Dh went along with me since he had no arguments against it. But when we attended a ante-natal talk conducted by Mt Alvernia Hospital, he was sold! Why? The lady conducting the class had stated very matter-of-factly that breastmilk changes with the baby as baby grows! Isn't that wonderful? It is a live liquid! It changes with the baby's needs! So that means milk produced for a newborn is different from milk produced when the baby is 3mths old & definitely different when the baby grows to be a toddler! Wow!

We have come a long way from that particular class way back in 1998. I have breastfed all 5 of our children, for as long as 12mths to a currently still nursing-like-there's-no-tomorrow 18mth old toddler.

Besides the fact that breastmilk changes with the baby's needs (no need for follow-on formula or powdered mik for 1yr olds as marketed by the formula companies!), there is a very simple reason why I breastfeed.....

It is what God intended babies to feed on!

The Lord God Almighty who designed & created women to be able to bear a child, to be able to sustain life & grow it until a time deemed right to birth him/her, did not forget about the little one's nourishment out of the womb. He made women's bodies able to continue to nourish the little precious gift immediately upon birth. He even made sure that the baby has enough reserves to last as the mother's body provided nutrient-, antibody-rich colostrum for the baby till the mature milk comes in (3 - 5 days after birth *if* nursed regularly round the clock).

Isn't His design perfect & marvellous?

There's no need for any supplementation of any kind! But sadly, many women sabotaged or are sabotaged in their initial efforts to breastfeed - through ignorance. Ignorance of the mothers themselves, ignorance of the medical community, ignorance of the well meaning friends & relatives. And so they had to either supplement with formula milk or they stop breastfeedingcompletely - all the while chanting the oft heard reason of "not enough milk".

Don't get me wrong. There are women who can't breastfeed or who can't produce enough milk - these are the consequencs of living in a fallen world. But these are the minority. Most women fail because they give up too easily due to ignorance and some, due to selfish reasons.

I will not go into the medical reasons or give you links & quotes from studies showing you how superior breastfeeding is. I think these can be easily called up when you google for it. Dr Jack Newman, M.D., the La Le Leche Organisation or our very own Breastfeeding Mothers' Support Group (Singapore) has tons of information on this.

My purpose in writing this is just to point out that God has created a perfect food for our babies & that is one GREAT reason to breastfeed! :)

I will write about my breastfeeding journey in the next blog.

Posted by Anonymous

just came across your blog. I'm a Christian and a new stay-at-home mom of two boys. And I'm totally for breastfeeding too.

Yes, I would love to hear more about your BF journey. Especially on how you weaned off each of your child.

I'm currently breastfeeding my 27 month old, who also nurses like there's no tomorrow. Worse, he needs to be nursed back to sleep when he wakes up several times throughout the night, because he does not know how to soothe himself. I'm tired physically because neither he nor I get to sleep thru' the night, and mentally too, whenever a well-meaning person (who lives halfway across the globe from us) keeps saying from Day 1, that the problem is I have "not enough milk". Of course, I know that's not it.

Have you any similar experiences with your older children?

For my older boy, I nursed him till he was 3, and that's because I was 6 months pregnant with my 2nd one and my gynae feared the nursing would bring on premature contractions. I didn't exactly have an easy time weaning him off, but at least he had the milk bottle (which he drank expressed milk from, while I was at work in the day last time) to help him with the transition.

My second son does not drink from a milk bottle and has no comfort object, nor does he use a pacifier or suck his thumb. How can I help him not need the comfort sucking?

Looking forward to hearing any suggestions you may have! Thanks!

Posted by bp

just came across your blog. I'm a Christian and a new stay-at-home mom of two boys. And I'm totally for breastfeeding too.

Yes, I would love to hear more about your BF journey. Especially on how you weaned off each of your child.

I'm currently breastfeeding my 27 month old, who also nurses like there's no tomorrow. Worse, he needs to be nursed back to sleep when he wakes up several times throughout the night, because he does not know how to soothe himself. I'm tired physically because neither he nor I get to sleep thru' the night, and mentally too, whenever a well-meaning person (who lives halfway across the globe from us) keeps saying from Day 1, that the problem is I have "not enough milk". Of course, I know that's not it.

Have you any similar experiences with your older children?

For my older boy, I nursed him till he was 3, and that's because I was 6 months pregnant with my 2nd one and my gynae feared the nursing would bring on premature contractions. I didn't exactly have an easy time weaning him off, but at least he had the milk bottle (which he drank expressed milk from, while I was at work in the day last time) to help him with the transition.

My second son does not drink from a milk bottle and has no comfort object, nor does he use a pacifier or suck his thumb. How can I help him not need the comfort sucking?

Looking forward to hearing any suggestions you may have! Thanks!