnival participants as well:

Three Ways I Promote Breastfeeding by Example by Dainty Mom (@Dainty_Mom)

A Simple Breastfeeding Campaign by The Lazy Mama (@TheLazyMama)
I Am A Breastfeeding Mom by The Painter's Wife (@PaintersWifePH)

Why I Don't Nurse in Breastfeeding Rooms by Legally Mom (@legallymomPH)

W-u-r-r-w-u-r-r-w-u-r-r by Martha de Lusong (@frannie17) hosted by Jen CC Tan's MomExchange (@next9baby)

The Low-Milk-Supply Mommy Did It! by The Odyssey of Dinna 

Breastfeeding Promotion Tips from a Formula Feeder (Yes, you read that correctly...) by The Fearless Formula Feeder (@FormulaFeeder)

On Promoting Breastfeeding by ImPerfectly Created (@imperfectlyours)

Milk Mama Diaries 3 by MimmaBenz (@benzcorana)

Breastfeeding Mama by canDIshhh

I *heart* Breastfeeding by The Mum Side (@rachelcrz)

Spreading the Word on Breastfeeding by My Mommy Kuwentos

A Breastfeeding Formula-Fed Mother by Touring Kitty (@touringkitty)

Breastfeeding: Promoting It Even If I Didn't Get Lucky The First Time Around by Glamma Momma (Mommy Erl's Online Diary)

I am your breastfeeding friend by Changing Nappies in High Heels (@lilly_pad)
Thoughts of a LactatING Counselor: Breastfeeding is More of Psychology! by HandyMommy
Taking Breastfeeding Further by Mec as Mom (@delisyus)
Breastfeeding Promotion - A View from a UK Doctor by Good Enough Mummy
Celebrating my Magic Milk by Denise Gonzales (@deelirious)

More Breastfeeding Promotion Plus a Guest Post by Chronicles of a Nursing Mom (@mamababylove).  Guest post by Shaps Lim (@cromartielove)

I Love My Mojitos, Yes I Do

I started singing this ditty to wake the little ones  every morning. Works everytime. For some reason, that made up song makes them wake up with a smile.

As a mother, one needs to be creative and think out of the box to make children learn and understand things. I brought them, yes, including the baby, to different places - Museo Pambata, Enchanted Kingdom, even the movie houses. I even let them roll in the grass and play in the rain. I let them eat dirt, let them scrape their knees, bump their heads (not too much though), let them hear loud sounds and smell poop. That way, even at their tender ages, they experience good and bad things.

I'm not a creative person. I read magazines to keep abreast of new things. The most creative things I did?

Here are some:
1) I assembled a walker -- BY MYSELF, an achievement because I DO NOT assemble things. I read the manual. Next stop, build a house.
2) I baked a cake, again BY MYSELF. Thanks to Maya Oven Toaster Cake. My daughter said I am the best baker in the world.
3) I brought star stamps in National. I had stars of every imagineable color on my arm. My daughter had fun naming the colors. Plus she told me I deserve stars because I am a good mommy.

More things to do! This is the life.

Tandem Nursing is a Choice

I have been nursing for almost four years, and yes, still going at it. I'm a proud tandem breastfeeder. =) In fairness, I am proud to have nourished my kids for a long time!

Yes, I have been receiving second looks in malls -- from people not admiring my breasts, mind you, when I breastfeed my little ones. Rather than stare right back at each and every person, I just smile and coo at my little ones.

Tandem nursing is a choice. My OB asked me to stop nursing when I became pregnant with my second little one, however, I CHOSE not to. I have read books and asked around, that tandem nursing is possible. I did not regret it.

Bottoms up little ones.

AHA Moments with My Family

I learn something new about my family everyday.

I learned the cries of my son -- he has a separate cry when he's feeling hot, hungry, uncomfortable, made poopy and if he just wants to cuddle.

I learned how my daughter grows everyday -- she now knows how to do bubbles in the pool, do flutter kicks, how she argues with me (she wins a lot of times), how she cries when she's jealous and how she keeps quiet when thinking.

I learned that cooking gelatin for my husband revived his childhood memories. When I presented the gelatin to him, he brightened up and looked at me while playing Playstation. (he never looks at me when he's playing NBA).

I made the right decision.

My Own Kangaroo Care Experience

My son had a difficult time sleeping today. He would wake up at the slightest creak and cry his lungs out. Probably because his two front teeth are about to erupt. My trusted manzanilla, my solution to problems that cannot be solved, could not do its usual trick.

What I did was take off my shirt, took off his shirt, and hugged him close to me. He started calming down. This is known as kangaroo care, similar to kangaroo pouches. Kangaroo care was started in Colombia where premature babies are born in the most primitive of conditions.

When a child is born premature, he is whisked into the NICU, wherein a drop in normal levels (blood, fluids, etc) would mean very loud beeping sounds. The baby needs its mother to calm him down. In the kangaroo care philosophy, the baby, only in diapers, would be placed under the shirt of the mommy, and they would be "skin to skin". The baby then mimics the breathing of the mommy.

All babies, regardless if premature of not, can benefit from skin to skin contact.

Call it mothers' touch. Call it skin to skin contact. My son slept through the night because he was literally enveloped in my used shirt. Motherhood at its best.

On Jeepneys and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

With my last day at work less than a week old, our family has started making adjustments. What was formerly a dual income household has become a single income household. Some adjustments that we have done so far: leaving the car at home, letting go of one yaya, and riding public transportation.

Jeremy rode a jeep today. With me. I would not want to do it again. Why?

1) She used the railings as monkey bars -- and the jeep was full.
2) She shouted, "Mommy, open my laptop please!" because she wanted to listen to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. -- at full volume --- again with the jeep full.
3) She repeatedly pressed  the string that lights when somebody wanted to go down.
4) She placed the fare of others passengers inside  my bag.  She thought that everybody was giving her money.
5) She said "Babay everybody!" when we alighted from the jeep.

On second thought,  I would ride with her again. Just to see what mishap will she do next time.

Milk Maid Mommy

I went to Philippine Children's Medical Center (PCMC) to donate about 200 ounces of milk. Here goes...

I placed the milk inside a big cooler.  My daughter was alarmed when she saw me put down my milk from the freezer. She told me that it was her baby brothers' milk.  I told her that many sick babies will be happy when they drink my milk.  I could see the pride in my three year old daughter's eyes after I said those words.

My daughter wanted to come with me to PCMC. I was worried that the milk will melt. It was  a good thing that the crew suggested we put newspaper inside the cooler. The cooler housed two big bags of ice from 7-11. We placed the  milk, and then covered them with newspaper to regulate the temperature. Instant thermal bag! That would have to do, because I could not find any dry ice.

The travel from Taytay to PCMC took about 45 minutes.  The nurses were very accommodating. I just filled out the required forms. A daddy was there, and he was very thankful to me. Eventhough his premature baby cannot get my milk yet (it would have to be pasteurized first) he told me that there should be more mommies like me. =)

By the way, if you're going to donate milk, PCMC requires a Hepa B and an HIV blood test, plus an Xray.

I nourished my babies with my milk alone. Now I'm going to help babies SURVIVE with my milk.

Bottoms up little ones.