A Life Less Ordinary: It ain't easy peasy, but you'll get through it ;)

This entry is dedicated to Ain ;) Congrats on your gorgeous baby Mariam!

When I was 12 I saw my aunt breastfeeding her baby and I was 'Yuck! That is so outdated!' If I were to have a baby, bottle is the way to go.

Little that I know, I'm very much a (self-proclaimed) breastfeeding nazi now. It all changed after we went to Ante-natal class by Jennifer from Jenlia Maternal Services. She opened my eyes on how important breastfeeding for babies (and mommies too!) I went from zero to pro-breastfeeding.

It's all in your mind, she kept telling us. If you WANT & DETERMINE to do it, YOU can! It's a myth that your boobies are too small, you're producing insufficient milk yada, yada, yada. You've got to get it your head, 'I want to do this, for as long as baby needs it' (2 years, max!) Be prepared, sometimes it's your loved ones that becomes obstacle in your effort of breastfeeding exclusively.

Tell them, you want to do this, no matter how hard it looks ;)

Breastfeeding is NOT easy. Especially the first week. I didn't have any problem the first night with Aresha. She latched on like a pro the first time but wasn't the same for Zara. I had the worst first night with her. She cried all night, I'm literally drained out from all the sucking & not being able to sleep a wink! Please bear in mind that the first 3 days only colostrum came out. Your baby might not be satisfied with the yellowish,thick liquid but they have to suck it all out before the milk came in.

To be honest I almost quit the first time when Aresha bit my nipple. Excruciating pain, bleeding & close to mastitis. I broke down in tears and refused to nurse from that side but that's not helping either. Engorgement is waaay more painful! We bought Medela nipple shield which didn't help much but when you get through that phase, it will be a second nature ;) That only lasted few days, it's not the baby's fault, you just gotta latch on properly. Make sure the baby open her mouth as wide as she can before shoving your boobies, voila!

To think that if you've breastfed for 2 years, it will be a walk in the park for the second one, is also not quite entirely the case for me. Zara bit the same nipple Aresha did 4 years ago till bled, ouch! But this time I'm prepared. If that happens to you, apply few drops of breastmilk & let it dry. Insya- Allah in a couple of days it will be as good as new ;) Also when your boobies engorged (in my case because I can't bear the pain to let her feed after the bleeding) try ice cold lettuce leaves as an instant reliever. Just place it on your boobs & you'll feel much better ;)

The first week is also crucial to just feed as much as the baby needs (feed on demand) Be it in the middle of the night, or just half & hour after the last feed. This is to enhance your milk supply because your body send a signal to produce milk when baby drinks frequently. I know one of the pantang (a big no, no) is NOT drinking too much water, if it means that you have to sneak in 2 litres everyday, DO it! That's what skuirtgun did with Aresha. Luckily mom & atuk totally understand after that & they always make sure I have enough supply. Read more on how to increase your milk here. Snack frequently, hot milo & 2pcs of cream crackers an hour before & after feeding would help tremendously.

That's just the first week, more tips coming soon!

At 4 months, we took her backpacking, no bottles needed,

meal on-the -go!