Breastfeeding is Pro-God, Pro-Family, Pro-Life, Pro-Poor! Happy World Breastfeeding Month! :)

(WARNING! IF YOU ARE NOT A WOMAN OR A MOM, YOU MAY FEEL A BIT UNEASY READING THIS POST. :) HEHEHE. HOWEVER, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED TO KNOW WHY BREASTFEEDING CAN BE PRO-GOD, PRO-FAMILY, PRO-LIFE AND PRO-POOR, THEN READ ON. :) BUT DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU :)


As a breastfeeding advocate, I want to do my part in spreading the word about the several activities happening around the Metro this month of August, in line with Breastfeeding Month. However, since fellow blogger Jenny has already done a good job compiling a list of pro-breastfeeding activities in her blog, why should I reinvent the wheel right? :) So in the latter part of this post, I share with you Jenny's blog post about all the happenings related to breastfeeding this August. :) Hope to see you in one of them! (I'll be going to Eastwood and maybe the Mommy Milkshake Marathon *depends on the kiddos hehehe*)

On a  personal note, I LOVE BREASTFEEDING and really believe that it's in order with God's plan for mankind (or womankind, to be more politically correct! hahaha).  In fact, I dare say that BREASTFEEDING IS PRO-GOD, PRO-FAMILY, PRO-LIFE and even PRO-POOR!

First, breastfeeding is PRO-GOD because it gives mothers a chance to participate in God's plan for humankind, i.e. give our kids what He intended our bodies to produce for them. God really knew what He was doing when He created man and woman. Every part of our body was knit together with a specific purpose. And that includes our (women's) mammary glands and everything connected to it! The colostrum that comes out during the first suckling moments of Baby has THE MOST antibodies and nutrients that are BEST for Baby. (Don't believe what others say when they tell you to "give it up" because "your baby will go hungry", or "there's nothing coming out" etc etc!) Be patient and PRAY and your milk will let down in a few days' time! :) God made our bodies that way, so don't worry and just arm yourself with all the info you can get!

Breastfeeding is PRO-FAMILY because it strengthens the bond between (1) husband and wife as he supports her, prays for her, helps her in the breastfeeding journey, especially during the first few painful days when Mama and Baby are getting into the hang of finding the right latch, (2) mother and baby as baby gets not just physical nourishment, but also quality bonding time with Mama, which helps in boosting baby's emotional (and I'd like to believe spiritual too!) IQ. Breastfeeding also gives the father time to bond with other siblings (if any) when Mama is busy nursing the new baby. (Since Papa doesn't need to spend time cleaning and sterilizing bottles and preparing formula!). It's a win-win situation for the WHOLE family (even yaya!)

Breastfeeding is PRO-LIFE because by giving our babies the BEST nutrition, we improve the quality of their lives, and give them a better chance at fighting disease and sickness that could shorten their lives. It also gives the woman time to recover from birth if she exclusively breastfeeds for the first 6 months, she is 99% likely NOT to get pregnant again. This way, her body has time to recuperate, while at the same time, gives her and hubby time to bond with Baby, and give him the BEST of all things. What better way to sustain a LIFE than giving nutrition from one's own living body? ;)

Last but not the least, breastfeeding is PRO-POOR. Consider the cost of bottle-feeding which includes paying for infant formula, bottles, sterilizing equipment, etc etc versus the cost of breastfeeding (ZERO!). Also, if infant formula is prepared wrongly (like if moms who are hard up financially try to pinch pennies by not putting the exact amount of formula as indicated) or in unsanitary conditions, babies can get diarrhea and some may even die from dehydration as an effect. Whereas we breastfeeding moms don't have to worry about the amount of powder to mix, or clean water for baby's milk, or sterilizing! We also save a LOT of money by not buying infant formula. These savings can be put to better use, like as small start-up capital for a sideline business, or investing in mutual funds, etc. So actually, in the long run, breastfeeding can also help one achieve one's goal of financial freedom! Wow. Amazing huh?!

I remember our mission trips in Timor Leste (East Timor), and how convenient it was for us to go from place to place without having to lug around baby bottles, cans of formula, bottles of clean drinking water, etc etc. So I guess you could say breastfeeding is PRO-MISSIONARY too?! :) hehehe. I've actually breastfed standing up and walking around during our community conferences both here in the Philippines and abroad! Not to mention in a tricycle, jeepney, airplanes, public buses, MRT, boats, airports, churches, etc etc etc. (Though I know of some moms who've breastfed in even CRAZIER places! Check out Babymama's page on Facebook!)

Here's a pic of me nursing our first-born, Tim. I am proud to say, and thankful to God, that he was breastfed until 2 years and 4 months! (I was pregnant with Rysse when we weaned him, although I did want to try tandem feeding!)

Here is a more recent picture, this time it's Rysse who is nursing (believe me the Maya Wrap is one of the BEST gifts one could give an expecting mom - thanks to the Nebraos for mine! :). This was taken at the Pixar Animation Studios Exhibit in Singapore.
 

In fact, I'm sure our very own beloved Mama Mary breastfed Jesus too, and here are a few pics I found through Google Images to support my claim:
I



(See, breast really is BEST! :)

In fact, I totally advocate breastfeeding especially among new and expecting moms that I know personally. Because of my pro-breastfeeding shout-outs on Facebook, I've also come to know fellow moms like Jenny who also owns an online shop named Mama.Baby.Love, Janice Crisostomo-Villanueva of Mommy Matters and Mompreneur Manila, and Buding Aquino-Dee of Blissful Babes and L.A.T.C.H. Philippines, Mi'ann Reyes-Oblea of Babymama, and of course a dear "Ate" and ex-fellow missionary (though she is still a missionary in her own right!) in community, Denice Nillas-Price, who now owns her own line of nursing products (Lilymoms). Not to mention mommy bloggers Eli of The Painter's Wife and Tiggerlily of The Lazymama blogs among others. Of course, my fellow missionary moms like Michelle, Layle, Des, Vania, Bianca, Nida, Issa, and the others whom I've failed to mention (please forgive me...) also deserve a shout-out, since sharing breastfeeding stories with them is one of the highlights of being a nursing mama! It is SOOO nice to know that there are other moms out there who believe in giving their kids the MOST NUTRITIOUS, MOST PRACTICAL, CHEAPEST AND MOST READILY AVAILABLE MILK - Mama's best, breast milk! :)

God bless all moms out there especially those who choose to stick with breastfeeding, despite working fulltime, coping with illness, and other challenges that make breastfeeding difficult but NOT impossible! :) Also, Lord, thank You po for our hubbies, parents, and other family members and friends who support us and pray for us and with us in our nursing journey! :)

Anyway, as I wrote in the first part of this post, please find below a summary of all the happenings this August in line with Breastfeeding Month! :) Happy Breastfeeding Month everyone! (You can read Jenny's original post at http://fabnaima.blogspot.com/2010/07/its-busy-busy-august.html)

August is Breastfeeding Month with August 1-7 designated as World Breastfeeding Week. It's the month for celebrating breastfeeding and there are certainly a lot of activities planned.

LATCH will be running a month-long breastfeeding ad campaign in collaboration with QTV. Aside from TV ads, LATCH also collaborated with Eastwood City Mall and will be holding a breastfeeding photo exhibit on Monday August 2.

This

will also coincide with the launch of Eastwood Mall's Breastfeeding Room.

Monday's event is part of Eastwood Mall week-long activity called "Mom's Purest Love" culminating on Sunday with a LATCH Breastfeeding Workshop, Baby Wearing Event, Yoga and Cooking Demos and a Fashion Show launching Bianca Araneta-Elizalde's maternity/nursing wear line - Eden.

Meanwhile, also on August 8 is the annual Mommy Milkshake Marathon which is now on its 4th year! The marathon is organized by Janice Villanueva's Mommy Mundo and is open to babies, toddlers, kids, moms, moms to be, grandparents and anyone who believes in supporting the cause of breastfeeding in the Philippines. Registration fee is P200 for adults and P100 for kids from 3-16 years old. Babies below 3 can join for free. You can register by clicking this link. They are accepting only 400 participants this year. Email Janiceif you have questions.

Medela Moms are also busy this August. As a result of their most recent visit to their principal (Medela Switzerland), they were given the go-signal to run a special warehouse sale in August for the Pump In Style Advance. Twenty (20) units will be made available at P17,000.00 only!! What a steal - to celebrate Breastfeeding Month! Purchase of the pump entitles mom to warranty and lifetime discount on services (upon expiration of warranty) and enrollment to MedelaSupports, a loyalty program which includes benefits such as discounted fees to events, exclusive invites. Purelan 7g is also on sale - buy one, take one for P395. Purelan does not expire and after breastfeeding you can use it on chapped lips, dry elbows, cracked heels or chafed nostrils due to a cold. Safe for baby, there is no need to wipe off before breastfeeding or pumping.

Also check out classes from The Breastfeeding Club held at the Medela House every month. This Saturday (31 July), the class will be "Breastfeeding and Beyond" at 930am. Other classes lined up are Beginning Breastfeeding (Breastfeeding 101) on September 25, Sustaining Breastfeeding (Breastfeeding 202) on October 23, 2010 and Breastfeeding and Beyond (Breastfeeding 303) on 27 November 2010. Email the MedelaMoms to register.

Classes at the Medela House are not only for moms but also for yayas - so moms can make sure that those who take care of their children are fully prepared for any threat that may befall them while they're not around. The 2nd part of the Yaya Training Program will be held on 7 August 2010 from 9-12noon also at Medela House. Topics include safety concerns and first aid training. For previous pump buyers, first attendee rate is P700 while 2nd attendee rate is P300. For non-customers, rate is P800 for the first participant and P300 for the 2nd participant.

Finally La Leche League will continue to hold its monthly meetings in Greenhills (August 14) and Rustan's Makati (August 21). There are plans to move the Greenhills meeting from Mary the Queen to a mall - watch out for further announcements.

Happy Breastfeeding Month Everyone!


*Update 8/1/2010:
SM is also holding its own Breastfeeding Forum today, August 1 at Megamall and next week, August 8 at SM North Edsa. Check out the poster for more details.