Breastfeeding Journey: My 5 Selfish Reasons Why I Breastfeed

Alright, let’s take a breather from all the food posts and allow me to be a mum for now shall we? :)

You see, every time I tell people that Skye is an exclusively breastfed child (now extended breastfed coz she’s one), they would always tell me that I’m doing a great job for the kid. That it’s healthier. That it’s the perfect milk for my baby. That I am such a great mum for doing this for my child.

While it is true that I breastfeed my child because I love her so much and I’d like to give her the best, I would like to let you all know that I have selfish reasons too. Sa totoo lang, breastfeeding is so difficult at first. But then the benefits are super OA sa dami once you get the hang of it. And I am a human too. Yes, I’m a mother but sometimes we do stuff for our kid because we benefit from it too. Diba?! Life is too short para magpaka-dakilang ina awardee and be totally selfless. Besides, I believe that a happy mum is the best mum. You can mother your child with so much love because you are overflowing with love and happiness deep within you. So if you are one of those mums who read that article about “how to spot a fake hands-on mum”, don’t ever think it’s a crime to have your nails done once in a while. Or allow your spouse or the yaya, to clean the baby’s butt so you could sip your tea in peace. Because we all need sanity and peace and quiet too. And that doesn’t make you less of a mum.

So yeah, here are my selfish reasons for breastfeeding my child…

1. I’m lazy. Yep. That’s the first on my list. I breastfeed my child because I. AM. LAZY. I’m too lazy to get up at night, get the bottle, put the powdered milk, give the bottle to the baby and wait for her to finish before I can go back to sleep coz I don’t want to end up sleeping on a pool of milk in case makatulugan ko at matapon (that’s what my cousins are doing and their reasons for doing so). Too. Much. Trouble. I love that I could just pop out the booby once the baby wiggles and go back to sleep while she suck to her heart’s content. I’m too lazy to carry bottles and milk dispenser and water when I go out. Ngayon pa nga lang that we don’t have bottles on the baby bag, ang bigat na eh. I can’t imagine how heavy the baby bags of those formula feeding mums. :-S Sabagay my bag is heavy because of the gadgets I always lug around. But if we’re just say, going to church? Naku! I can leave the house with just the baby and my pouch for the wallet and the phone. And a little lampin. That’s all. I’m also too lazy to clean baby bottles.  Yun 3-5 bottles nga nya everyday when she’s less than 6months, plus the breastpump, tamad na tamad na ko! Now that my baby’s 13months, I don’t pump milk at work already. I only pump once I’m home and she only use 1-2 bottles lang when I’m at work. Coz she drinks from the glass already. Also, iniisip ko palang yung kelangan ko pa i-prepare ang milk caddy nya before going to bed, tinatamad na ko. So I’m happy that I don’t need to do all of those. Ay meron pa pala, re-heating the milk? Right? Or worrying if the milk is spoiled already. I remember my mama when my brother was young, she would write down the time she prepared the milk coz it’s only fresh for a couple of hours. She’s so afraid she might accidentally give spoiled milk. Me? I don’t need to do that. I have a supply of FRESH milk all the time. It never get spoiled too. And I don’t have to clean the container. Breastfeeding really made my life as a mum a whole lot easier and a lot better.
2. I’m kuripot. I love the extra savings. Who doesn’t? My gulay! One can of formula milk (the good brands) costs almost 2K! All mums I ask, they’d tell me that they spend 4-8 thousand pesos every month just for formula. Imagine?! That’s a whole lot of money for crying out loud. I love the extra shopping money thank you very much. But don’t be deceived. Our liquid gold costs a fortune if you buy it from the milk bank ha. So our milk is not cheap at all. We’re just so lucky we can have it for free.
3. I’m mayabang. True. Let’s be honest. Every time people hear or see that I’m breastfeeding, I’d usually get comments like “Ang galing galing mo naman! Natagalan mo yan. Ako sobrang sakit kasi tapos walang milk.” OR “Grabe you are also working right? And you’re still breastfeeding? You are a super-mum.” OR “You are doing all this sacrifices for your child. Good job. You are a runner up for the dakilang ina award.” Nyahahaha! It really boost my ego. Nakakalaki ng ulo. Feeling ko talaga, I could bag that dakilang ina award. Pak na pak!
4. Breastfeeding is the answer to all baby issues. For any baby issues, just pop out the boobie. When my baby’s an infant, she’d latch 24/7. To keep her warm and fuss-free. If she’s cold, sleepy, hungry, not feeling well, afraid – just pop out the boobie. Now that she’s a toddler, every time she’d feel scared, thirsty, not feeling well or sleepy – I’d just pop out the boobie. Sabi nga ni ReigningTatay, that’s my super power. As in that’s the answer to every baby problem. Promise.
5. The special privileges I get because I’m a breastfeeding Mum. Super lotsa special treatments. As in people here at home would always make sure that I am well-fed, coz hey! I’m breastfeeding. They’d always make sure I have water. Coz hey! I’m breastfeeding. I get extra 40minutes pumping break, coz hey! I’m breastfeeding. I’m not allowed to get sick. So if I’m feeling a bit off, they’d do everything to make me feel comfy. Coz hey! I’m breastfeeding. I have an excuse for being chubby and lumpy, coz hey! I’m breastfeeding. Hahahahaha! Everything I do and feel affects the baby, so yeah! At some point, it still kinda feels like I’m still pregnant. Benefit-wise. And who would want to give up those special treatments? Certainly not me.

I hope this post would encourage all you mums out there to breastfeed your babies too. Coz it’s not just for the baby. It’s for us mums too.

Breastfeeding