No pain, No gain.

Months before giving birth, I already discussed with the hubby my plan to exclusively breastfeed Yohann. Two reasons: 1. It's economical; 2. It's beneficial. Like the ad says, breastfeeding is still best for babies. I'd want to give my baby only the best, right? So we decided, breastfeeding it is!

The first time I got to try it was 1.5 days after giving birth. Since I had undergone CS, the OBG advised me to rest for a few days until I'm able to stand up, sit on a wheelchair, and carry the baby for breastfeeding at the room next to the nursery. When I finally did that was also the first time I saw Yohann. When I held him close to feed, it took us quite a while to get the hang of it, though Yohann was a faster learner than mommy. He knew how to suckle right away, while I didn't know if he was latched on to me properly. Sabagay, it's basic instinct for babies to suckle nga pala :))

Anyway, I was quite sure then that Yohann couldn't get any milk from me yet, as my OB said it could take a few days for the milk to come in. So, I continued to breastfeed him anyway to stimulate milk production. The first few days were okay, though once I called the nursery to ask for formula as Yohann was constantly crying. I figured he couldn't get any milk from me and was hungry already. Instead of giving him formula, a neonatal nurse went to our room to check on our latching, and to encourage me to just continue feeding him. She even pinched my nipple to show me that I already had milk, and that I just needed to stimulate production by feeding Yohann consistently. It was clear at first, with only a few drops coming out.

A few days after we went home, my nipples began to feel sore. One was already cracked and bleeding! But I had no choice but to continue breastfeeding Yohann since we left his formula at the hospital (or they intentionally forgot to give it to us). A couple of times I would let out a cry while feeding him as it really hurt a lot. I did not want to give up, but I could not bear to see the little boy crying from hunger. He wasn't getting enough milk from me. It broke my heart, so we finally decided to buy formula and give him a bottle of milk.

That's when my sisters intervened. One by one, they visited me and cooked tinola with loads of malunggay, or shells with loads of malunggay also. They also advised me to take malunggay capsules.

To be continued ...