What I Miss About BF Kazim

i have stopped breastfeeding kazim. he's now 22 months old. it was a moment of sudden emptiness, a pinch of sadness, and missing a lot of moments. yes, it's also a little bit of a relief since for the past weeks he had been latching on empty - and that creates a lot of pain on my part. so we both had to let go.

i will miss a lot of the closeness, the touches, his tiny body in my arms, the smile on his face after a good ‘meal’, the satisfaction on his face as he falls asleep after each feed. mostly, the indescribable beautiful bf bond of mother and baby.

i will miss him falling asleep while i breastfed him – i know every mothers will recognize this look on their baby – the lentok look, eyes shut in a heavenly bliss of full tummy filled with mom’s glorious milk, mouth sometimes open in deep slumber, sometimes with a thin trail of breast milk still hanging from his lips – adorable!

i will miss that no matter how LOUD he cries, or how badly he is hurt, how hard he fell down, he immediately went silent the moment he knows he’s getting nursed. boobies always saved the day! haha.

i will miss the wonder i have on his sleeping position – his little body contorted according to the uneven curve of my cross-legged position as i breastfed him, head resting on mom’s hard knee-bone, one hand holding dangling on the side, and STILL managed to sleep, thanks to mom’s milk – selesa ke tido macam tu? i always chuckle in amazement.

i will miss him playing with his ear-lobes in his little chubby fingers as he latched on, eyes fixed on his hopes and dreams. most probably hopes of finally climbing that dining table and dreams of rummaging through neatly-folded stack of warm clothes.

i will miss this habit of his, developed when he’s about 18+ mths old – whenever i look at him as he breastfeeds, he would cover his eyes with his palm! yes, this seemingly shy-away action is hard to comprehend – and until now i wonder why he did it. it’s not an invitation to a peek-a-boo game, he just seemed – well, shy!

right now, miss breastfeeding even more whenever kazim is inconsolable, and i knew in my heart that no matter how tight i hug him, it’s not as comforting as when he’s nursed – that’s when he will feel he is safe.

well, now i gotta make sure he knows he’s safe in my arms no matter what. BF or not, my arms are still here for him to cuddle in. my lap is here for him to sleep on. the hugs will still be there in abundance, the kisses will be infinite. yes, even until the day kazim leaves for work on some big hot-shot job one fine day haha.

nowadays, when he sleeps, he needs to hold my hands, play with my fingers, and then fall asleep. i don’t mind. after breastfeeding stops, it’s nice to know that mom’s warmth is still needed.

BF Moms @ Melaka : Jom Join!

are you a breastfeeding mom, or a mom-to-be? have you stopped breastfeeding but have a lot of bf tips to share? or even dads who want to offer support in their wives’ breastfeeding journey? do you live in melaka, or happen to be in melaka this sunday?

then come join the ‘support group get together’ for breastfeeding mothers in melaka!

my dear friend kak arin is part of this collective effort by a few moms who want to impart knowledge, share experience and answer any questions regarding breastfeeding. from mom to mom, this get-together will provide the best platform to voice out your concerns about breastfeeding, or any problems you have encountered.

you can just sit in and listen if you want, while making a few new friends along the way!

 

 

Mom To Mom
Support Group Get Together ( Melaka )
Date : 14th November 2010 - Sunday
Time : 4pm - 5pm
Venue : Lot 156 , Jalan Bukit Beruang, Bukit Beruang Heights, Melaka
Topic : 24 Hours Time Management For Breastfeeding Mothers

 

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i myself had a somewhat rollercoaster journey in breastfeeding. with khaleef, i stopped when he’s just 3 months old – i was ignorant, and wasn’t well-equipped with breastfeeding knowledge – tips to extend, how to still keep bf while working, and so on.

with kahfi, i managed to breastfeed him up to his 6th month, but somehow to my frustration, my milk content depleted – and then i discovered i was pregnant with kazim!

alhamdulillah, i am STILL breastfeeding little kazim busuk. hihi. he’s now 7 months. it’s a wonderful experience, more than words can describe. to be part of his growth, by extending a part of myself is such a powerful gift from Allah.

cuma now it’s funny because since he’s 7mths and banyak akal, he can now just pull up my shirt for some boob time! with khaleef and kahfi of course i never get to experience this!

well, after 3 kids, i still have a LOT to learn about breastfeeding. sometimes kalau nak cepat, position breastfeeding pun tak betul sangat!

anyway, kak arin is giving a talk at the get-together in melaka, and i hope i can learn a thing or two from her if we meet in malaysia next year! haha. good luck, kak arin, and for all you mak, mama, ibu, umi, mummy, amma out there – and bapak, abah, baba, papa, daddy too! – come join the group okay!

have fun!

Fasting While Breastfeeding : After a Week

this year, for the first time, i am breastfeeding while fasting! my 3rd son, kazim is fully breastfeeding – and after 7 days, i am feeling good! alhamdulillah, and yay to me!

now - different moms will have different experience when breastfeeding during puasa month, so don’t compare ok! personally to me, these 7 days prove to be as easy AND as difficult as any other puasa days. meaning, the tiredness and hunger are just the same as when i’m not breastfeeding.

unlike when i was fasting while pregnant with kazim – man, that was hard. i would feel dizzy and fainty whenever i fast, and i could not stand for too long. lepas makan baru ok. i missed a lot of puasa days!

so i’m glad and thankful that my body can take it this time – breastfeeding while fasting, and kazim seems to be nursing well without any mengamukness of not having enough milk. hihi. i thought i’d be super dehydrated and in need of water everytime i breastfeed, but i feel fine.

the key is to drink well during berbuka, and eat a lot of fruits and vegetable. more importantly don’t skip sahur! me, i drink anmum milk during sahur. also, just got this great tip from kak arin (who is currently a breastfeeding AND pregnant mom who is fasting – respect!) to eat a lot of kurma during sahur.

lapar dahaga tu biase la masa puasa! hihi.

ini kazim

in Islam, every pregnant or nursing mothers are allowed the breaking of fast. they will be required to compensate later on - qada' puasa or fidyah. however, if i feel fine, i know i shouldn't take advantage of this 'special privilege' as a nursing mom!

most concerns that i read, are usually about the decreasing of mother's milk production, and the mother herself not being able to adapt to the conditions of fasting.

1) medically speaking, fasting does not cause harm to mothers who are breast-feeding. moms shouldn't worry about milk depletion, and its effects on the baby, as long as they eat a balanced diet and healthy food! the nutrients of milk is dependent on feeding mothers, so eat well during berbuka and sahur!

2) studies concluded that fasting does not reduce milk supply, but the dehydration that occurs might affect the mother's milk supply. that's why moms who're breastfeeding are encouraged to drink plenty of water while berbuka and bersahur. insufficient water in the body might affect the milk supply, as well as making moms feel tired and weak. so drink up, moms!

3) for working moms, try pumping after berbuka or, an article suggests you start early and just freeze a good supply for puasa month.

4) some articles i read say that if moms are fasting, it will increase the production of toxins in the body that eventually gets in breast milk. however, we must remember, babies also have immune systems that can prevent themselves from diseases, insyaAllah!

we must remember that Allah ordained fasting upon His servants because fasting does have a lot of benefits; a cleansing mechanism - physically and spiritually, rather than harming the people who fast.

at the same time, breastfeeding is encouraged in Islam for the many wondrous benefits as well - so why not seize the opportunity of getting two great rewards at the same time!

well, at the end of the day, it is a personal decision – to fast or not to fast while breastfeeding. it is up to how your body responds, and how your baby reacts. Allah is All Merciful and that is why He has allowed this leniency on us nursing mommies!

if you’re a breastfeeding mom who choose not to fast for fear of yourself, or your baby – then remember that the holy month of ramadhan is so much more than just lapar and dahaga – it’s about increasing our worship, and our remembrance of Allah. after all, breastfeeding is a noble thing, a blessing that Allah has grant us – so don’t feel that you’re left out this ramadhan!

in my case, i hope i will continue to have this strength to puasa while breastfeeding, and not make it an excuse not to! (kazim, susu mak cukup kan? kalo tak cukup, cakap je. nanti mak bukak pose ye. hihi.) if i succeed, this will be a much more meaningful ramadhan for me and kazim!

oh, and again, a reminder to me - don't skip sahur!