“Breastfeeding reminds us of the universal truth of abundance; the more we give out, the more we are filled up, and that divine nourishment – the source from which we all draw is, like a mother’s breast, ever full and ever flowing”.

– Sarah Buckley

Disclaimer – The SRHR Adventures Team is aware that many women cannot breastfeed for multiple reasons. Further, some women choose not to breastfeed and we are by no means shaming such women. 

SRHR Adventures observed Breast Feeding Awareness Week 2018 under the theme “Don’t be a boob: support breastfeeding”.

The group aimed to:

1. Shatter myths about breastfeeding.
2. Share the experiences, expectations, feelings, and thoughts from prospective and current mothers and fathers on breastfeeding.
3. Bring awareness to the benefits of breastfeeding.

The importance of breastfeeding was raised through our social media page (https://www.facebook.com/SRHRAdventures/), media appearances and a call was launched to collect breastfeeding testimonials.

Below you will find six breastfeeding testimonials:

‘Liquid magic and ‘The cure-all’.

“For Thalia, it was love at first latch! Almost immediately she fell in love with breast milk. She never used formula. For the first 6 months, she was exclusively breastfed – no additional water and no crushed food or fruits. I never experienced her being sick with typical baby illnesses like thrush or vomiting and diarrhea. It seemed as if the breast milk is a cure-all. Crying baby? The boob cured that. Fussy baby? The boob cured that. Is baby not falling asleep? Also the boob! Need an undistracted minute? You guessed it! It was and sometimes still cure-all. Example, when she is having a groggy day and not eating, I can give her the breast and she will be satisfied. Breast Milk is liquid magic. The benefits are awesome. I have seen remarkable development. It’s been 2 years and 5 months and after all this time one thing remains – the breast can cure it all. Forget the notion that breast milk doesn’t full a baby. A baby will nurse until he or she is filled. The more you breastfeed, the more your milk will flow. The bond you get with your baby is unbreakable. So to all the potential mothers and current mothers, please don’t give up. Your baby will thank you later!”

– Ms. K. Seymour

“Baby boys does suck you dry, literally pull your guts out!”

“I breastfed my baby boy exclusively for 6 months – no water or juice just breast milk. As a student, I was discouraged countless times not do it. Others came and said, “Baby boys does suck you dry, literally pull your guts out!” Despite all those comments I proceeded and today I can say, choosing to breastfeed my baby was the best decision I ever made.
The benefits are just too many not to. My baby is 8 months today, and I have lost all my pregnancy weight. The bond I have with him is something no one can understand. It is like through my breast I can hear my baby crying from miles away. When he needs something when he’s hungry; even when I’m sleeping my breast communicated to me for him.

It’s amazing. I feel more confident, stress-free and happy especially when baby he is nursing. I breastfeed him on demand. Anywhere and everywhere. Once he is hungry and needs the breast I give it to him. I think it’s the most beautiful thing to see a mother tending to the needs of her child especially in public.

My husband was very supportive. I can never ask for anyone better. He understood the need for his son and encouraged me through the whole process.

PS. He still does. For potential dads, my advice to you is to encourage your wives and ensure that they exclusively breastfeed for six months straight; continue to breastfeed after with supplements. Your baby will be smarter, healthier and your wives will be healthier, stress-free. They’ll get back their pre-pregnancy shape. Don’t listen to old wives’ tales, breastfeeding is the best.”

– Dr.Atiya Simon

“Breastfeeding is a joy”

 “I am Julieann King-De Hearte age 33 and this is my breastfeeding story. I am a mother of three beautiful children, ages 7, 3 and 2 respectively. Surprisingly my experience was different each time.

My first born Malik – My first experience with breastfeeding was a joy. However, it was not without its challenges. Initially, I was nervous and did not know what to do or expect. In the beginning, breastfeeding was painful I was not producing any milk at all. This resulted in the hospital providing medication for me to produce milk. I also tried some home remedies, e.g. Barley water. The combination of the medication and the home remedy led to me producing excessive amounts of milk. This causes my husband to even make attempts to draw it out using his mouth and in some instances, we used a breast pump.

As time went by I began to get the hang of it and for the first 6 months of my first child’s life, he was exclusively breastfed. This in my opinion even helped me lose some of the weight I gained during pregnancy. I must note however that by month six I began to wean him off the breast because I had to return to work.

My middle child Malaya- My baby girl Malay was sadly born prematurely as a result of a medical condition I had called preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a complication some women suffer during pregnancy which causes high blood pressure, shortness of breath, severe headaches among other things. This led to me having to endure a Caesarean Section and for the first two days after Malaya was born, I could not be with her because I was bedridden. This caused the hospital to give her formula to sustain her in my absence. As a result, Malaya never breastfed because she had gotten accustomed to the formula the hospital had provided.

My last child Israel- By the time I had my third child motherhood became second nature. However, I had to leave for a work assignment and this resulted in Israel only being breastfed for only three months.

My overall experience with breastfeeding was a joy though challenging. Though my experience with breastfeeding was somewhat of a challenge I would still recommend it for every child.”

– Mrs. Julieann King-De Hearte

“In all honesty, I wished I would have breastfed my children much longer.”

“I am Caroline Batson, 53, this is breastfeeding story: I am the proud mother of two girls who has fully grown women presently. My eldest daughter after being born spent her first couple of months in the hospital in an incubator, she was fed via tubes. By the time I was able to bring her home she had already gotten accustomed to the formula provided by the hospital. This made breastfeeding somewhat problematic and as a result by the time she was three months old she had already stopped breastfeeding.

Looking back on my breastfeeding experience it was very short-lived for both of my girls. Both girls by the age of three months had already stopped breastfeeding. In all honesty, now that I am aware of the benefits of breastfeeding, like the fact that it helps build the child’s immune system I wish I would have breastfed my children much longer.”

– Ms.Caroline Batson

“Breastfeeding is our ‘me’ time”

“I knew I wanted to breastfeed before giving birth but I didn’t attend any classes before the birth of our first child(might be a good idea to be educated on how to do it before birth). Besides the many benefits of breast milk to the baby, breastfeeding is our ‘me’ time for bonding and comfort. It just feels like everything has stopped and it’s just the two of us. My husband was very supportive of it all so much so that he wanted me to breastfeed until our daughter is 2 years. Not sure I will get to 2, but she is 14 months now, I’m still breastfeeding and loving it.
Some advice: Don’t be shy about it especially in a public place, just cover and do it (I use a nursing cloth that goes around my neck and covers the baby too, giving me the privacy that I need).”

– Ms. M.J

…and breastfeeding isn’t always as “natural” and “easy” as it is made out to be.

“My experience with breastfeeding was a bit traumatic”

“I am Jamila Duncan age 23 and this is my breastfeeding story: My experience with breastfeeding was a bit traumatic. It was my first brush with motherhood and I was not producing enough milk. The first few weeks of my son’s birth he breastfed however, it was such a challenge getting him to willingly latch on to my breast. Breastfeeding was one of the most painful experiences I had ever endured. I had swollen breasts that hurt, sore nipples and a crying baby in my arms. By month two my son had stopped breastfeeding completely and began taking strictly formula. I am a strong advocate for breastfeeding, however looking back on my experience I can understand why some women may choose not to breastfeed.”

-Ms.Jamila Duncan

SRHR Adventurer Ms. Shanon Toney (S.T) conducted an interview with a young mother (Y.M) to gather information on her experience.

S.T – What is breastfeeding to you?

Young Mother – I feel breastfeeding is necessary. It is something that should and must happen. I see it as something that my children needed.

S.T – What are some benefits of breastfeeding that is of significance to you?

Y.M – In my opinion, a breastfed child is smart and healthier; both benefits are extremely beneficial to me and by extension the child. However, it isn’t easy on the mother to breastfeed even though the benefits are numerous. The pain that comes with it and the child not being able to latch on immediately can be a struggle.

S.T – How did you feel while you breastfed your twin?

Y.M – It was difficult. They were the only breastfed exclusively for 3 months because of work. Having two mouths to feed at the same time was a challenge.

S.T – How did you manage to breastfeed the twins at the same time?

Y.M – Well I have two breasts. I was able to do it without much difficulty because I breastfed before.

S.T – What did breastfeeding do to your body?

Y.M – In terms of shape and breast size, I wasn’t affected. In other words, it did nothing really to change my view of my body. I returned to my normal self while I breastfed. My body was built for pregnancy and breastfeeding – it’s how I see it.

S.T – Did your boy suckled more than your girls?

Y.M – He didn’t really nursed more. He just wanted to be near the breast more than the girls. He wanted more comfort.

S.T – What advice would you give to working mothers?

Y.M – Weigh your pros and cons. Breastfeeding is good, however, the attachment will pose an issue. Try to in co-operate nursing by other means. For example, express the milk and allow the child to become accustomed to another thing other than the breast. The child becomes more attached to the breast. Even though it’s their way of taking in nutrition it’s also a thing of comfort to them. The bond isn’t easily broken – the physical attachment I’m talking about here. The mother may be alright being away for a few hours but the child finds it difficult to cope without the breast because of the bonding. It is a good thing; however, that’s where most of the issues lie.”

S.T – Was your personal life affected while you breastfed? How did your husband react to you breastfeeding? Did he encourage it?

Y.M – He was all for breastfeeding, he too, saw it as being necessary. When it came to sex, because I breastfeed, I wanted less to do with it. However, my husband wanted me the same. When he paid attention to my breast I wasn’t turned on so to speak. I associated the breast with the child. He still saw it as breast. It was nice to him. But it became a feeding bottle to me.

“Breastfeeding is an instinctual and natural act, but it is also an art that is learned day by day. The reality is that almost all women can breastfeed, have enough milk for their babies and learn how to overcome problems both large and small. It is almost always simply a matter of practical knowledge and not a question of good luck.     – La Leche League

By Dr. Patricee Douglas MBBS, MSc.