Patience & Determination can move mountains: Breastfeeding Journey
Before her daughter was born, Pragathi Badarinath, with a Master’s degree in Biotechnology, worked in the Pharmacovigilance Sector for a few years. Post her daughter’s birth, she went on a long maternity break. If she had to describe herself, she would say that she is a dancer by passion, an avid reader, an amateur gardener and a peace lover. An Environmentalist at heart and a believer in ‘sustainable living is the way of life’, in September 2019, Pragathi started her new venture, “Hasirufy Concepts”, an eco-friendly event management and environment consultation firm. 1. Pragathi, I have such lovely memories of us spreading breastfeeding awareness across the city. And your mother has been an ardent supporter and an equally enthusiastic participant. Those were some amazing days across the World Breastfeeding Week – Flashmob, Walkathon and the Latch-on event. My mother has breastfed all her 4 children, so I would be surprised if she wasn’t by my side to spread awareness. In fact, I think she would go without me too. 2. Amazing! So that means you had it all worked out and were confident about breastfeeding once the baby came? Well, that’s what I thought. During pregnancy, apart from discussing with my mother, I even read a book called, “what to expect when you are expecting.” I thought I was pretty ready to breastfeed my child. But when do things go as planned? I had developed pregnancy induced hypertension. After the 36th week scan, my gynaecologist decided to go for a c-section as the hypertension had increased. I was under the influence of anaesthesia and hence, the baby was first fed with formula and was then brought to me. Since my baby arrived 4 weeks early, she was a bit on the tiny side and hence was not latching correctly. She was feeding for comfort instead of feeding to satisfy her hunger. Every time I tried to feed her, she would fall asleep immediately. The doctors and nurses were supportive of breastfeeding and assured me that I had enough milk and the baby would eventually learn to nurse. 3. Go on. Every time she fell asleep at the breast, the doctors, nurses and the lactation consultant (LC) would say that the baby slept because her stomach is full. However, as her mother, I knew something was not right! I knew that she kept sleeping and did not even attempt to try. I tried various positions. I went to the LC, again and again. I was assured that the baby is drinking milk and to stop worrying. The reason I felt strongly that she wasn’t getting enough is because every feeding session lasted hours together! If I unlatched her thinking she must be not hungry, she would cry and look for the breasts. Due to hours of incorrect feeding, I developed cracked nipples. With every passing day, she started to lose weight. Yet I was assured that all babies will lose birth weight in the first 3 days and they would regain it in a few days. 4. As a new mother, your anxiety level must have hit the roof. I am sorry you had a hard time. I can’t explain my state of my mind back then. Somehow her pees count was more than 6 and everybody said I am unnecessarily over feeding her. Those initial days were extremely stressful. On the seventh day, she developed neonatal jaundice. My motherly instinct told me that it was because she was not drinking milk! Yet again, everybody told me that neonatal jaundice is very common and since the pee count is fine, the neonatal jaundice may not be linked to her not nursing. During her treatment for neonatal jaundice, I begged the nurses to give her formula once as the cracked nipples were extremely painful. The way she drank the formula milk was so gut wrenching – she gulped it so fast that it looked like she compensated for all the initial days of hunger. I can never forget that day, because my worst fear came true. I was starving her. 5. At that time, you did the best you could. So please don’t beat yourself up for something that wasn’t in your hands. Did the LC not feel something was wrong? Sapna, I met the LC multiple times but every single time she said I was worrying for no reason. I was lost. I didn’t know how to make everybody understand that my breastfeeding journey is not going smoothly. All the visitors who came to see the baby started commenting how thin she is and it only made me more stressful. On our 10th day consultation with the pediatrician, he said the baby has still not gained her birth weight which is quite alarming. This is when everybody believed what I was saying since day 1. But instead of understanding that we need to work on getting a proper latch, it was all diverted towards me not having sufficient milk to quench my baby’s hunger. Thus began a whole new battle. 6. It is shocking that the LC did not think it was important to evaluate the latch and also watch the baby at the breast during feeds. I knew I had a lot of milk. I had engorged breasts, clusters of knots, leaking all the time. But still everybody concluded that I do not have milk and we have to give formula. I remember crying my heart out with the LC because I was not able to feed her liquid gold. That day, she taught me how to pump breast milk and feed the baby. I did it in front of her to make sure I got it right. I expressed milk and fed my daughter. I saw a happy, non-fussy baby after a long time. My happiness knew no bounds. That’s how my pumping journey began. 7. I know you expressed for a long time, very long time. Tell us about it. Something that I still struggle with is
Mommy and Kaira’s Dil Chaahe More: Breastfeeding Journey
Born and brought up in the beautiful city of Bengaluru, Suchitra started to work with an IT firm immediately after her graduation in Engineering. She says, “Creativity has always been my strength.” She has also been associated with several extra-curricular activities since her school days like the school band, Scouts & Guides (received the Rashtrapati award in her 10th) and several other inter school & college competitions. After her baby was born, Suchitra loves to plan and make all the birthday decors. She also makes personalized birthday chalkboards that can be a keepsake capturing all important milestones /memories of the baby. You can check it out here. 1. What were your thoughts on breastfeeding during your pregnancy days? During my pregnancy, until my third trimester, I wasn’t aware that Breastfeeding is Normal. I have seen many babies in my friends/family circle on formula and assumed that was OK too. A very good friend of mine, Shreya Krishnan, introduced me to the benefits of breastfeeding. I had attended a brief session given by my friend and was aware of the basics of breastfeeding. I felt informed and in control. Shreya had a huge role to play in the initial days until I read up everything on Breastfeeding Support for Indian Mothers (BSIM), a facebook group. 2. How was your birth experience? I started experiencing minor labor pain just before my due date; although my doctor only waited till my due date. I was induced and progressed pretty well. However after sometime, the doctor announced that the progress is slow and is affecting the baby. Hence I was again given an epidural before C-section. In short, I did not have a good birth experience. But the silver lining was, in spite of feeling severely drowsy due to the medicines, I informed the nurses to bring my baby in the Golden Hour to have her first feed, Colostrum. My girl latched like a pro and I felt thankful for my friend who advocated about the importance of the first hour. 3. Is it safe to assume things went well after you were back in the room? No. For the 3 days that I was at the hospital, I was actively nursing the baby, yet she was given 2-3 feeds of formula. I did not have much strength and also had my own doubts about my supply. While at the hospital, 2 good things happened: The pediatrician was supportive of breastfeeding and he strictly mentioned that I should wean the baby off formula by the day of my discharge. I took his words seriously and nursed my baby at every chance, mostly lying down. My friend added me to the BSIM group. On the day of the discharge, we did buy a new pack of formula on the way home. But my baby and I were a good team and we never used that pack ever. 4. So how was it after you got home? Apart from a few episodes of engorgement, especially in the initial months, the journey was pretty uneventful. Alternating between hot and cold compress helped me overcome it. I had been reading a lot on BSIM and 2 friends of mine who delivered couple of months before me were sharing their experiences too. I loved those late night conversations we had on WhatsApp while nursing the newborn. This really helped me relax and cope. I did have my share of challenges convincing people who felt the need to introduce water or honey to the baby. Post-partum mood swings made it worse at times. However my biggest strength was having a supportive family, a very pro breastfeeding spouse and my mommy friends. Joining the BSIM group at the start of my breastfeeding journey was a boon and my relation with BSIM only got better over time. 5. You went back to work after your maternity leave. How did you manage to continue with breastfeeding? It was time for me to join work at 7 months and my decision to take my girl to the crèche facility within my company campus was made even before my birth. I am not a fan of pumping and always preferred direct nursing thanks to the smooth journey I had. The only time I used a manual pump was when my girl contracted Oral Thrush on 2 occasions. Once I joined work, I would walk to the crèche every 2-3 hours to nurse her. Once meals were introduced, I would nurse her before and after meals. Breaking from work to visit my daughter for these nursing sessions was a bit tiring. But I cherish those 20 minute moments with her. Thanks to a supportive manager who trusted me as a responsible employee. 6. It is nice to see how employers are warming up to the needs of a breastfeeding mother and making arrangements for the same. But we still have a long way to go in that aspect. I totally agree to this. My employer provided an onsite day care center which proved to be quite beneficial for those who had to return to work and had minimum support at home. I used this facility to the fullest to keep my breastfeeding journey going. We still have a long way to go because, just like most employers, we don’t have an in-house facility apart from a tiny 6feet * 4feet room with only one fan and not even a window initially. There isn’t much awareness about breastfeeding among the organizations yet and this will take time. But we will get there. 7. Suchitra, I know you are a strong advocate for breastfeeding. How do you manage all of it with your work and home? While I was on my maternity leave, I mostly read a lot about breastfeeding, weaning and several parenting information. I tried to support mothers with information I gathered and soon I was a peer counsellor with BSIM. As of today, I am the moderator in the group and being able to
Following Cues: Breastfeeding Journey
After finishing her Masters in Biotechnology, Vaishali B realized that she had zero patience for research and decided to explore her first love of teaching! She got a chance to do so during her stint at the TeachIndia campaign, and she is a high school Biology teacher, now on a sabbatical. Having lived almost all her life in Mumbai and suddenly shifting to Chennai after marriage, Vaishali had a lot of time in hand to pursue reading, writing and cooking. However, she believes that motherhood has changed her. She has become more hands-on and deeply influenced by natural as well as scientific parenting. And that led to the start of her blog on early learning, the books she reads with her daughter, Montessori education and gentle parenting. You can read more about the dynamic mother-daughter duo on Amma Today on their website, Instagram and Facebook (FB). Vaishali currently freelances from home and plans to get back to teaching once the little one starts full day school. In the meanwhile, Vivikthya, her 2 year old, keeps her on her toes, mind active and teaches her new lessons in patience, thinking and love every day. 1. Vaishali, you had a great support system in the form of your doctor during your pregnancy. Could you tell us about your birthing experience? During pregnancy, I focused only on my bump, the kicks, and the delivery that I did not pay attention to breastfeeding. I have been truly blessed and lucky to have found a supportive gynaecologist who conducted monthly prenatal classes. One session had a paediatrician cover the basics of breastfeeding – the whys and hows. In fact, she also emphasized on nursing in public (NIP) being absolutely normal and how to take ‘milk supply is not enough’ comments in our stride. I had a beautiful pregnancy surrounded by family, friends and chirpy students. Everyone predicted an early delivery; so imagine my disappointment when 2 days past my expected delivery date (edd) there were no signs of labour. My gynaecologist was supportive of a natural birth process but since I had oligohydraminos (water level had reduced greatly), she induced me using a Folley balloon catheter. After 11 hours of labour, my girl made a dramatic entry, vaginally. 2. I am glad you had a delivery, free of unnecessary interventions. How was your first experience with breastfeeding? The doctors were particular that I be the first one to hold her for a second before she was sent off to get cleaned. She was then brought back to be fed within the golden hour. The nurses, doctors and residents ensured I had no issues in breastfeeding. The first latch, to be honest, was painful. And all I could see were 2 drops. I did worry if it was enough. The gynaecs and support staff helped me with the latch immediately. The first few days were awkward. Plus V was a chomper and cluster fed a lot. I think I broke down on day 2 when I was already having a hard time, and the hospital’s Lactation Consultant (LC) came for rounds and announced to my husband, “Doodh enough nahi hai (There is not enough milk). Ask her to nurse more. Or else the baby will keep crying.” Well, that was just the beginning. V had acute colic, and has been almost singularly only with me since birth. It seemed like we were nursing for major part of the day. To add to it, random people would stop me and advise me about my milk supply on hearing her cries. At about 6 weeks, there was a week when she slept through the night and I woke with heavy breasts. That was when I saw with my own eyes that there was enough milk and decided to turn a deaf ear to unwelcome suggestions. A pediatrician advised to have galactagogue; I wish I hadn’t done that, simply because there was no need. One fine day I decided to stop as I kept gaining weight steadily after having them. Guess what? My supply primarily depended on V’s suckling. Hence, not affected. 3. You did struggle a bit during the initial few weeks. How did you manage? My husband had to go back to his work city the day after we got back home from the hospital. My dad had to go back to work and mom developed a condition in her shoulder because of which she couldn’t move her hands for the next couple of weeks. Thus, although we had help for other chores, baby care primarily fell on my shoulders. My girl had severe colic. I used to dread the 4-10p.m window. She refused anybody else and had to be carried and rocked the entire time. The first few weeks were hard. Due to cluster feeding, I had sore nipples and my back hurt. But once I started nursing lying down, and babywearing her, I think I got some of my sanity back. Everybody helped in whatever little way they could, whenever they could. My mum looked up lactation friendly recipes and my dad massaged my back while I nursed V during her infant days. After I went back to my husband, he would get up at nights to help burp the baby. He even cooked the next day because I was exhausted from being awake the whole night. That’s how I managed! 4. It is amazing when you have your family as your little army of support! Absolutely! I also have to mention the Breastfeeding Support for Indian Mothers (BSIM) FB group which has time and again given me the will to continue on extremely hard days. They made me realize that full term breastfeeding should not be a taboo. And last but not the least, I have to mention my mommy tribe – my gang of girls to whom I vented out on hard days. They made it seem like it’s okay because, they are going through it too. I don’t think I can
The Learning Curve: Breastfeeding Journey
A doting mother to Kayalvizhi, her 2 years and 3 months old, Sinduja loves to bake and read; her companions to get through difficult parenting days with ease. She says, “My kindle was and is still my savior during late night feeding sessions, growth spurts and cluster feedings. Sinduja is a software professional for 7 years and is absolutely rocking the balance between work and home. Read her successful journey to the top of the learning curve. 1. Sinduja, you seemed to have prepared yourself for breastfeeding in the few months leading up to your delivery. I have always seen my cousins feeding their kids. So my initial knowledge about breastfeeding was that it is a natural process and milk secretion will begin as soon as the baby comes out. I had no idea about the complexities surrounding it. Luckily for me, my close friend Manju added me to a Facebook support group, Breastfeeding Support for Indian Mothers (BSIM), when I was 5 months pregnant. Since I have a passion for reading, I just started reading through the various documents in the group. This played a major role in my breastfeeding journey. I got to know that WHO recommends breastfeeding exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and with solids for a minimum of 2 years. The posts from other members regarding issues they face created awareness for me. I learnt about growth spurts, cluster feedings, nipple pain, engorgement, etc and also got to know the various myths associated with feeding. This was all in total contrast to what I had originally known about breastfeeding. Based on the information provided on the group, I knew I had short and flat nipples and I learnt the deep latching techniques to prepare myself. “I concluded that breastfeeding is an art which has a learning curve associated with it; to be mastered by the mother and child.” 2. Wow, that’s just truly commendable! So did all the knowledge and preparation help when it came down to actually breastfeeding? Apart from a few hiccups, it was a pretty smooth journey from day 1. I had an induced vaginal delivery using vacuum and had an epidural as well. I started feeding my daughter within 2 hours of birth. Luckily for me, she latched like a pro from the beginning and I also had a good supply. In spite of all this, she had lost more than 12% of her birth weight. So, a ‘namesake’ Lactation Consultant (LC) from the hospital checked and advised me to use a nipple shield. Since I had already read about the cons of using a shield I refused to use it. Due to neonatal jaundice, they kept my daughter inside a phototherapy glass box . They asked me to give her top feed (formula) with my pumped milk since she was not gaining weight. They also prescribed galactogogues. Though I knew pumping wasn’t advisable in the initial days and galactogogues may mess up my supply, the mom in me refused to budge. Instead I continued to give her my pumped milk as a top feed and fortunately she started gaining weight from the next day. We had another setback when she stopped pooping from the time she was kept inside the phototherapy box. Everyone constantly kept saying that the jaundice will reduce only when she poops. They gave her anal stimulation. She pooped once bringing down the jaundice level leading to our discharge. But the struggle was after we got home. She wasn’t pooping and that is when I began to doubt my supply. Thankfully, there was no pressure to give formula. I went to a certified LC, Swati Jagdish, in Coimbatore (India). She helped me understand how breast milk works with babies easing my tensions. Coincidentally, my daughter started pooping regularly from then. 3. You went back to work when your daughter turned 6 months. How did you manage to continue breastfeeding? Nothing would have been possible without my awesome support system – my parents, sister and husband. They were all equally involved in taking care of the baby and all I had to do was nurse her. When I came to Bangalore (India) after 6 months, my mom accompanied me and continues to stay with us as I have a full time job. I had flexible working hours and I could choose between working out of home or office. Till she turned 11 months, I pumped once in the morning which was sufficient for 2 feeds. I would be home for lunch by the time the pumped milk got over and continued to work from home. Since she had taken well to solids by then, I slowly increased my hours at the office. Till she was 15 months, I pumped in the mornings and then transitioned her to cow’s milk. We breastfed directly when together. 4. A solid support system does make a whole lot of difference in a breastfeeding journey. But there came in a point in your journey when you had nursing aversions. How did you overcome it? Things were going good until we hit the 18th month growth spurt. She demanded to be fed every 5 mins when together. While some days went well, some days were really rough. At one point the nursing aversions were at its peak. I ended up staying longer hours in the office only to avoid breastfeeding. Honestly, I was on the verge of quitting but kept telling myself that this is just a phase. The online support groups were my savior. They gave me the necessary push to carry on. And just like that, we crossed the big milestone of nursing for 2 years. And I take pride in saying that we haven’t visited a hospital even once for anything other than vaccinations in these 2 years. All thanks to the immunity built through breastfeeding. Things are a lot better now and she understands when I say I can’t feed her as I’m tired. The journey has become a lot
Slow and Steady: Breastfeeding Journey
A Bollywood enthusiast, extremely strong willed and energetic, Laxmi Denis Dsouza is a total Mumbaikar by heart and soul. Her friends call her a “Powerhouse”. Out of the 22 years of knowing each other, she celebrated a decade of marriage to her partner in crime (not literally ;)), Denis. They have a 4-year-old naughty little toddler named Yohaan. Let’s read about how she took slow and steady steps towards a successful breastfeeding journey. 1. Laxmi, let’s begin with your birthing experience. I delivered Yohaan whom we fondly call as Yohu after 5.5 years of our marriage. We had a very difficult journey right from conceiving him until delivery. He happened to us post several surgeries, medications, hopes and prayers. Our chances of conceiving naturally were at 50%. I am thankful to God that it happened. Since, I was a high-risk patient from the word go, I knew it was going to be a C-section. I had neither read about anything related to breastfeeding, nor did I know about concepts like skin-to-skin, the importance of colostrum or even exclusive breastfeeding and its benefits to the child. I delivered Yohu in October 2014 around 5.30 pm and was out of the operation theatre by 6.30 pm. Everybody was busy clicking pictures with him and exclaiming how cute he is while I was just lying down with no energy to move. I had not even taken him in my arms, forget breastfeeding. 2. Did you breastfeed immediately? I was ignorant and absolutely unaware if my baby was fed anything between 5.30pm to 10.30pm. I guess it did not cross my mind because he was sleeping peacefully. The nurse came around 10.30pm and said she is taking him for a feed; even then, I did not question her. They took him inside, gave him something and brought him back. The nurse said I couldn’t feed him that day as I was on IV; “let him drink ‘outside’ milk and sleep in the cubicle made for babies”. In the middle of the night, the nurse came and placed him beside me. I remember waking up and seeing my cute little potato properly for the first time. 3. When and how was breastfeeding initiated? It was only the next morning. I took Yohu in my hands and froze. I remember the feeling till date. The big moment to feed him had just arrived. The nurse asked me to try feeding and she left. I was a little conscious about feeding him in front of my mother-in-law (MIL) and mother. I still tried a few times but was unsuccessful. The nurse tried to help but declared that I did not have a milk supply yet. I was trying to be strong when another statement from my MIL broke my heart into pieces. She said, “You drank a lot of milk during pregnancy; where did all of that go?”. A drop of tear rolled down my cheeks and I silently said sorry to my son. 4. I am so sorry that you had a difficult start. Did it get better the next day? No, it did not. They fed him powdered milk and kept him away from me too. This continued for another two days. I remember each time trying to feed him and failing miserably. The stress and tears were back. One nurse asked my husband to get a pump. He was really supportive and followed every instruction to help me breastfeed. I was discharged with advice to keep trying, some tablets and a big box of powdered milk. 5. I wish you weren’t discharged till you began breastfeeding. How was it after you got home? I wished the same too. The real struggle began after we got home. I just did not know how to hold my child. He howled every time he was brought near my breasts. I was convinced that I wasn’t making any milk. But my breasts had started to pain miserably, which was confusing to me. Next morning, the massage woman helped me relieve the pain and told me that I have a lot of milk for the baby. Those words were comforting. The struggle was getting severe with each passing day. Yohu was on formula and a little pumped milk. My hands hurt from manually pumping. I was also stressed and crying constantly for not being able to feed him directly. Not having the right information also led to us giving him cow’s milk one night as he was crying continuously. As suggested on discharge, we tried the nipple shield. Some days he would drink through the shield and some days from a bottle. However, he refused to nurse directly. A month went by and it was time for his first visit to the doctor. 6. Kudos to you for trying. Why did you not reach out for help after the first few days itself? Was the visit helpful? I was ashamed and in guilt for the first month that I wasn’t able to feed Yohu. Also, I wasn’t aware there are specific groups on social media or experts called as Lactation Counselors who help mothers like me. We were in for a shock during the doctor’s visit – Yohu had lost considerable weight. The doctor was upset and extremely rude. He ‘assumed’ that I wasn’t nursing to maintain my figure and get back to work earlier. He also labelled my child as cranky with behavioral issues. I broke down and explained that I was doing my best but it just wasn’t falling in place. All he said was that it is a natural process. He showed me some techniques and asked me to keep trying. I felt extremely insulted by the doctor and I was determined to get it right for my son. Postpartum Depression (PPD) made it worse. Nothing and nobody was helping the situation. One day, I had a huge fight with my husband while feeding Yohu formula. He said some really nasty things and that he
Fighting Barriers: Breastfeeding Journey
If you ask me, I will say Meena Guptha has her heart in place, standing strong and fighting barriers in life! When we asked her to describe herself, she said, “A fun-loving introvert with zero sense of humour. I love sleeping, hanging out with my friends and spending quality time with my son.” A commerce graduate and having been trapped in the corporate world for 15 years, Meena Guptha dreams of owning a business some day. She is currently on a mission to strike off items of her to-do list before turning 40. 1. Meena, you seemed to have had a difficult time conceiving. Can you please tell us how Mayank entered your lives? Difficult is probably an understatement. Both my husband and I are fond of children and post a year of our marriage, we began to try for a baby. We did try for a while with no results till we finally decided to seek medical help. As per the doctor’s advice, we changed our lifestyle – eat healthy, get ample rest, remain as stress free as possible – unfortunately, luck wasn’t kind on us yet. We both had to undergo a series of tests. Thankfully, they were all positive. Then began the numerous temple visits and prayers – we were at a point that we would do anything that would help us get a baby. I tortured myself with treatments that ranged from Ayurvedic to Homeopathic to 5 IUIs and 1 IVF. We were even blessed with a baby through IVF. But unfortunately, we lost it at 3 months due to improper growth. By then, I gave up. Mentally and physically, I was broken. I stopped all treatments and offering prayers (and temple visits). Maybe we weren’t meant to have a baby. I believed so and thought I should accept it and move on. Of course, society wasn’t being easy on us and although my husband was supportive, he did get influenced at times to “go through more treatments”. A few months later, when we least expected, there were two lines on the pregnancy kit. I was ecstatic but held on to my excitement as the previous experience left a bad taste. I could breathe a sigh of relief only when I finally held Mayank in my arms 9 months later. 2. The journey was definitely painful and I would be lying if I say I can imagine what you must have gone through. How did your breastfeeding journey begin post-delivery? I did not read up during my pregnancy. My work dint leave me with enough time for any sort of leisure. Also, I am not a book person. Since it was a delicate pregnancy and I had Gestational Diabetes (GD), the doctor suggested C-section and we went ahead with it without much contemplation. Post-delivery, they immediately showed Mayank to me and my husband (who had come in to cut the cord). I was then stitched up, cleaned and shifted to the recovery room while they took Mayank to meet the family members waiting outside. This delayed skin to skin and they brought him to me an hour later. Thankfully, he latched on like a pro and thus began a beautiful journey. 3. You did have a good start in spite of the unexpected and unnecessary delay. So, was it a smooth run thereafter? The hospital staff was supportive with breastfeeding and they used to come and help me every 2 hours. However, I was not confident that I was doing it right. The severe pain from the stitches was making the experience bitter as I was hardly able to move around. To top it off, the visitors kept passing comments on how sensitive I was to pain. Like, really!! We did have a few sessions with the Lactation Consultant (LC) but it still did not give me the confidence. She asked me to follow the football hold until the pain subsided. Surprisingly, they weren’t in favour of nursing while lying down. The suffering was immense to sit for long hours for cluster feeds. I was in two minds to try the lying down position as my sister (who had delivered 5 months earlier) had done so. But a strict no from my LC made it tough. 4. It is unfortunate how the struggles just did not seem to end. Did you have Post-Partum Depression (PPD)? I did suffer from mild PPD. My husband wasn’t around and my mother was single-handedly managing things. Mayank was a night owl; the long hours at night with even less sleep during the day began to take a toll on me. He used to cry a lot and it used to drive me mad as I could not figure out why. As a first time mother, I fell prey to a lot of myths which just added to my misery. I have long hair and the pressure to dry it up before feeding the baby (because he would fall sick!) drove me mad. During his first vaccination, the paediatrician asked me not to cluster feed, as it would become a ‘habit’! I still regret believing and following this because he used to cry badly and I still wouldn’t feed him because the doctor said so; and stuck to nursing only every 2 hours. I had to even go through food restrictions as it would affect the baby. All of this went on for 3 months and I thought I couldn’t go on. 5. I am so sorry for the misinformation and myths you were subjected to. What happened after 3 months? At around 3 months there was a lot of pressure to start solids. It dint feel or sound right. I took to the internet to find out more and stumbled upon a wonderful group – Breastfeeding Support for Indian Mothers (BSIM) on Facebook. I joined, went through their files and posts and felt more confident about my decision to continue exclusive breastfeeding. It helped that my husband was on-board with this decision.
Nursing in Sequence: Breastfeeding Journey
A software engineer, Meghna Antani, used to work full time till she delivered her son in May 2012. When on maternity leave, she had to move and hence quit her job. She is now a full time mommy to her two children. Let’s read through her beautiful journey, nursing in sequence. 1. Meghna, how was preparation vs. initiation of breastfeeding? While pregnant in 2012, the literature recommended and available was not the best. I read “What to expect when you’re expecting” many times. I thought I was prepared for labour and delivery. And that breastfeeding should be instinctive. My son was born with an emergency cesarean at about 8pm on a Sunday. He demanded to feed and latched on fairly well for the situation, as soon as he was to brought to me in the recovery room. With the still fresh wound, It was a challenge to turn to my side, but somehow I was able to position him. He wanted to take a long feed and sleep with me. The nurses thought I needed to rest myself. So he would feed for about half an hour and then cry when taken outside. I couldn’t rest even if I wanted to; not much because I could only hear my newborn’s wails. The nurses would entertain him for another half to one hour and bring him back to feed and hopefully sleep. I think they also gave him a feed of formula. The cycle continued till 5:30 in the morning, when I simply asked the nurse to go away and leave me with the baby. I covered him and nursed him to sleep. After waking up, I needed another incision for the IV as it had collapsed from the entire baby holding and positioning. They asked me to be careful as it took many incisions. 2. So, it basically was a smooth journey? The breastfeeding journey was not very challenging, he fed well. The only hitch was the lactation counsellor (LC) recommending to sit and feed, space out feeds, limit the feeds to certain time every few hours. To my regret, I followed this advice till seeing the paediatrician after a week. He advised to feed on demand and use any comfortable position. I lied down to nurse. The breastfeeding journey was smooth from that point onward; baby’s pee count was good. I did get tired from constant nursing and used to attempt to go out of baby’s sight once or twice a day. Learnt about baby carriers and tried one commercially available option at about 6 weeks, it was a resounding fail. I did not know enough about ergonomic babywearing or would have tried something (I regret not knowing enough then, it was a boon with my second). 3. You breastfed your son till he turned 4. Can you tell us a little about the journey? My son breastfed on demand till he was about 17-18 months. Slowly, I started distracting from few daytime demands and focusing on food intake. By the time he was 2 years, he was down to breastfeeding before nap and bed, after wake up, and during night wake up. I relaxed it based on the situation; when he was teething or sick he fed on demand. In another few months, I dropped the wake up feeds and offered food instead. He continued to nurse before nap and bedtime (and night wake up) till he weaned. Towards the end, it was down to exactly 3 feeds, 1 each before nap and sleep, 1 at dawn. We would read books at bedtime, and then he would feed to sleep. All attempts at getting him to wean were unsuccessful (we had to attempt night weaning because of carries), so we left it to his choice. At some point after his 4th birthday, he had a very large and painful ulcer near the lips which interfered in latching. He was still going strong at 4 years with no signs of quitting, and within 5 days was weaned. I continued to read before bed and he slept in the same position as before, minus the breastfeeding. At dawn, I patted him back to sleep. He stopped napping the day he refused to feed. So, with a combination of stopping breastfeeds and stopping the afternoon nap, he started sleeping for about 10 hours uninterrupted. I was also working on night pee training. An illness warrants a visit to a doctor; similarly take breastfeeding difficulties to a LC. 4. Indeed a beautiful journey! How was the beginning with your daughter? I found out that I was pregnant around the same time that he weaned. So it was pure luck that I didn’t have to worry about nursing through pregnancy or weaning or tandem nursing. I continued to sleep with him, till he started jumping on my tummy to wind down. We used a queen sized bed so my husband slept in another room to give us space. After a few weeks into pregnancy, I switched places with my husband. We continue the arrangement now, I sleep with the younger and husband sleeps with the older. Pregnancy was smooth apart from horrid nausea. I delivered a girl on a Friday in January 2017 at about 8 am. She was born in a VBAC (Vaginal Birth after C-section). As soon as I was sutured and given leave from the labour room, within 20 minutes after birth, she was breastfed. She was jaundiced, didn’t demand feeds, and preferred to sleep when swaddled. The latch was shallow. I was feeding a 4 year old before the pregnancy so maybe my perception was skewed. I figured out a pattern where I would strip her down to change diaper then nurse back to sleep. We saw very few pee diapers till after discharge. 5. Did it get better after you got home? I think there was no pee for over 24 hours. But the doctor was not worried. He asked us to wait for 36 hours and keep feeding. After discharge,
Challenging Obstacles: Breastfeeding Journey
Parigna Pandya Shah loves challenging obstacles through her determination, perseverance and hard work. Before we see it through her breastfeeding journey, let us learn a little more about her. Parigna completed her Masters in Counselling Psychology and a Masters in Gujarati Literature. She was awarded a gold medal for topping the University. Parigna began learning Indian Classical Music at the age of 6 and has sung for ads, TV serials, private albums and for Gujarati and Hindi films till college years. Post her 12th grade, she got into dubbing and went on to become a full time voice artiste. Some of her appreciated dubbing jobs are Hermione Granger in Harry Potter, Peaches in Ice Age, Gwen in Ben 10 and Chhota Bheem in Chhota Bheem. Other films (dubbing) in her kitty include Angry Birds (movie), Independence Day, Resurgence, X-men and more. The Disney approved singing voice of Minnie Mouse is hers. She has also explored the field of acting by doing a couple of Gujarati plays called ‘Jaagine joun to – Narsainyo, ek musical gatha’ and ‘Mari Vani, Meghani Sarvani’ with renowned actor Utkarsh Mazumdar. She also did a serial called ‘Muktibandhan’ for Colors TV in 2011 and acted in a short film ‘Kabira calling’. When asked, Parigna describes herself as a psychologist by education, singer/dubbing artiste by profession and an actor by passion. Post baby, she does selective work and her most recent prestigious project was voicing (hindi) for Emma Stone in her latest movie – Battle of the sexes. 1. Very impressive profile, Parigna. Were you prepared for this new journey you were to embark on? The hospital I chose to deliver in followed the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI). The gynaecologist(s) are staunch supporters of breastfeeding and are active in the Maharashtra chapter of Breastfeeding Promotion Network India (BPNI). From when a woman is pregnant, breastfeeding is promoted. The classes that are arranged are not only for the expecting mothers but also for the fathers; to introduce them to the importance and basics of breastfeeding. I had taken a prenatal class along with my family members with a lactation consultant (LC) working at my birthing facility. I learnt about its importance, challenges, common issues and their solutions; in theory. I had seen my mom nursing my younger sister. I had also seen other women in my extended family nursing their babies. So I thought, how hard could it be! 2. It looked like a good start. A little theory knowledge helps you recognize a situation. How much did it help you? I had a normal delivery and I nursed my baby right on the delivery table; just a few minutes after she was born. The first two days were pretty uneventful apart from the major sleep deprivation that was paving its way through my life, for years to follow. 😉 My milk volume increased on the third day leaving me super engorged pretty soon. It was not only difficult to latch the baby on the breast hard as rock, but next to impossible to be able to express without going through excruciating pain. People tried to help; from my husband to my mom and sister. The LC taught me the expression technique, but it was too painful to even touch my breasts. None of us could bring ourselves to inflict so much pain upon me. A nurse, of course with the right intentions, volunteered and expressed with totally wrong techniques. This led to bruising of my right breast and it continued to pain for a month. I can easily mark that day as the toughest day in my life with regards to enduring physical pain. Simultaneously, my baby developed neonatal jaundice. They gave her light therapy in my room itself. The physical pain of engorgement coupled with emotional pain of seeing that tiny thing in a box under blue lights was overwhelming. 3. Definitely not the start you had expected. Did things get better once you got home? Fortunately, things seemed to get better after a day and we came home. I have always been a very sincere and dedicated person. I try to give my best in everything I do. And if I can’t do something to the best of my abilities, I don’t do it at all. But in certain things, you can’t quit. Some things are too important to be left at the mercy of fate; breastfeeding is one of those. I had a mission in front of me – ‘6 months of exclusive breastfeeding’. So, I put alarms and nursed my baby every 2 hours. We were called the next evening for a weight check. My baby had lost 90 grams of her weight in 24 hours. Shocked, we immediately rushed to the pediatrician. She checked and observed her and told us that Aaratrika is lethargic. Her fingertips and soles were slightly blue and she wasn’t nursing efficiently. The pediatrician was surprised. She had been coming to the maternity home where I delivered from day one. As per her, my baby was the most active baby around. She advised my daughter’s admission to NICU for observation. 4. I got goosebumps. I cannot even imagine your plight. What happened next? I was in the general ward of the children’s hospital smelling my baby’s clothes. I thought I had lost her. There was no bed/room available at the hospital and I stayed the night with my husband sitting on the staff bed. And I went inside the NICU every couple of hours to nurse my baby. Eventually we had to be in the hospital for 3 more nights. They did numerous tests on her. All the reports were perfectly fine. The doctors came to the conclusion that the baby must not have received enough milk because of my super engorged breasts. Apparently, the baby was suckling, but was unable to transfer any milk. This really shattered me. As a mother, I had to just feed the baby. But, I couldn’t do that as well! The
Changing perspectives, one mother at a time | Breastfeeding Photography
A series of photographs that captures the essence of breastfeeding through the streets and homes in India.
Image Credits – @storiously
Formula to Breast: Breastfeeding Journey
Sanyukta Bardhan completed her graduation in Commerce from Calcutta University. Although she always wanted to pursue a career in fashion designing and creative art, she moved on to learn digital designing for Arena Animation Academy. She also completed a course in Montessori and taught for 2 years. Sanyukta has hosted a couple of television shows before her marriage. Post-marriage she joined advertising and had her heart set on it. When her elder daughter was born, Sanyukta chose to quit her job of 5 years and has been a Stay At Home Mum (SAHM) ever since. She is now slowly beginning to learn and work on handmade objects and is looking forward to develop it into a business someday. Read on to know her journey from formula to breast. 1. Your breastfeeding journey with your older daughter was far from what you had expected. What went wrong? I had an unnecessary C-section when my older daughter was born. It seemed quite normal back then because I was pretty young and whatever the doctor said seemed just right. He asked me if I preferred a certain date to deliver my baby. I nodded, and out came my first bundle of joy. With almost zero knowledge about breastfeeding and the lack of guidance, I didn’t even know how to establish a breastfeeding relation with her. They dint give me my child after birth but brought her for feeds at an interval of 4 to 5 hours. Obviously I wasn’t lactating and the baby was taken away from me only to be brought back during visiting hours. The hospital had most definitely started delivering formula and I had little or no say in it. The guilt of not being able to breastfeed was killing me. I was made to believe that I wasn’t capable of nursing. I wasn’t bothered and kept trying to hand express but milk had still not come in. The baby we brought home would be so calm and rarely demand feeds. Dehydration led to jaundice and a couple of tests revealed that she was lactose intolerant, was in danger zone and had to be hospitalised as soon as possible. By then I had started lactating and was pumping and feeding her at the hospital. The doctor informed us that my milk won’t suit the little one as she was lactose intolerant. That was far from the truth, impossible to say the least, which I learnt later. With a heavy heart, we moved her to formula. The doctor sent her blood samples to Australia because he feared that she maybe Galactosemic which meant that sugar would wreak havoc and the mother’s milk was not even an option. I still had my doubts. So when she was 6 months old we took her to a renowned doctor in Mumbai to check her vitals. She was perfectly fine; no galactosemia and not lactose intolerant under any circumstances. I can’t tell you how happy and devastated I was at the same time. While I was extremely happy that she was perfectly fine, I was heartbroken to have missed out on offering breastmilk to my first child. Now research shows that you can feed your child through any sickness. One can also feed their child even if she’s lactose intolerant by completely eliminating dairy from the mother’s diet. 2. I can’t even begin to imagine what you must have gone through. I am sorry you had a very hard start. So, when it came to your younger daughter were you well armed with information? I did not read up much during pregnancy as I was expecting it to be natural and easy. Although reading helps to quite an extent, living it up in reality is far different from the knowledge that you gain from reading. I knew I had to breastfeed my child but I wasn’t ready for what lay ahead. With my younger child, again I had a C-section because the doctor didn’t want to take any risk. But this hospital did everything possible to ensure that the child gets breastmilk immediately after delivery. I tried to latch my baby on as much as possible but she wouldn’t. So I requested the nurse to offer formula (she did hesitate) as I needed my baby to have something. The Lactation Counsellor (LC) at the hospital helped to latch baby onto me as much but we were failing. So I frantically started hand expressing and offering breastmilk in bottles. She had jaundice too but recovered within 2 days. After we came home, I started expressing day and night to offer my milk but when I got exhausted I would offer a bottle or two of formula. A great friend added me to the Facebook group, Breastfeeding Support for Indian Mothers (BSIM) and that opened a world of knowledge and information galore on breastfeeding and milk production. I silently read through the posts (on the group) in the first one or two days and then posted on how to go about feeds because hand expressing was wearing me out. The admins took up my case and showered me with the best solutions to go about direct feeds. On a post, Adhunika Prakash (the founder) mentioned that breastmilk works on a supply and demand system; and that got hammered into my brain. Thus, I set out on the journey of weaning my baby off her bottles. As there was a whole lot of work involved in extracting milk, she hated the breast; and loved the bottle due to its fast pace and less work. But hours of dream feeding and constant effort to latch paid off and magic happened one fine day. They gave her the bottle but she kept refusing it and demanded feeds from me. Ta daa, there was no looking back ever since. It involved a lot of cluster feeding and sleepless hours but why complain when you know that your baby is getting the best. 🙂 3. Tell us a little more about how you
