Breastfeeding story

 

khayaliYajna,Mother of Khayali

During pregnancy we did a fair share of research on the stages of labour and on the baby’s development. We also read a few books on delivery and prepared with various exercises. Our son Khayali was smoothly delivered by a midwife and nurse at home next to Pondicherry.

We had however not focused much on post-delivery. We assumed all would go well and we would naturally know what to do. This included breastfeeding. Unfortunately, after our baby was born, we tried to feed him and he wouldn’t latch. The next day, approximately 10 hours after delivery, the midwife and nurse came by our home and we tried to feed Khayali. Again, he couldn’t latch on. The midwife said we needed to feed him as he had not yet peed or pooped and suggested formula. My husband and the nurse went to the pharmacy to buy formula and a bottle. We fed him formula for the next 24 hours, waking him up every two hours at night as suggested by the midwife. During this time, colostrum was coming out of my breasts so we tried to get what we could with a syringe to feed it to Khayali. Leaking colostrum while not being able to feed,felt sadly ironic. The following day my husband bought a pump and some nipple shields. Thus, we began more than three weeks of pumping, bottle feeding, nipple shield feeding, etc.

Desperate and depressed, we had googled trying to find help and had found Dr Jayashree online after a few days. However, we didn’t feel confident in driving to Chennai (3-4 hours) with such a small baby. We asked her to come to Pondichery but she was unable to due to prior commitments. After a couple of weeks we started chatting with her on WhatsApp and she gave us some advice, namely to stop using the bottle at all costs. We tried feeding with a cup or spoon but about half our (precious) breast milk would go to waste. We then started finger feeing with a syringe and would leave Khayali close to the breast after feeding as suggested by Dr Jayashree. Three days later, after a feeding, Khayali opened his mouth and I took the opportunity to “push” my nipple in (pinching it into a sandwich as a family member and friend had suggested just a few days earlier). He latched and started eating. We were speechless. For the next few days, we latched him on the breast but kept feeding him with the syringe as well. After more than 3 weeks counting how much he was eating (in ml) we were somewhat afraid to make the full switch to the breast, not having control over how much he was eating. We therefore decided to go to Chennai anyway as planned.

When we met Dr Jayashee, she immediately sat me and latched Khayali within seconds. In her opinion, there was never a real problem, only lack of guidance on technique. We stayed in Chennai a few days during which time she showed us how to hold the baby and the breast to help with the latch and from then on we have exclusively breastfed!

We are very thankful for her help, although if only we had met her on Day 1, it would have saved us a lot of tears, stress and sleepless nights!

Zaina

Babies are a blessing from god & mothers give them the best in their life, starting with nutrition.

I am a second time mom & things should have been easier for me. But it was like first time mom when it came to nursing my baby. After being unsuccessful in nursing my first child, this time I had strong thoughts of not offering formula. But unfortunately, like the first time, formula was offered to baby soon after birth as I was still in the labor room. But thanks to my husband that this time he offered it with a spoon & not a bottle. And the lesson learnt from past, taught that babies accept bottle quicker than breast. Hence, I tried to feed my baby once I was shifted to room. But just like new moms, I was unable to do so. Then came the 4th day when the actual milk came in & I was trying to feed my baby with no directions & guidance on breast feeding. That led me to have sore nipples as I could not position my baby, make her latch properly etc (though I read & prepared a lot before delivery. But doing things practically is different!). To add to this, my baby was very sleepy, who did not wake up for feeds also. And elders at home denied me to wake her up. As I put her on breast, she would suck for a few seconds & sleep. Pediatrician strictly guided me to breast feed, but the baby never took. Not knowing that baby is denying breast due to poor latch, I used to sit for an hour or more trying to wake my baby & expressing milk to initiate her sucking. I was tired all the time. Not knowing what to do, I fed her whenever she woke up. On the 6th day, we got to know that she is suffering from Jaundice & one of the duty doctors informed that this is caused due to dehydration. I panicked & started formula along with nursing her (still trying to wake her up & expressing) in the hospital as she was going through phototherapy. The doctor guided me & gave me tips on how to do, but didn’t work! At this point, I was trying to feed my baby in the morning & supplement in the night. Things were getting difficult & I realized that I need some support to be successful at nursing. With many questions in my mind, I approached Dr.Vinodha, who counseled, guided & gave me tips to follow. By following it strictly, today I am able to nurse my baby & thank god, no supplements!!

I really request the mothers not to feel shy when things are not working. Ask for help!

My experience with Happy mom has been wonderful. I have no words to describe the warmth & comfort received which helped me a lot to get to know a lot of things in detail.

Big Thanks to Dr.Vinodha for her patience to help & teach me how to nurse my baby! Here’s my angel’s pic!!Dur

 

image3.PNGVyshali Sinclair, Mother of Zoran

I have been wanting to share my experience for a very long time now , however being a mother is not an easy task . We hardly get any time for ourselves and when we do , we just keep thinking about our little ones or go into the cuddle up mode and bug our children even when they need their space at that moment . I think every thing happens for the best and certainly the right moment has come for me to share my breastfeeding experience . My son is 18months and 12days today (as on 15/4/2015) and I weaned him off BF a week back . I have never missed anything so much in my life the way I miss bonding with him as I nursed him . No matter how much the baby is for the family or vice versa , there is a certain privilege that’s just meant for the mom . When I thought watching my son smile at me as I nursed him at 2months with that toothless mouth as the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced in my life , my heart once again skipped a beat when I watched him look into my eyes and get to sleep each time . I nursed my baby till 18months so I have a 100 lovely memories but cannot afford to write an epic here .
Dr.Jayashree , definitely someone God sent for me , if not for her I don’t know what my perspective about breastfeeding would be .
I would have nursed my baby for the first 6 months for sure but it was doctor Jayashree’s sessions at Fortis Malar that made me see the beauty in breastfeeding , educated me on the medical perspective,  about latching and helped me escape the nipple cracks that we usually hear about , I did have my share but not as bad .
When I was kind of upset for having a cesarean inspite of peaceful 37weeks ,with terms like too posh to push in this society , no matter how understanding a family we have an acquaintance you haven’t met in ages would appear from no where just to rub in and make you feel guilty, inadequate , what not  . What cheered me up was something I remembered Dr.Jayashree tell in one of the classes ” there are cases that have normal delivery and don’t breastfeed and those who have cesarean and breastfeed , the latter are the better mothers ” , and I totally agree on that.

I would like to thank Dr.Jayashree and also on behalf of my little guy for helping us create a certain wonderful bond that is to stay for a lifetime .

Again the first six months is for the baby’s nutrition and immune system , what you choose to extend from then is how much you want to bond with your baby .

 

Sudha Vignesh , Mother of Mayuri 🙂

My husband and I are IT professionals who work for 10-12 hours a day. Like any other couple we wanted to step into our next phase of life, to become parents. In midst of my stressful job, my pregnancy got confirmed and this brought us great happiness and joy. I was on a conventional thought that normal delivery is a boon that happened only in older days for the yesteryear mothers. My husband thought this is just a mind set and encouraged me to mentally prepare for the big day. My friends suggested Joseph hospital as they have had personal experience of normal delivery there. So we specifically chose Joseph hospital.

Right from the day I came to know about my pregnancy, we were determined to have a normal delivery and followed my practitioners advice with regular check ups. Since I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, I was kept out of reach from sweets and sugar. I had to take some pains from not visiting sweet shops, taking milk without sugar and a controlled diet. Being a software engineer, I started googling lots about pregnancy info and the curiosity to know about baby’s gender was also not left. Just for fun we wanted to try and guess baby’s gender with all those old wives’ tales and tricks. Whom all I met, they said I will have a boy baby but somehow I had a hunch that it will be a girl baby and so we waited. My husband downloaded apps for pregnancy and I enrolled myself as a member to BabyCenter which tells a lot about pregnancy each day. Day by day our curiousity to become parents increased and we enjoyed that feeling to replenish our sweet memories. Though I got to know lot of info about baby I failed to educate myself about mothers feeding and the procedure to handle baby.

The big day came to cherish both of our lives and to make us feel complete. Thanks to modern science, I had opted epidural which made my life easier though I dont have much insight about it. Finally it was a normal delivery and kudos to Dr Kurian sir and his team who made it possible. It was a real fun at labourward with those sisters and doctors when I delivered baby normally without pain.

We were blessed with a baby girl and both of our families esp in laws were happy to have a girl baby in our family. My baby girl started lip smacking to get her first feed and I was waiting to hold my beautiful little champion in my arms and that’s where the real challenge started for me. Promotion to a mother gave me more responsibilities. I used to listen to my mother about her tough times when I was born. Due to some reason, I dint take mother’s milk when I was 1 month old and I was a formula fed baby who is often prone to even a small cold & cough. I could feel how my mother would have felt when I was born.

I was told to only give mothers milk to the baby. Initially it took couple of days for me to start breastfeeding for which I took some lactation tablet to expedite it.I was little scared to handle and lift my cute new born.I started having fever due to poor feeding to my baby which impacted her health. She got new born jaundice and was put under phototherapy. After couple of days, we were discharged to home. That night my daughter got high fever and her bilirubin content increased due to high dehydration. Though fever went down after giving crocin drops, in the early morning it shooted up again.

We were totally in panic and did not know what to do. Googled for Mehta’s Children Hospital number and in no time I got it, thanks to smart phone. Rang up Mehta’s 24/7 emergency number and got to know about NICU which is specially designed to take care of neonatals. We rushed to Mehta’s Children Hospital and she was admitted immediately. It was raining heavily and with rolling tears we were kinda dilemma if we had come to the right place. After couple of hours we went to see our baby in NICU and found our baby being treated with atmost care. Doctor Lakshmi explained her health condition and the treatment being given to her. I could see only mothers in uniform there and not as attending sisters. They were so passionate and kind enough to the new borns which was a big relief to us. I was asked to feed the baby in intervals and to express breast milk which I tried for the first time in my life. In fact the term expressing milk itself was new to me. I was so touched to see one of the banners of Mehta’s with a quote saying “From safe to safer hands”. From my experience, I agree to it totally.

I was introduced to Doctor Jayasree – a lactation consultant at Mehta. She guided me the techniques for proper latching and taught me the correct feeding position. It took me couple of days to learn them properly and I felt content as a mother when it worked out for me. My baby was discharged and from that day I have been trying my best to feed my baby with breast milk and slowly reducing formula feed to the baby.

I have just pen down my experience and happy to share. Motherhood can be put into words but one needs to experience it and feel the divinity. I just want to encourage new mothers to breast feed their babies which in no way a loss to health or a beauty down to a mother. I am enjoying my motherhood and I will make sure my baby gets her birth right for mother’s milk is fulfilled. Nobody is expert and after all we are just human beings. Each one of us is unique and so is the motherhood. Experience it , feel it , enjoy it !

What ever be one’s qualification or status, mother is a mother. Only mother has the ability to gift her child with the most precious gift i.e mother’s milk. Mother’s milk is nothing but ‘Amruth’ which gives life to babies.

 

Varsha , Mother of Drona

Breastfeeding:

Breastfeeding (In hospital):

Throughout my life I would carry guilt of being forced by the sisters of the hospital for giving formula milk for the little baby. After giving she would say that I don’t tell doctor that I gave formula milk. They told me that my milk wasn’t sufficient. One of the sister’s held my breast and squeezed it so hard that the milk was in light orange in color and I would cry in pain but bare it for my baby. There was other few sisters who would be very kind to wait till my little baby had his milk. I used a nipple shield but he wasn’t comfortable, so I expressed with hand and gave him in bowl and spoon. My cousin offered to lend me her electronic breast pump once I was home.

A Father and Mother were born along with the little “DRONA”.

Post Partum:

I was pampered for giving a baby boy to my husband’s family. My parents were happy for they had become grandparents. All Through this there was another phase too. The issues of 2 states, we had to manage even that which was more stressed out.

We had a simple baby naming ceremony. Learning my newborn was my task for every moment.

Thinking about my nipple problem, I would express milk and feed baby. One night suddenly baby only cried and never slept. I rushed him to the hospital and the Head Nurse, senior most staff of the hospital told me ”You have small sized breast and so your milk is never sufficient to your baby, give him formula milk 2-3 time a day”. This was heart broken. I forced myself to give formula milk once a day thinking that my milk is not sufficient for the baby. After 2 days when I went to my Pediatrician, baby had a correct weight gain and when I asked him if it was due to 2 times formula milk or all the while my feed! He said I could continue feeding without formula.

There I realized I had another issue in breastfeeding Lactation problem. I was g guided  to Dr. Jayashree Jayakrishnan.

I called her and fixed an appointment, met her and then realized breastfeeding was such a pleasure not a pain. Just 2 sittings and my baby and I were fine. Thanks to Dr. Jayashree for helping us creating a lovely bonding of nursing.

Conclusion:

I continue Breastfeeding on demand without any shield and the journey of parenting thus started. Waiting to experience new milestones in the coming days.

DSC00663Snehaljoshi  Mother of Krishavi

Breastfeeding was something I was really not sure I would do for much long time.I was a formula fed baby and I always felt that formula feeding is the best way to feed the child after say three months of breastfeeding.

As I delivered normally I started breastfeeding her.Here my Lactation Consultant Dr.Jayashree”s advise came really handy.Being first time mom I was so anxious about latching the baby,the amount of milk she needs throughout the day etc… but then all the homework done in prenatal classes really helped me boost my confidence.Me and my baby worked as a team even during labor pains and delivery and now during breastfeeding too we hope that everything works well.I am a working mom and would like to breastfeed too.In advent of breastpumping machines and different storage methods I should be able to continue breastfeed her. As now I have realized that breastfeeding is the need of mom, more than the baby. This phase of my life is really memorable due to the bond we (me and my daughter) share that’s the bond of “Breastfeeding”.

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