Mothering Corner

Don’t you just love to hear some compliments like “you don’t look like a mother of two, how to you stay so fit?” LOL!

Then, I will most probably answer, “Just breastfeed and don’t sleep.” Hahaha! But that’s the truth. I don’t exercise much when my kids were younger as I didn’t have time to do it. I didn’t take the shortcut like diet pills or hoodia too, but I didn’t put on body shaper for 2 months. Then, I slowly got back in shape. I saw the video clip we took on my gal’s full month party. Oh boy, I was so fat! Luckily, I managed to get back in shape. If not it’s a disaster.

So, just breastfeed. It’s one of the most effective ways of losing weight. But if it doesn’t work on you, mmmm….., I wonder why.

I came back from work and my maid told me my little toddler is refusing formula milk again. She has been on formula strike for weeks, and previously, she had no problem taking it. When my maid asked her if she wanted milk milk, she shook her head. When she was asked if she wanted mummy’s milk milk, she would sign “milk milk” with her hands. LOL!

I guess I will have lots of difficulties in weaning her off. She is so attached to breastmilk and doesn’t take cow milk or soy milk. Even if the paediatrician ensured me that it is find if she is not on milk, but I still prefer she takes in some form of replacement for breastmilk. The thing is, I can’t find any yet!

My girl is down with flu, and she is very grumpy. She wants the breasts all the time, and if I detach her when she is sleeping, she will wake up immediately and search for the breast again. Lots of nursing moms agree that when our babies are sick, they really need more tender loving care and nursing than usual. Sometimes, we fall sick as well due to lack of rest.

But when we are sick, we have the antibodies with will be passed on to our sick babies and help them to recover faster. As long as we are fit to nurse them, why not? That’s why nursing moms can still breastfeed their babies even if they themselves are not well.

It’s the natural way of healing, and I’m doing it now. But you still need to bring the sick baby to see a doctor, ok? Don’t try self medication at home.

Every one around me knows that I’m a breastfeeding fanatics. If I can, I would like to tell the world about the goodness of breastfeeding, and it’s a lost to your baby if you choose not to breastfeed.

One day, I came across a car with a bumper sticker saying that “Not come this near, I’m by baby’s food source”. I was so surprised to see the sticker and I thought it was cool! Too bad I didn’t know where she got in from, but I noticed that she was wearing a nurse uniform. So, maybe she’s working at the hospital, and they are free custom labels like that.

If we are get more customized stickers to promote breastfeeding, I think it will help to increase the public awareness of the goodness of breastfeeding, and more babies and mothers will benefit from it.

Isabelle is only 1 year and 3 days old, but I have already “received” some ooh ahh about why am I still breastfeeding her for so long!

Firstly, I’m not from families that understand and support breastfeeding. Lots of them stopped bothering me because I was determined. I ignored their negative comments and continue to do what’s right for my kids.

My mum who turns from nagging me into supporting my decision in exclusive breastfeeding has started to make some noice. She said what I have been doing is enough for my baby. She’s old enough now, and I should wean her off to take good care of myself. When we are there, she wants to take care of Isabelle for me when we are going out. But Isabelle refuses to take formula milk, and so she got worried. She thinks that if I wean her off now, it’s easier for her to accept formula milk.

Actually, both my kids have problems with formula. Justin took about 2 weeks to 1 month to fully accepting it, and Isabelle is still on strike as I’m at home most of the time. She would rather starve to wait for me.

But then, after I weighted out the benefits of breastfeeding a toddler, I still insisted on continuing. Unless Isabelle wants self-weaning now, if now, I will still be a moo.

For my first pregnancy, I gained about 17 kg in total, and managed to lose up to 14 kg by the time Justin was 6 months old. Then, for 2nd pregnancy, I gained 18kg, and lost 11 kg 6 months after delivery. I consider myself lucky as I only “use” breastfeeding to lose weight, and still EAT as much as I want!

I have always been a big eater, and I don’t like to go on diet. I can’t make it. The most drastic diet I had was when I was in uni and was trying to put on a black dress to a ball! Other than that, I don’t diet, and I enjoy food.

If it’s not because of breastfeeding, I doubt I would lose weight that fast! But it’s really not encouraged for breastfeeding mothers to go on diet, however, if you really want to know more, you get check out some sites like www.lalecheleague.org for more info. I prefer to enjoy my motherhood, embrace my new body shape and lose weight slowly and safely while I can still eat and breastfeed my baby.

I know you can read about breastfeeding benefits from A to Z easily on the internet or other resources. For example, you can read up from sites like Baby Center or others. What I’m going to blog about it’s from my point of view. Here goes…

The goodness of breastfeeding by Shoppingmum:

• Holding my baby close to me, where I can smell her hair.
• Knowing that I’m contributing to every pound she gained before 6 months old. (After that, started taking solid)
• She’s healthy, and hardly get sick because of my antibodies.
• I don’t have to get up and make formula milk at night, all I need to do is lift up my pajamas.
• Hubby supports breastfeeding due to the point above! LOL! He can sleep like a pig…
• It’s easy when we are traveling as I don’t have to bring bottles, formula, worry about sterilizing the stuffs like that. Justin doesn’t required his milk feed that often now.
• Save money on formula and paed’s consultation fees! But I used lots of disposable breastpads…
• I don’t have to worry about natural disaster one day and my baby will be starving as she can have unlimited milk supply from me. ( I know this sounds negative…)
• I have excuses not to do the housework as I’ve been busy breastfeeding… LOL!
• I can blog while nursing as I only need one hand to support my baby and the other hand to type at the same time!
• I got back in shape like a piece of cake and still eat like a pig! LOL!
• I got bigger cup size!!!!
• I feel like I’m a complete mother…