"Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (December). For this month, we want to honor breastfeeding for having enriched our lives and blessed us, maybe even empowered us, in a way that only breastfeeding can. Please scroll down to the end of this post and check out the other carnival participants."
This year will be our second Christmas with Ben, and I can say that I am a more confident and wiser mom now than last year. I still have a lot to learn, but I felt God has shown me through breastfeeding Ben that I need not to be afraid of the challenges being a mom would bring.
Breastfeeding calls for faith, patience and humility. You got to have faith that what you can give your baby is enough for him. You need the patience to sort through the breastfeeding woes. You should also be humble enough to realize that being able to provide for your baby is a gift from a higher power. When I was pregnant with Ben, I knew I wanted to breastfeed but was scared if I could do it. I had hormonal issues which made my pregnancy difficult and was concerned this will affect my ability to provide for him. I prayed and trusted that things will fall into place. I feel blessed that I was able to overcome the challenges. It made me realize that I can count of God and my love ones to support me whenever I encounter trials in parenting.
For me, breastfeeding is not just about nutrition, it's about establishing a connection with Ben. When you nurse, you are called to stop and take time to get to know your child. Right now, Ben is in a phase when he wants my full attention when he nurses. He would even tell me to put my cellphone aside so that I don't get distracted. You are also called to be creative in terms of adjusting your lifestyle with your new role as a parent but not lose yourself in process. This is such an important skill to have as a parent. It was not easy but I eventually learned how to have a social life while sustaining a nursing relationship with Ben.
Lastly, breastfeeding has opened new doors for me to connect with other moms. I'm thankful for mommy friends who can relate to my experiences and share my advocacy. Moreover, I feel blessed that I'm given the opportunity to learn from and help other mothers. When counseling other moms, I can honestly say that I've been in their situation and could actually give tips that has worked for me.
These gifts that I have received through breastfeeding Ben will surely help me become a good mother to him even long after he weans. It's my hope that more moms will have a fruitful and meaningful breastfeeding experience like mine.
Happy Holidays from our family to yours :)
Here are the entries of my fellow participants :) Enjoy!
Shaps- Beyond Being Thin
Gretchen - Breastfeeding Gifts for Christmas
Carol - The Gift of Miracle
Jenny O.- The Gifts of Breastfeeding
Anne - The Gift of Breastfeeding
Jenny R. - If the Magi Were Queens
Em - The "Breast" Gift
Isis- Got Milk?
Armi - Breastfeeding Gifts
Liv - My Breastfeeding Journey
Laya - Time in a Drop of Milk
Mec - The Gift of a Changed Man
Marnellie - From a Donee to a Donor
Icar - Breastfeeding
Gifts
It's hard to do anything without putting God into our lives. I don't know if I could have survived breastfeeding without His help.
ReplyDeleteBecause I became a logical person, I sometimes had doubts about God's existence. But breastfeeding got me to believe there really is a higher being among us. Someone who designed our bodies to work this way.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. Changes in your lifestyle while breastfeeding for me is the hardest part. I am still in the process of gaining back my social life while breastfeeding. I hope you can give me some motherly advice :)
ReplyDeleteSo true when you say that it's also about the connection! It continues to amaze me at how instinctive and strong that is. Happy Holidays!
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