Willpower & Perseverance: Breastfeeding Journey
Dia Jadwani is a practising Certified Lactation Counsellor (LC), in Ahmedabad (India). She is an Electronics and Communication engineer with a Masters degree in Engineering Business Management from Warwick University, United Kingdom (U.K). While in London, she also got the opportunity to work for a year at the International Digital Lab. Dia married in 2010 and switched jobs from being a homemaker to a manager at her husband’s hotel. She was a visiting lecturer at the IIPM University before turning into a full-time mom. At present, she’s content with her new designation; a full time mommy and a part time LC. Read Dia Jadwani’s journey to know how her willpower and perseverance kept her going. 1. Dia, although you had a great start to your breastfeeding journey, the bumps were just around the corner. My breastfeeding journey began on 26th June 2014. The start was actually miraculously easy. My baby latched on to me beautifully with very little help of a loving nurse at the hospital. The hospital (doctors and staff) appeared to be supportive of breastfeeding. Well, they even had a box of formula ready to feed the baby. They emphasized on how it was normal to give the baby formula in the first two days post-delivery. The hospital completely lacked the means to counsel a new mother. They told me that it would take few days for the milk to come in. There was nobody to teach me how to latch and its importance in the following days. I was unaware of what to expect in the coming days. I clearly remember how scared I was to leave the hospital with a new-born. Although, she latched on well, I was still scared. I did not know what I was supposed to do or what was expected of me as a mother! Very soon, we met with our line of hurdles; severe engorgement on the third day to De Quervain disease, baby blues (mild postpartum depression (PPD)) and mastitis at 18 months. I could not even lift my baby when I was suffering from De Quervain. It felt like I had seen it all. I was a naïve mother with no knowledge of anything related to breastfeeding as I didn’t read much. The only thing I knew was that I had to breastfeed my daughter for the first six months. My mother and cousin (brother) asked me to do so. And I did it. I live in a nuclear set up and that kind of helped me take decisions without any outside interference. 2. That sounds really rough. How did you motivate yourself to keep going? I struggled due to lack of sleep during growth spurts. I would be up from 1-5 am just nursing, but I wouldn’t budge. And I exclusively breastfed her for six months. Then came the unwanted advice by well-meaning friends and adults to wean her off breast milk by around the tenth month. I even bought formula (1 kg pack) to introduce at 8 months, which eventually got dumped. Something didn’t feel right so I began educating myself about breastfeeding. I started reading and even posted my queries in various Facebook support groups. That led me to a wonderful group, “Breastfeeding support for Indian Mothers (BSIM)”. I got answers to my queries by asking and by reading several posts in the group. I realised so many mothers are nursing their 2 and 3 year olds. It motivated me to go beyond the stipulated breastfeeding timeline made by our society. BSIM changed everything for me in a positive way. It helped me breastfeed my daughter much longer than I had anticipated and I even found a career in it. It is very rarely that we come across a mother who has not been subjected to weaning advice. Do you fall in the rare group? There were so many people coming in with unsolicited advice that it was becoming difficult to function. I was bombarded with several myths. Eat more ghee and drink more milk to make more milk! Nurse only after an interval of 2 hours else it would cause gas to the baby. I wasn’t allowed to nurse after washing my hair. Basically they just wanted to let the baby cry I guess! If the baby demanded milk frequently or fed for a longer duration I was told that I wasn’t making enough. Looking back, I realised that people love to make a new mother’s life difficult instead of providing actual support. The one myth that affected me the most was feeding at intervals, an advice given by the paediatrician. I believed the doctor as Vihaana (my daughter) was already a colicky baby. I still remember putting her through a difficult time where she would cry and I would watch the clock. My mother had to drive some sense into me when my brain had actually stopped functioning. She reasoned with me and asked.“If you do not feed her then how exactly are you planning to make her quiet? Do you want to start formula? Does your doctor know how to stop a hungry baby from crying when all other methods are exhausted?” That struck a bell! From then, it was only nursing on demand even if it meant just after a gap of 15 minutes. And that was the last time I ever took advice from a paediatrician about breastfeeding. I just followed my instinct as I understood that there was nothing better available than a mother’s own milk. 3. Tell us a little more about the obstacles you faced during breastfeeding. The initial months were based on gut instincts and no support. And I admit, I made mistakes along the way. As most new mothers, I doubted my supply when my daughter nursed like a new born through growth spurts. I dint even know this term back then and ended up having supplements to boost my supply. Religious intake of the supplements for a month led to engorgement and plugged ducts due to oversupply. I
Perfect – Imperfect Journey: Breastfeeding Journey
Priya Kathpal is a nutritionist by profession. She says, “It happened during the college years while exploring career options and interests 🙂 I must mention here that I am a big time foodie at heart. Being a nutritionist actually helps me balance things :P. I can’t really say I was unaware about so and so food effects :D”. Read on to know about Priya Kathpal’s perfect – imperfect breastfeeding journey.
Sailing through hurdles: Breastfeeding Journey
Zoya Khan has two degrees and one masters to her credit; a Bachelors in Technology (B.Tech), Bachelors in Commerce (B.Com) and Masters in Business Administration (MBA). She had the opportunity to work with dyslexic kids and be a part of their life’s journey when she decided to do a few certificate courses. Zoya did a few workshops for teaching special needs children. She counselled parents of differently-abled kids as they weren’t ready to accept them. At one of the meets, she met a person who helped abuse (all kinds) victims. Zoya moved on to assist with counselling them too. After shifting base to Hyderabad (India), she has not been affiliated with any organisation. But Zoya continues to help victims of abuse through online counselings. She is currently pursuing a course in Clinical Psychology. Zoya has also developed her passion in crocheting into a business and CuddliciousZ was born. Her breastfeeding journey was no cakewalk, but sail through the hurdles she did.
A bittersweet journey: Breastfeeding Journey
Raksha Raghavan was born and raised in Bangalore before she moved to Singapore after marriage. She did her engineering in information technology and worked with IBM, Bangalore for around 2.5yrs. After moving to Singapore, she worked for BNP Paribas for 1.5 years before moving to London in the same job for another 2 yrs. Raksha later joined an American bank for 1.5 years before she went on her maternity leave. After the government stipulated leave period of 12 months, she is back to building her career with JP Morgan. Raksha is an avid reader and a crochet artist. She also used to write a lot until a couple of years ago. Apart from the above mentioned Raksha is a crusader for breastfeeding and is a certified Breastfeeding Mother Supporter. Read on to know more about Raksha’s bittersweet breastfeeding journey.
Trust yourself and carry on: Breastfeeding Journey
Sneha Dutta is an Electronics and Communications engineer by education. She was hired by Deloitte Consulting India Pvt Ltd straight from campus. In her 7.5 years with them, Sneha developed into a SAP Human Capital Management consultant. She had several short and long stints abroad but was based out of Hyderabad. Let’s hear it from her, “It was a different life. I was very performance oriented and devoted most of my time to work. Incidentally, the first day of office as a full time employee was when I also met the gentleman who would go on to be my husband.” Read Sneha Dutta’s to know how important it is to trust yourself.
Let it be your decision: Breastfeeding Journey
Uma Bhalerao was born and brought up in Thane (Mumbai, India). She has done her Masters in French, specialising in Translations. She moved to Bangalore in 2006 where she began her career at the Alliance Francaise de Bangalore. Later on, she moved to her job at the French Consulate as the Assistant to the Consul General of France. Uma quit her job after her first born arrived. She is now a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM) to her two adorable sons, Siddharth and Trikay. Uma is a certified Babywearing Educator and does consultations from home to help caregivers learn about the concept of Babywearing. She also runs a small business – The Owl Mama, where she sells customised, hand knit products, designed and knit by her. Uma believes that your decision to breastfeed should not be influenced by anybody.
Breastfeeding And Migraines: Breastfeeding Journey
Dreamer. Technology Enthusiast. Marketer. Traveller. Potter were terms that Dhannya Sreekumar tried using to define herself. But then her daughter came along and motherhood gave her a new Avatar. Slowing down of the 10 years of corporate madness was a blessing in disguise, as it gave her fresh insights and enthusiasm to build https://www.mommypower.in/, a technology driven information platform for new age Indian moms. She now looks for technology led solutions that will make a mom’s life easier and will help her make better decisions for her child. Dhannya’s journey with breastfeeding and migraines is inspiring.
A smooth breastfeeding experience: Breastfeeding Journey
Divya Shori is a Marketing and PR professional. She has a career spanning 12 years and is currently working currently for a MNC which is into Management Consulting. Over the years, she has switched many hats from Support Service to IT to PMO and finally found her passion in Marketing and PR. Divya is a PGDBA in Marketing. She is a doting mother to a 2.5 year old girl, Vanshika. Divya is one of the lucky mothers to have a smooth breastfeeding experience.
Motherhood is a lonely journey without the right support!: Breastfeeding Journey
Antara Singh is a multitasker. She completed her Bachelors in Law (LLB) and also pursued a course in Company Secretary (CS). While she runs her own coaching institute, her husband discovered her talent in dishing out some yummy stuff. And now, she takes cooking classes too. Antara also owns a flower shop and takes orders for cakes and chocolates too. She is a doting mother of two, Shaurya (6 years) and Sonakshi (8 months). 1. Congratulations Antara! I think you are doing an amazing job in managing your career and the kids together. How was your breastfeeding journey when Shaurya came along? I was pregnant with Shaurya within the first year of my marriage. At that point, I was already shuttling between my coaching classes, a job and the house. Everybody in the family was ecstatic when Shaurya arrived, but while I was happy and excited, I was equally clueless about what to expect. I was quite confident that I would breastfeed my son. There was no two ways about what I had planned. I used to nurse him for hours together, but he still used to cry inconsolably. I was told it is probably because I was not making enough milk. It had just been a few days, but even the doctor scared us by saying that the baby was not gaining enough weight. And he was prescribed and put on formula. As a first time mother, I dint know any better but to listen to everybody. With a heavy heart, our journey moved from breastfeeding to formula. I wish I knew better back then. 2. I am so sorry you had a difficult journey with your son. Were things better when Sonakshi was born? I had made a promise to myself that things won’t be the same as the first time. I started reading upon pregnancy and breastfeeding. I, technically, knew everything I was supposed to know. I was quite matured this time. But since I was made to believe I dint make enough for Shaurya, I had prepared myself to give formula to my daughter, if the situation arises. For the first 3 days, she was on combination feed – breastmilk and formula. She was diagnosed with jaundice and was under phototherapy for 2 days. During this time, I was asked to exclusively breastfeed her. This was my initial impetus to nurse. When she recovered, her paediatrician dropped the truth bomb, “Have you ever wondered why animals are stronger than us? Simple, they are not formula fed. “That was enough for me to keep going. 3. So has it been a smooth journey of 8 months with your daughter? We did have our phases of hiccups. When her growth was not as per my neighbours, I thought of giving up. By then I had joined a support group for mothers, Mommies Random Chatter (MRC). I had posted a query about the same, and a lot of mommies who were in similar situations guided me. They held my hand every time I felt I wasn’t doing it right. They gave me the confidence to believe in myself, and I know there is no turning back now. 4. How important do you think these support groups are? I think support groups are very important for every mother. Every day brings a new challenge in motherhood and mothers who have been in similar situations can help guide new mothers. Motherhood is a lonely journey if you do not have the right and enough support to cruise through it. And in some cases, the mother is standing against her entire family. I wish I was equipped with enough information to breastfeed my son. Every mother should have a group like MRC who always strive to make you happy and encourage you to not give up. 5. Coaching classes required a lot of dedication and each student should be given the required attention. How do you manage with having to breastfeed your daughter? I took classes one day before I went into labour and resumed 15 days after she was born as my students had their exams. In fact, a few parents even called an hour after my operation complaining about the 15 days leave being a lot. I had no choice but to go back. Sonakshi has been very co-operative. I teach 4 – 5 hours a day. I take a break every 2 hours to nurse her. When I am taking classes, she is beside me in her pram. It has been a breeze as she remains quiet while I take classes. 6. How has your experience been with nursing in public (NIP)? Lot of my friends suggested pumping milk and feeding the baby so it would be easier in public. I still don’t know how it works and I was already comfortable with nursing directly and dint feel the need for pumping. I am mostly in saree when I step out, so NIP has never been a matter of concern. Luckily, my daughter doesn’t complain about the cover. So, a win-win situation for us. 7. When you look back, how would you describe the challenges you faced? The first time was extremely challenging as everything was overwhelming as a first time mother. It could also probably be because I was young and wasn’t prepared. My mother helped me with Shaurya right from the first day. The second time around, I was more confident and matured. You always emerge stronger from previous challenges. I knew I could handle it on my own. 24 hours don’t seem less to do everything I want to in a day. Moreover, I have my son, who is a great helping hand with Sonakshi. 8. A message for other mommies… I know I am not a perfect mother. But I do strive every day to make things better for my children. My house is often in a mess, but I do make sure that I am able to give quality time to my kids.
A beautiful journey that began 5 years back!: Breastfeeding Journey
Adhunika Prakash, the founder of Breastfeeding Support for Indian Mothers (BSIM), is a mother of two, a babywearing and cloth diapering enthusiast and a firm believer of attachment and gentle parenting. She completed her Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Symbiosis in the year 2007 and was working in the IT sector until she got pregnant with her first. Within a year of her first’s birth, BSIM was born. Now, a huge portion of her time is spent managing BSIM and its affiliated activities. 1. Adhunika, your breastfeeding journey began 5 years ago. How was it for you back then? Yes, my breastfeeding journey began about 5 years ago when my son was born. I had read about the importance of breastfeeding when I was pregnant with him, and in spite of that, he was administered one feed of formula, which (I later learned) could have been avoided. After he was born, I remember having loads of questions and not having a network of breastfeeding women to ask them to. I had attended a La Leche League meeting when I was pregnant with my son, and had learnt loads from those meetings, but, those in-person meetings were conducted once a month. With time, I found out the reliable sites where I could get accurate breastfeeding related information, and started keeping myself well-informed. My son used to nurse very often and it made me wonder if he was getting enough nutrition from breast milk itself. Once solids were introduced, we continued to offer solids often and nurse on demand. He didn’t start eating reasonably well until he was 2.5 years old! Until then, he got most of his nutrition from breast milk itself. I know quite a few nursing mothers whose babies survived primarily on breast milk until much after solids were introduced. It was in line with our parenting philosophy to be child-led. I did deal with the regular comments about not having enough milk when the baby nursed often, but by then, I was aware about growth spurts and cluster feeding, so I would just ignore those comments and tread on. 2. You got pregnant with your second child while you were breastfeeding your older child. Some doctors advice to wean the child as stimulation of the nipples can cause issues during pregnancy. How true is it? Even before I got pregnant, I was aware that one doesn’t need to wean the child off breastfeeding when pregnant, if it is a low risk pregnancy. I got pregnant again when he was a little over 2.5 years old and I nursed him on demand during my pregnancy. Since mine was a low risk pregnancy, I didn’t mention it to the medical professionals I consulted that I was continuing to breastfeed. I ran a few tests after I found out I was pregnant and had no deficiencies whatsoever in spite of me nursing him on demand for over 2.5 years. All my nutritional needs were met by the food (without taking any supplements), and this was done by ensuring that I ate a nutrient dense varied diet. I dealt with nursing aversions when I was pregnant with my daughter, but they weren’t as severe as what some of my friends dealt with. Those friends partially/ fully weaned their child during the second pregnancy. Nursing aversions are a huge part of breastfeeding journeys, but it isn’t something that people are well aware about. I ate well and tried to rest when I could with the support of my husband. 3. When the first journey doesn’t go as we wished, we only hope that things are better the second time around and we have things our way. How did it go the second time? My first birth didn’t go the way I wanted it to. Even though I was well read about the effects of interventions on birth, I received a cascade of medical interventions. Even though mine was a vaginal delivery, there was nothing normal about it. The second time round I was determined to have an intervention free birth. After a lot of planning, my daughter was born at home in an intervention-free, planned home birth and was nursed within the first hour of birth until she unlatched on her own accord. From the time she was little; she was an efficient nurser and slept through the night. She took on to solids well from the time they were introduced. I didn’t deal with many challenges when breastfeeding either of my children. It did help that I had read about common nursing behaviour when I was pregnant with my first. 4. Tandem feeding can sometimes be exhaustive as both children are trying to meet different needs. That means you need to be available round the clock. My son would wake up more often than her sometimes. I would offer to nurse my daughter first and then my son would nurse. The first 3 months were extremely hard, but it got better after that. I nursed both of them on demand for almost a year. At the end of the year, it got very hard because my son was waking up very often at night and nursing. I was barely getting any sleep and it was affecting my parenting. I night weaned him very gently and it didn’t involve any tears. I didn’t even know this was a possibility, goes to say that he may have been ready! After he was night weaned, we all started sleeping much better. He will be 5 soon and nurses between 1-4 times a day. I hope to let them self-wean and let them decide when they don’t want to nurse any more. 5. Your children were born in Ireland and India. How would you compare the support in terms of delivery and breastfeeding? With my first, when we were in Ireland, we didn’t have a lot of interaction with medical professionals. The time we went for check-ups, there was no cause of concern since he gained weight adequately. We moved back to India when
