Frannywanny

Before I start this post, let me tell you that I am no breastfeeding advocate. Yes, I do recognize and believe in the benefits that it bring but I promise that this won't be the type of post that will lecture you on and on that breastfeeding is the only  way to go. I still do believe that fed is best . That said, I do respect whichever way a Mom feeds her kid. Breastfed, bottle fed, formula, pureed solids, baby-led weaning... for as long as the baby is properly nourished and fed, I am all for that. What I would like to share is my personal experience as a breastfeeding mommy to my twins for the past 8 months (and still counting..whew!). It was actually silly of me to think that I won't have milk to breastfeed. Well, I do have some basis. Looking at my genetic line, neither my Mom nor my Ama breastfed and my sister actually didn't had much so I saw how she struggled and persevered to be able to feed my niece A up until she reaches a year old. Pan totally won the determinat...

"Fed is Best" This is one thing that I constantly remind myself ever since the twins were born. Let's admit it, from the moment you deliver your baby, the hospital will constant encourage you to breastfeed. Okay, so breastfeeding sure has a lot of benefits both to the mother and to the baby. I personally felt so glad that I was able to express my colostrum as soon as my twins were born. Somehow, it gave me this sense of validation that I am doing a good job as their Mommy. Fast forward to today, my twins have been latching on to me and I've been pumping for 7 whole months. I never thought I'd come this far. Breastfeeding sure has its benefits and it has its downside too. One is my mobility as a mom. My twins are so used to having me around that L, for instance, would scream her head off at night if she doesn't sleep latched on to me. That said, I haven't had a decent night out since they were born. One time, Paul and I went out to attend a friend...

If you're someone who's just as OC (obsessive - compulsive) and a neat freak like me, then let me tell you this. Expect this OCness and neat freak-ness to escalate to greater heights once you have a baby. I've honestly lost count of the number of times I've cleaned my hands with soap followed by a splash of isopropyl alcohol in a day or how much I value our UV sterilizer that I would literally sterilize everything within arms reach from my twins. From their toys to their bottles, I would make sure to sterilize them most especially at this stage where they're teething and would put everything in their tiny mouths. When it comes to their milk, then that's another level of sanitation. My twins were exclusively breastfed for the first few months of their lives but lately, we're starting to introduce formula milk as the pedia wanted to "bulk" them up. Not wanting to fully wean them off my breast milk yet, I would just give them formula 1-2x in a day ...

Back before I had my twins..even way before I got pregnant, I got to admit that I would scroll over photos of friends sharing their milk and would wonder to myself what the fuss is all about over one's ability to produce milk. It was on my 3rd day post partum when everything just made perfect sense and that was when I finally entered the world of breastfeeding. I got to admit that all throughout my pregnancy, I never really prepared myself for breastfeeding. Paul and I kept an open mind that in case I won't be able to breastfeed my twins, then we are willing to give them formula. I didn't even bothered to join any lactation classes and I barely educated myself about it. In fact, I still remembered that day when I had to ask the NICU nurse to help me express my colostrum as that's one thing that I was determined to give my twins. Luckily, the NICU nurse was super helpful and encouraging. As I tried to express my first amount of liquid gold she told me that I was doing ...