Breastfeeding Thoughts and Issues

A friend floated a question in her FB if it's just a matter of semantics, or if breastfeeding is really different from giving expressed breast milk.

The short answer is YES and NO, really.

YES... they're different. Breastfeeding supposedly offers nourishment needed at that exact moment, in perfect quantity and composition. Plus, it offers touch therapy, helps regulate baby's heartbeat as it synchronizes with her Mom's and lends itself to attachment parenting. And you lose the antibodies in the breast milk when you freeze it.

YES... because it's generally a dance only a mother and child can do, a very intimate experience.

NO... because expressing breast milk requires time and energy, and therefore sacrifice. It's how working Moms bond with their child during the day, by doing the pumping work in the middle of deadlines and demanding bosses.

Some mothers breastfeed but do not do so lovingly.

Some mothers express milk but do not do so lovingly.

Some malnourished kids, sick kids, kids with special conditions have benefitted from wet nursing and breastmilk donations.

Hands down, breast milk is superior to formula. But I think breastfeeding cannot be limited to just direct feeding since its magic really stems from the sacrifice it rquires, from the giving of oneself it requires.

No Cable TV in Future

Hubby was proposing that we look into a cable plan for better reception than the one we're enjoying, but he then realized that it could wait till we've found our own place.

Well, I blasted his plans by saying that i'd really like to minimize television time for our kids and do not want to get cable next year, wherever we may live. I did tell him he can still go read tv reviews for a new purchase of an lcd tv, should he still want one, since our kids can still watch videos (educational). Just no cable TV anymore that's so handy and regular that Mommy lets it babysit.

I can still change my mind, I know. But really, since we can pretty much download everything and Google everything, we don't NEED a TV anymore.

Artistic Momma

Hubs found me learning something from Photoshop. I was actually trying to learn to create porcelain masks and it took me the better part of two hours to even come up with a nice layout. My right hand was absolutely tired from all that editing I had to do! Some nights, hubs would wake to see me making sense of digiscrapping kits in my laptop, organizing them and deleting stuff I won't ever use. He's even asked me if we need a new desktop anymore or should we invest in custom usb drives or another hard disk already. I told him we just need a new CD burner but that I am resigned to letting the desktop go soon. I sincerely doubt our kids would be learning computing with desktops anyway.

I just really hope I can finally make some leaps and bounds in Photoshop since it's been over 5 years already since I first started learning it. I really should know more about it now.

Of Strong, Struggling Moms

Krissy is currently pregnant like I am, and due this December. Her firstborn, Anya, is currently confined at Asian Hospital for pneumonia and we've all been appealing for prayers for their family for Baby Anya.

Normally, though pneumonia is serious even for adults, there won't be such a plea for prayers. But Anya has many conditions, like lissencephaly, which makes pneumonia a number one enemy. She has been losing weight when she needs to be gaining at least 4 kilos asap. We're praying for no more complications and a strong fighting spirit for her... and her parents.

I cannot imagine how it is to be Krissy right now, pregnant and scared. Not only does she have to take care of herself and her unborn, she also needs to be with Anya to help her fight.

I told hubs, maybe that's why I'm dreaming of them a lot... because again, I never realized how lucky I've been to be pregnant with a healthy firstborn. It takes all of my wits already to just manage each day, so I really can't imagine how hard it must be for my friend.

But Krissy is prayerful... I know things are hard for her but I know her faith keeps her strong and sane. But please, do offer a prayer with us for Baby Anya and her family. Thank you.

Anxieties Over This Second Pregnancy

I really believe that I my anxieties over pursuing a VBAC are really far more stressful than looking for a new house, or checking out cheap car insurance.

I admit, the most enticing thing about a VBAC now is that it will save us money. For a one-income family, this is not a joke.

The savings can be used for my second-born's baptism instead of us having to use hubby's Christmas bonus for that, and be really down to zero (well, not really zero, but you know what I mean).

But there is also that fact that since I advocate breastfeeding, I really should be more welcoming of labor and try avoid any tampering with my body.

But I am scared of labor. And my first delivery was a great CS experience. I actually cannot relate with what other women complain about. I mean sure, I get twinges of pain and all but nothing that really bothers me enough to even warrant a Plurk alert. I felt I recovered pretty well and the CS didn't pose any breastfeeding challenge for me. It was easy.

And then there's the fact that if my VBAC attempt fails, we'd still have CS and it will cost us more. I don't want to regret ever having tried VBAC and wasting more of my husband's money. Plus, all the complications a failed VBAC invites! Ugh.

I am praying for a sign. For courage to believe in my body's capacity, not just to carry a child but also to bear it, in the same way I believed I could nourish a baby. For wisdom to know when to quit while am ahead. For my heart to be in the right place.

Mom's Purest Love at Eastwood City Mall

Hello Breast Friends,

Hi Friends and Countrymen,

I'd like to personally invite you to a LATCH/Eastwood event this Sunday Aug 8 :-) This month is World Breastfeeding Month and my breastfeeding advocacy group LATCH has been working with Megaworld to help celebrate the occasion. We've been having activities this whole week, starting with the launch of the breastfeeding room and a photo exhibit. Right now, there is an ongoing mommy marketplace selling baby stuff and breastfeeding-friendly merchandise.

The culminating event is on Sunday and we prepared a great line up of activities!

Kindly see attached photos...they are evites to the various activities that will happen on Sunday.
Here's a quick look at the schedule:
1-2 pm Talk on Breastfeeding and Babywearing by LATCH
3-3:30 Yoga demonstration by Jornada Yoga
3:30-4:00 Cooking Demonstration by CCA
4:00-4:30 Make-Up demo by Face Shop
4:30 pm A celebrity fashion show featuring Bianca Araneta-Elizalde's maternity/nursing line called Eden. The children will be dressed in Periwinkle and Baby Fashionista. Accessories by Tweetie de Leon.




I hope you can help us in raising awareness about the breastfeeding culture we are trying to promote :-) Hope to see you there! Thanks again.

Sincerely,
-----


*LATCH stands for Lactation, Attachment, Training, Counseling and Help

Two and Half Months To Go

I was officially 24 weeks yesterday and now have two and a half months to go till I give birth again... be a Mom of two. Technically, I should have three more months but since I was a CS before, I really should be giving birth earlier.

Constipation is back with a vengeance and my insomnia is worse. If I get the urge to pee, I will lose all chances of sleeping. But all in all, I'm still happy that my Yamee boy seems to be perfectly healthy. That's all that counts.

I have finally started nesting productively by going through our stuff to make room for Yamee. Hopefully, I will make good my promise that we can set up Yakee's bed this week.