My Constant Challenge with Extending Breastfeeding

"Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (November). For this month, participants share their experiences on extended breastfeeding.  This includes tips to moms with young babies, as well as barriers and myths which discourage extended nursing. Please scroll down to the end of this post and check out the other carnival participants."


This month marks our 14th month of breastfeeding. I have no plans on weaning nor Y showing any signs of weaning yet. We want to continue for as long as Y wants to (or when I get pregnant again). It's the perfect setting in our home.

But it's not all perfect outside our home. I've blogged about my breastfeeding woes here and here. It's more frustrating now that Y's bigger. I get reprimanded (at home by my grandma) every time I lift my shirt and feed Y. Saying things like: Stop breastfeeding, she's big already. Give her formula, your milk is not nutritious enough, look at her, she's so tiny! You're not eating healthy, how do you expect Y to get fat if your milk doesn't have enough nutrients? And it goes on and on.... I never got the support I needed from them but that didn't stop me.

Breastfeeding a 14th month-old is a challenge, especially in public. I wasn't successful in teaching Y baby signing milk, so whenever she wants to nurse, it's either she'll pull up my shirt, pull my shirt on the neck or put her hands inside my shirt. Nursing covers are a no-no for her, plus she gets distracted at the sound of anything, phones ringing, birds chirping...  but other than that, breastfeeding is easy breezy.

Breastfeeding greatly helped my relationship and bond with my daughter. I'm a working mom, I'm only with her 12/5 (on weekdays), 24/2 (on weekends). It sucks but this momma gotta work. Before I went back to work (after giving birth), I was already preparing myself on how my relationship with Y would be. I would often hear from other moms that their son/daughter wants and looks for their yaya more than their mothers, that breaks my heart but I had to be prepared of that. But that never happened with me. She's always with her yaya yet Y prefers me more than her, she's a mommy's girl. It amazes me.

I wish it's easy to explain (to my family) why I'm continuing to breastfeed Y, it's a constant argument in the house. I wish giving them handouts about breastfeeding would help or at least convince them a bit. It's funny how my yaya and helper knows a lot on breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is so convenient. It's the fastest booboo fixer. Plus it has tons of benefits. Read here.




We want to continue breastfeeding for as long as Y wants to. No pressure on weaning. I love the bond I have with my daughter because of breastfeeding. There are days when I wish I could stop pumping or stop breastfeeding but I just think about it's health benefits for Y and me and I'm good again.


J and the Three Boys - No more "de-de"
My Mommyology - My Extended Breastfeeding Experience
Mommyluscious - Breastfeeding for Two Beyond Two
Truly Rich Mom - On Extended Breastfeeding (a perfectly normal thing to do)
Life of a Babywearing and Breastfeeding Mommy - Still breastfeeding after 2 years
Got To Believe - Breastfeeding Room Story
Homeschooling Mommy - Yes, I've Got Milk

15 comments :

  1. It's the same thing for me and my 14th month old! Hey we're the same!  :) My baby chooses me any time over my aunt who takes care of him when I'm at work.  I really attribute this bond to breastfeeding. 

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  2. I think breastfeeding has to do something with it. I love that bond! :)

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  3. My biggest surprise is that people reprimand you or make you feel bad for wanting to breastfeed for longer!  That's crazy!  They do need to re-educate themselves (because I suppose during their days, everyone thought or was told differently...).  I'm glad you're finding the strength to keep going though!  Kudos to you. :)

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  4. Thank you! :) My grandma is the only one who reprimands me. I guess it's the old fashioned thing. They think formula milk is more superior. But my husband is my biggest supporter, we're powering through :)

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  5. I agree, if your husband is supporting you it's easier to do.  My cousin-in-law's biggest demotivator is her hubby because he believes in formula more.  That's hard!

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  6. That's hard nga. I guess formula milk ads made a big impact on the husband. The husband needs to be educated!

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  7. hi ,,,
    i salute you for winning those hardship of breastfeeding y, we also have the same dilemma , but kudos to us my daughter is also 15mos old and still exclusively breastfed..

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  8. Kudos to us!

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  9. It is a wonder for me kung bakit pare-pareho lagi ang iniisip ng iba, na hindi na nutritious ang BM if beyond one year.  I guess I can take all comments astride pero I feel slighted pag sinabi nilang kulang ang nutrients ng BM.  Twice it was said to me -- one was almost a decade back yet when I was still single, by my then-medical student friend (yeah, it struck me so much, kaya I still remember it.. and he's a med student at that!), and the second one was by an aunt-in-law just three weeks back.

    I feel so sad for you that BFing is a constant argument outside your home. :(  But for as long as your home is harmonious with your BFing, then you have all the support that you need. :)  My own mother din, she's not really very supportive of my BFing career.  But it did not come to a point that she urged me to stop.  Pinapag-supplement lang ng formula dahil baka daw hindi nabubusog sa kin.  Syemps, hindi ako nakikinig.  Pasok sa isang tenga, labas sa kabila.  Haha. :D

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  10. Laya Isabelle Garcellano FloreNovember 4, 2011 at 11:58 PM

    You are SO brave :) don't stop! all breastfeeding moms are here to support and cheer you on. those nay-sayers will come around in time. besides, it's what breastfeeding gives from the inside that counts. my kids are also "small" compared to formula fed babies but they're sharp, bright as buttons and less prone to medical problems than other kids their age. call me a proud momma but i see that they're physically more fit and active! they only compare the seeming "health" of the formula babies with our smaller and leaner kids because of the images we are bombarded with on a daily basis from milk commercials. but really, i can't even begin to enumerate the numerous points of comparison why you shouldn't give in to the formula hype! but congratulations too...you're lucky with your yayas :)  and bravo to your steadfastness!

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  11. Oh yes, ganyan din ako. Pasok sa isang tenga, labas sa isa! Hahaha! It's a constant struggle but we always win naman. It's my body, my choice. :)

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  12. cai, i think kase during their time it was the height of the formula marketing boom! so talaga influenced sila that the formula milk with synthetic ingredients are superior.  a recent study showed the huge effect of the formula ads - http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-hot-button/formula-ads-reduce-breastfeeding-rates-study/article2224223/

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  13. yeah i think so. i want to introduce fresh milk na nga kaso may kontra pa din haha! lalo pa when the doctors say na no need to breastfeed after 1 year old kasi useless na. hay.

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  14. Kudos to you Cai! Extended BFing can be pretty challenging, but I know you can keep doing it because of your desire to give the BEST for Y. :-) God bless dear, and I hope that the people around you (well, esp. your Lola) will learn to be more supportive eventually! But even if they don't I know you'll keep doing what you believe is best for Y! God bless always!

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  15. thhere are soooo many practical, medical reasons to continue bfeeding but really... it can just be one thing: it's one way to hold your child that not all mothers enjoyed, so why not prolong the privilege? :)

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