Yes, I Will Breastfeed Again!

I've had a very pleasant breastfeeding experience with my firstborn. I was able to nurse for 1 year and 10 months. It would have been a bit longer if only I hadn't gotten sick with Hydatidiform mole and had to undergo chemotherapy.

Because of this very positive experience, I am definitely going to breastfeed my new baby! We're quite lucky in that there are now a lot of breastfeeding clothes and paraphernalia like breast pumps. I know that an essential accessory to successful nursing is a good nursing bra. I love the Beautiful Nursing Bras by Condessa because they don't just look utilitarian, they actually look beautiful and comfortable! They can also be paired with matching bikini panties or minimizing briefs for a more alluring figure for new moms who need just that extra boost of confidence.

Melamine in Milk

I've found another reason to be grateful that I breastfed my son. The recent controversy regarding melamine found in milk from China has had worldwide implications. It seems that cheap milk in China have been used in everything that requires milk, including ice cream, candies, etc.

Around 50 thousand Chinese infants got sick and 4 have already died.

This is a great embarrassment and a great blow to the image of China, who have been striving for years for a better PR and is positioning itself for a better economic position.

I feel for the children who are affected, the parents of the children who are affected, and the Chinese people too. It has more lasting effects than the perpetuators ever realize. This, to my mind, is even worse than the toy scandal. At least, with toys, these are not meant to be put in the mouth. With infant formula and milk, these are supposed to be part of the diet, more especially for infants whose only sustenance is the milk.

Starting to wean? Mixed feelings and thoughts

I've been suffering from conjunctivitis the past few days. So to avoid infecting my toddler son, we've decided to forego our usual practice of co-sleeping, at least under I get well. For the past 3 nights, he has been sleeping beside grandma instead.

It was okay for the most part since he already sleeps through the night. When we were co-sleeping, he would usually just roll over and lift my shirt for some "self-service" breastmilk at around 6am, then go back to sleep until around 8am. So I was not really surprised when he would wake up at the break of dawn (like he usually does) and bawl his head off because he wants his usual mommy milk. I would then be summoned to take the little boy and breastfeed.

This morning, however, he still woke at around the same time but no longer cried. They still called me to breastfeed him and he still sucked as enthusiastically as ever.

Was it the start of the end of my breastfeeding era? We realized that this might be a good start to totally wean him off breastfeeding. He's already 1 year and 8 months old and is eating solids well. He also takes in soya milk.

While I'm happy that I have an added measure of freedom now that he can actually sleep without me AND that I can finally wean him off totally, a part of me mourns the fact that he is starting to be less mommy-dependent. I realize that there were be a lot of these moments while he is growing up, and I hope I will be prepared emotionally each time I have to let go just a little bit.