By Vansha Choudhury
So much energy and time is spent on healthy pregnancy practices, but hardly as much on breastfeeding education & awareness.
“My major constant worry was if my baby is eating enough, is my production qualitative and quantitative enough, especially when he is not gaining enough weight. But then composing myself and reminding myself again and again that ‘Breast milk is the best nutrition I can give’ kept me going…,” says Niyanta Singla, a young mother.
Breastfeeding is the most confusing part for a new mother, dealing with misconceptions, challenges and myths that society has to offer, with the pressure to follow traditional dos and don’ts. Personal experiences are the best teacher — a journey of learning, making mistakes and overcoming them.
“I breastfed my son for 13 months and it’s been a journey. From sore, blistered nipples to engorged breasts. Clogged ducts to fast letdowns and over supply which isn’t nearly as amazing as it may sound. From cluster feeding for three consecutive hours to comfort nursing frequently. Teething, distracted feeding, breastfeeding in public, pumping, scratching and twiddling, and supply changes. I have experienced every single one of these things and when I list them all I realise that there’s absolutely no shame in being super proud of ourselves,” said another young mother.
Yes, you guessed it right, these are the things that a mother goes through while breastfeeding. More than half of these are never discussed due to years of stigmatisation and awkwardness around a phenomenon as natural and common as breathing.
A new mother said: “The full gamut with my friends or the experiences and stories from seasoned mothers made me quite nervous and prejudiced about breastfeeding even before I started. However, contrary to this, and with all good fortune, I had a great start to this journey with my baby latching perfectly and my production being gratifying for him at the same time, thus making it an overall uncomplicated journey.”
To all new mothers reading this, your experience is your own, it may be unlike any book, video, story or advice shared with you but it will always be special and beautiful.
“Predominantly the first few weeks I felt like a ‘vending machine ‘, an ‘automat’, every time the baby latched onto my nipples, I had to release milk. The process was tiresome and in succession that I would get no time to breathe and relax… eventually it got better,” says Niyanta Singla.
“I did every single night feed for the last year. Did 99% of the day feed. Whenever he wanted, whenever he needed, for as long as he wanted or needed. There were so many times I wondered if I should give up but every time I convinced myself to push my limits a little more. And well it paid off,” said a young mother.
“Breastfeeding is a very satisfying yet an exhausting and selfless process. It not only requires a lot of commitment, time management and energy levels, but you also have to learn how to cope when you have countless sleepless nights, when you set an alarm after every two hours to feed your child even when you are dog tired, when you feel like eating your favourite food but you can’t as it won’t suit your baby. There are so many sacrifices one makes as a mother some you are aware of and some you are not but in the end you know that it is all worth it,” said Anshita Goenka, member of Inner Wheel Club of Pine City Shillong.
Every mother’s experience is different and absolutely unique but they all have one thing in common- the sacrifice, the selflessness, the exhaustion but most importantly the satisfaction.
“Honestly I relish those quiet moments we spent together when he was nursing. I loved holding him and having exclusive face to face time with him. Now when I look back I feel so proud and happy that I was able to offer my baby the health benefits of breastfeeding. This natural process of skin to skin bond is simply beautiful and enigmatic. ‘Breastfeeding’ is an incredibly exhausting job yet so fulfilling at the same time.” — Niyanta Singla
“My only motive for sharing my story is to encourage women to not give up when they can breastfeed. People who know others that successfully breastfeed are so much more likely to successfully breastfeed their own children. Sharing the struggles and knowing that it’s normal makes you much more confident in facing it,” said another young mother.
As we celebrate World Breastfeeding Week from the August 1 till 7, Inner Wheel Club of Pine City Shillong shares this article with all the readers with the aim of making this beautiful and selfless process easier for new mothers.
A society that understands the importance of breastfeeding, the process, and the thoughts and needs of breastfeeding mothers is one which can successfully help create a comfortable environment for it.
“Protect Breastfeeding- A Shared Responsibility”- theme for World Breastfeeding Week 2021.