Breastfeeding| Breast is STILL BEST

Luke 11:27

As he was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out, “God bless your mother—the womb from which you came, and the breasts that nursed you!”

Janet here.

I feel like I have taken way too long in posting this blog, but in trying to grow a family and taking care of my existing family keeps me busy, organizing and resting, is basically how my days go.

I just want to start of by saying thank you to the amazing community we are creating here on our family’s blog! From all the public and private comments, feedback and questions, My husband and I are grateful. Even Hannah! She sees and hears all. She knows I am writing a blog and now we are about to launch our podcast. YES I said it Podcast! She sees my husband and I’s example of following what God has laid on our hearts.

Episode one already available on ITunes and Soundcloud under DavidLoveJanet

I love writing. I love it so much, I write so fast and one of my Instagram followers noticed, reached out to me, and has been willing to edit my existing posts and all our future blogposts for free! Sister Rachel Anu thank you and God bless you. God will reward your thoughtfulness and obedience!

…now onto the blog.

This website overall has articles both me and my husband subscribe to, read over, and confirm publication. This blog is no doubt different. The choice and reason I breastfeed is just as much a part of my husband as it was for me. God thank you… I am so grateful to him. (I love you honey)

This blog is not one shaming any mother who doesn’t/didn’t have the ability to breastfeed, any mother’s who tried and found it difficult and had to stop, and lastly the champion healthcare professionals or non-biological guardians who need to use formula because natural breast milk isn’t available to care for a baby that is not biologically theirs.

I breastfeed my daughter Hannah… and I love it and I am truly grateful to God I can. My goal is to breastfeed her for 2 years plus. I chose to breastfeed her before she was even conceived, before I was married and before I even met my husband and probably had interest in men. I probably saw my mom breastfeed my siblings unconsciously, but I’m sure I saw people in my church do it as well as family and friends. I say all this because the desire is where it starts when it comes to the will to start and continue to breastfeed. With strong desire, a way will be made.

God will make a way to overcome all obstacles that truly can be solved medically or miraculously.

The Global Breastfeeding Scorecard, which evaluated 194 nations, found that only 40 per cent of children younger than six months are breastfed exclusively (given nothing but breastmilk) and only 23 countries have exclusive breastfeeding rates above 60 per cent.

When I conceived our first-born daughter Hannah, I actively followed pregnancy apps and attended a few groups. One in particular was in my county in the UK. They were talking about breastfeeding and I decided to ask a question. I asked:

In America many moms have breast pumps so their husbands can help feed the baby at bedtime.

Their response was..

Your husband can do other things, you can do the breastfeeding.

I honestly had never heard this kind of perspective before. Especially it being 2016, the 21st century (the year I conceived)! Their perspective was, the benefits of babies bonding with the mother while breastfeeding was so vital and important, that the idea of abandoning the need for using a breast pump and bottle feeding, IF the mother can breastfeed straight from the breast was the way to go.

I honestly thought this response must be the U.K. culture and foreign to the U.S. because In the U.K and most countries around the world, they allow already working woman who become pregnant to get a year off work with some paid leave. This then helps moms who want to breastfeed persistently, they have an entire year to do so, while also introducing their babies to solid foods and so on when the time is right.

The advice stuck and although I got a free breast pump via my health insurance in the United States I have exclusively breastfeed my daughter from my breasts only.

I now advocate for this to be done because it decreases nipple confusion for the baby. There is a 50/50 chance of this happening to your child, because if/when it happens and a baby stops breastfeeding from the breast and prefers a bottle 100% it can be devastating for you as a mum.

We choose to not introduce a pacifier or dummy at all to our first-born and subsequent children, as well as not giving Hannah any milk or water from a bottle till she was 6 months plus, and even then we only gave her water from a bottle no milk, because she had started eating solid food, such as fruits and vegetables. She still actively loves breastfeeding and drinks lots of milk, although she LOVES her oranges, bananas, whole-wheat cereal, Nigerian okra soup and more.

As for my husband, there are a lot a father can champion the mothers in their life who breastfeed:

Support the purchases necessary to help the mom with breastfeeding. Some things I bought were special nightgown dresses which made breastfeeding easy at home and at night by having special openings like this One.
Help give the mom time to get ready to feed. Whenever our child is really hungry or is unsettled, although these breast-feeding bras are supposed to make accesses to the breast easier for the child, this is not always the case. It’s helpful to have my husband hold our daughter while I put a breastfeeding cover on when in public, open my top and undo the bra so our baby can feed!
Help put the baby to sleep after a feed. Especially when it comes to sleep training but this can be applied anytime, whenever our baby falls asleep when feeding we know she is ready to sleep. If I was to transfer her to her crib/cot bed she would start crying because I feel she smells my milk and would want to feed even more. Nothing wrong in wanting to feed more, but when a baby needs a good night’s sleep I believe they need it and shouldn’t necessarily need the breast to fall asleep as a comforter. So my husband has been consistent and has been great with putting Hannah to bed.
Help by providing water and a snack to mom. So it is actually true, as a breastfeeding mom you actually lose up to 500 calories or more a day. But to lose any calories at all and give your baby any food and water to drink through breast milk as mums we must increase our water and food intake. As moms we can forget so fathers this is the PERFECT department for you to help out in.

There are a few things I use that are in the mainstream media, as well as advice I was given that helped/helps me when it comes to breastfeeding:

After birth in the hospital, birthing center, or wherever you give birth even at home, there should be a lactation consultant or someone who is an expert in breastfeeding, find that person and ask them all and every question possible. They will even give you free things that can help sooth your nipples if you have any pain. I called on mine who saw me an hour before I was discharged from the hospital. She showed me different positions not commonly known that are really good for newborns, she checked Hannah’s latch and of course gave me a few free things I am mentioning below.
Get a really comfortable pillow for you and your newborn and can grow with baby. I got the famous boppy pillow . One pillow may not be enough I was taught. You may need extra on the babies head, under your arm. So just use any pillows you have that can fold and gives good support is all you need.
A nipple cream of your choice. Breastfeeding is not supposed to hurt but you do feel a pulling. Also when your baby wants to feed a lot one day it can get a little sore. I really like Shea moisture nipple cream which isn’t available in the UK so I have no link to add here. So for those in the UK, get one that’s natural as your baby ingests it while feeding.
I love this product and I put it on when I feel my nipples need TLC after a day of more than extra feedings. I got mine free from the hospital and really they can last a long time as long as you wash and clean then after each use. I would get these if I had to buy it Medela Breastfeeding Hydrogel Nipple Pads (Pack of 4)
Patience and lots of it. When breastfeeding I have learned my baby may want to feed for a long time or may want to feed for little. They may accidentally chew too hard on your nipple and it may hurt. Breastfeeding will take patience so constantly be patient with yourself and baby!

There are also a couple of movies and documentaries I have watched that really put a new understanding of breast vs the formula revelation and the history behind the rise of formula. My favorite however were, the Call the midwife Season 5 episode 3 which can be found on Netflix, The Milky Way movie, and the documentary Milky which even showcases wet moms in countries where moms who have milk take turns feeding other babies their breast milks.

A not so mainstream online support I follow is the “@LactationLink” on instagram. She has virtual late-night roundtables where mamas all over the world can ask any question and the founder, a registered Lactation Consultant answers as many questions as she can in an hour.

I wanted to write this because I wanted to be a public champion of breastfeeding, even if you are a working mom and have to pump keep at it. Breastfeeding is the BEST for your child as you can read all over the internet. Hannah has never gotten sick and this season I and my husband had the common cold. She is also growing her first tooth and has been for about 2 months and she is still very happy! When ever she is uncomfortable I just put her on the breast. It’s amazing!

Get friends who breastfeed and have a breastfeeding party or go to a support group today.

Thanks for reading!

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