What I Love About Breastfeeding

I can’t believe that it has already been nine months since I have given birth to Kenya and I am also very proud to say that I have been successful in exclusively breastfeeding her. I have to admit that my primary motivation for breastfeeding is weight loss. Selfish, I know. Haha! I completely lost my pregnancy weight after 5 months.

Breastfeeding is like a freebie! You get free calories burned without spending effort on it. In fact, I love breastfeeding while laying down (Burning calories while lounging, what more can you ask for?!) It’s most comfortable for Kenya since she can sleep right after feeding; and for me too since I can relax and read. But of course, it’s not going to work if you’re eating for 3 persons. Again, it’s like working out but indulging in pizza and ice cream all the time… Right now, weight loss have been a bit slower on me now since Kenya is more keen on solids. I still got 10 lbs. to go to reach my pre-Bryce’s weight (yea,they are stubborn fat!)

Exclusive breastfeeding doesn’t come easy though. It is quite a hassle for me, actually, but the benefits for the baby are definitely worth it. Here are my personal pros and cons:

Lately has been quite easier for me though. Kenya finally accepted bottle feeding even if it’s me who’s feeding her so I’m no longer limited to nursing bras and button down shirts when going out. And I can finally stay out for more than four hours!

Despite all the hassles, I wouldn’t trade exclusive breastfeeding for anything. I won’t talk about the health benefits of breastfeeding to your child or yourself because you can read it here and here or you can just simply google it. All I can say is that Kenya never got sick, as in ever, not once. Almost every other month, someone in the family gets a cough or cold or both but she never caught it. Bryce could cough practically on her face and we could sleep together in one bed (not that I’m encouraging it), but she’s a super baby with soaring immune system! I wish my mom breastfed me too so I don’t have to suffer from allergy all year round.

I would sacrifice anything to keep my children as healthy as possible that’s why I bought an electric breast pump three months ago when my milk supply was alarmingly low. I got First Years miPump Single Pump (P4,299.75) so that I don’t have to buy extra bottles since I had the manual pump before. It’s pretty affordable compared to other brands and I can say that it does its job well. The only con is that it’s a single pump so pumping both breasts means double the time. But I’m just here at home most of the time so I really don’t mind.

If you’re a working mom and pumps at work, it is best to invest in a double pump like this one. It’s P17,500 from BabyMama.ph but if you consider the cost of formula (say P5000/month), you’ll have your ROI in less than 4 months! You’re actually saving money!

Just sharing this to all mamas who store milk, these bags from BabyMama.ph are really affordable! I got mine from Avent for P499 (25pcs).

And for working moms who need to store a week’s worth of breast milk, this is the best deal, I think.

Lastly, I’m just inspired by my friend’s dedication to breastfeed her son. She works full-time, pumps at work, breastfeeds anytime, anywhere. Just look at her stash, about 60 cups containing 5oz. of the golden liquid! Jealous!

Taken from her Facebook account