make that Smart, glamorous and hardworking mommy bloggers speak up on breastfeeding..

I don’t know if I can call myself a breastfeeding advocate.. I do believe in breastfeeding and in fact breastfed all my kids. The boys were all breastfed for one year (oldest is one year, second is one year and 9 months, third boy is one year too).. I plan on breastfeeding them until they are two.. but you know pregnancy got in the way. As with Sati, she’s still breastfeeding and she’ll be turning 2 this November. I guess with her, we’ll do this thingy until, oh well, I don’t know. Guilty your honor..breastfeeding her is just heaven.. you know I just can’t let go of it.. the bonding, the cuddling and being that close to her. And with that motive, can you really call me an advocate?

But yeah I DO encourage a lot of people I know to breastfeed their kids exclusively. I know it’s not easy but it’s very fullfilling, believe me.. I have been there.. 1 week, 2 weeks..a whole tree of malunggay, a drum of soup.. what else? hot compress, chocolate drinks, breast massage.. everything! I experienced all those.. no support? oh yeah baby! It was hardest for my first born, I have little milk for two weeks, he’s crying and very frustrated everyday.. every time he feeds.. but I never gave up… and I am more than glad for that. And yes, people around me were not that encouraging, who would be, when all you hear all day is a tiny baby crying. I have to muster everything not to give up on pity and give him a bottle so that he would stop. Of course people around would say otherwise.. kawawa naman ang bata, iyak ng iyak, padedehin mo na kasi sa bote..

When I became pregnant with my first born, I never got the chance to choose if I will breastfeed him or give him formula.. I don’t know but it feels like, breastfeeding is the only way. Or maybe one of the reason why, was because I am stay at home mom. It’s like there is no reason why I can’t give the best food for my baby.. maybe if I was working then, it would be different.. I always thought that working and breastfeeding are two things that will never get along together.. and then\I learned I was wrong when I met Nicquee.

Nicquee is the blogger behind Pop Ups of my mind. I first met her from a breastfeeding event. We talked about breastfeeding, of course, and I was surprised to learned that she has a full time job and yet she is EXCLUSIVELY breastfeeding. Is that really possible? yes it is! And here’s a living proof, in front of me. So it really is true that exclusive breastfeeding in the formative first six months of an infant is NOT a hindrance to a mother’s professional or personal goals. That’s one of the misconception BBB wants to correct.

“Beauty, Brains & Breastfeeding Inc. (BBB), a silence-breaking organization advocating breastfeeding, says only 34 per cent of mothers in the Philippines practice exclusive feeding in the first six months of their babies. Based on UNICEF statistics, BBB also reveals that nearly half of all mothers in the country depend on artificial milk in varying degrees. The group would like to correct several misconceptions which discourage mothers with infants and young children to breastfeed — main hurdles to having all Filipino newborns properly breastfed.”

Exclusive breastfeeding is a commitment to give one’s child with life-nourishing food and a good start in life; to think of breastfeeding as only for the poor should be dismissed immediately–  so true! you know what, all my kids are very healthy… well except for an episode of Primary Complex (which they got from an adult) and not to mention brainy!

Continued breastfeeding DOES NOT cause a woman’s breasts to deform, sag or make her look haggard and unattractive– yes it does not. Shh, stop raising your eyebrows, mine’s really big to begin with 🙂 In my experience, I learned that you have to wear bra all the time, not wearing bra may cause it to sag, not breastfeeding itself.

The act of breastfeeding in public places is not an act shame and therefore should be encouraged– I was never ashamed of breastfeeding in public. Breastfeeding is a natural thing, what’s there to be ashamed of?

“To correct misconceptions, a trio of smart and beautiful women has decided to speak out and recount their empowering experiences with breastfeeding. Billboards featuring breastfeeding advocates Daphne Oseña-Paez, Patricia Bermudez-Hizon and Iza Abeja with their kids will be seen all over Metro Manila within the month to help bring their strong and timely messages to life.

According to BBB, a total of five billboards will be rolled down: three along MIA Road in Pasay City which will be launched on October 14; one in Philcoa, Quezon City; and one on the DILG Building in EDSA. A few more billboards will be up soon with sites currently in negotiation.” -BBB press release

And to help correct this misconception, why don’t we have our own version of this billboards.. uhm let’s call them BILLBLOG

 Mommy Chris of The Mommy Journey

 Mommy Nicquee of Pop Ups of My Mind

and of course, yours truly.