Breastfeeding Pinays and Their Miracle Stories

When Leo was busy picking the lock of his car together with the SM MOA’s guards (thank you to all of them who helped), I was also busy roaming around MOA’s Music Hall.  I chanced upon an exhibit about breastfeeding entitled: Breastfeeding Pinays and Their Miracle Stories.

Mommies, were you able to breastfeed your babies?  I did, for 2 and a half months only – and it’s not exclusive but mixed.  Christmas 2011, when Neo was 2weeks old, I experienced binat and was brought to the ER.  There, I was given antibiotics prescription.  Needless to say, I need to stop breastfeeding Neo since the antibiotics would combine in my breastmilk. Neo had to take formula while I pump so that my breastmilk will continue to flow.  After a week, I continued breastfeeding Neo with the combination of the formula.  During my maternity leave, I would pump breastmilk and store it in our ref so Neo would still have enough when I return to work.  When it was time to return to work, I have to stop.  It was a painful journey.  I was feeling guilty that Neo stopped breastfeeding at 2 and half months.  I feel envious of moms who were able to breastfeed their children until 2 yrs old.

When I roamed around the exhibit of Breastfeeding Pinays, I was in awe.  I wasn’t able to take lots of pictures but I will narrate why I was amazed of these mothers.

Ø  One mom who was latching her infant for 2months unsuccessfully didn’t stop.  Instead she pumped breastmilk for her baby to drink.  Last Habagat 2012, when they were flooded, she was so worried that there would be no pump, no fridge to store the breastmilk, when her son successfully latched from her breast.

Ø  One mom who was not able to breasfeed her firstborn was so devastated she vowed to breastfeed her second child.  When doing the process, her firstborn, already 5yrs old, asked if she can breastfeed from her mom, which the mom happily agreed.  Now the mom is breastfeeding a 2yr old son and a 5yr old daughter which she called “Catch up breastfeeding”.

Ø  One wet nurse, not a mom of those children, successfully breastfeed 150 infants from the NICU department of the hospital she serves.

Ø  One mom, whose child was premature and has contacted a rare illness which the pediatricians predicted that the baby will need to be in the hospital for 2months, has been breastfeeding her child continuously.  Her baby got off the hospital in 3 weeks.

Ø  One working mom, a directress of her own school, with PhDegree, a super busy woman can still find time in breastfeeding her son who is almost 2yrs old.

And a lot more success stories of breastfeeding PInays… very wonderful exhibit.