Milk Diaries: My Breastfeeding Journey

It's 4:20 am and it's been an hour since baby has woken up from his day long slumber. He is at my breast, feeding, as I type this. It's almost been three months since baby dragon and I have started on this loving and wonderful breastfeeding journey. I can't believe we have come so far, inspite of all the hardships we have gone through. We came through, and boy, is it such a sweet achievement!

For new moms and breastfeeding "virgins", let me give you the lowdown— breastfeeding is not a walk in the park— BUT, only for the first few days to weeks, that is. This is not to discourage nor scare you, rather to arm you with the knowledge to empower yourselves and have the confidence in you and your body's capability to nourish your child. 


Our First Encounter: The First Latch.
We had a Normal Spontaneous Delivery via Lamaze, and upon delivery baby was placed on my chest for his initial latch. Having just given birth after 19 hours of enduring insane labor pains, I was so tired that I wasn't as active as I thought I would be. Baby was placed on my chest and he latched perfectly. Oh, our super takaw little man! Upon waking up, my initial thought was, "Where is baby? He must be hungry!". He was in his bassinet, and I instinctively took him, held him, and offered him a breast. He instantly latched on (as if my breasts had magnets in it, haha) and sucked strongly. 

There were the sleepless nights and endless feedings.
Day 2-3 of life, baby had his growth spurt, where he would feed non-stop, literally. He was just latched onto my breasts the entire time. We were still at the hospital by this time, waiting to have his newborn screening done. He  latched all day. During the first few weeks to months at home, he would wake up at ungodly hours to feed. I would be so drowsy that I keep falling asleep during nightly feeds. It's a good thing that daddy J is so supportive of us breastfeeding and he would burp and lull baby to sleep. 

No Pain, No Gain: Breast Engorgement, Blocked Ducts, and Sore Nipples.
From the first weeks to months, baby would feed all day that my "breastfeeding virgin" nipples got so sore from no rest. There was also the initial breast engorgement during the first few days of childbirth. This is the body's way of adjusting to your newly active milk glands. When baby and I were still adjusting to each other, we would both get so frustrated that he would end up biting my nipple and me yelping out in pain. Good thing baby is a quick learner and realized that biting elicits a negative response, that it hurts mama, and he has stopped doing so after some time. I also experienced blocked/clogged ducts. This is when milk solids gets trapped under the skin on the nipple or on the milk ducts, as a result of oversupply or improper emptying of the breasts. 

There were a lot of tough moments during my early days of breastfeeding, but given the countless benefits and perks it gives my baby and I, I would do it over and over again. Breastfeeding indeed creates a special bond that only a mother and child share and understand. 

How is your breastfeeding journey coming along? What were the challenges you faced? Feel free to share your experiences and thoughts, I would love to hear about them!

Have a Happy Mommy Day!
❤