Breast milk is the best

Page 4 of the Mind Your Body section of the Straits Times dated 6 August 08 featured an article written by Dr Peter Chew, a senior consultant gynaecologist and obstetrician at the Gleneagles Medical Centre titled "Breast milk is the best". In it, he expounded that breastfeeding is the natural way and human milk - made specifically for this - is the best source of nourishment for the infant with many benefits to the mother. He further quoted that the WHO recommends a minimum of 2 years of breastfeeding, with exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant's life.

Reading this article, I feel vindicated. At the same time, I am tempted to shove this article in front of the people who have looked at me incredulously in the past when I tell them that I'm still breastfeeding Faith beyond the age of 1 year. I feel the need to cut and safe keep this article in my wallet so that I can flash it in the face of whoever else that will give me that same incredulous and judgemental look should they learn that I still am and would like to continue breastfeeding Faith for as long as I could.

Sadly, some of the people who judged and thought that I'm mental for continuing to breastfeed Faith instead of giving her formula milk are friends and even people close to me.

Most people recognise that breastfeeding is better [than formula]. Unfortunately, the unspoken time frame in which they think it is acceptable to transit from breastmilk to formula milk lies somewhere between the age of 6-12 months of an infant's life.

It is all good and fine to quote WHO's statement on breastfeeding for a minimum of 2 years. What I felt the article failed to articulate further was why breastfeeding beyond the age of 1 is beneficial for toddlers.

What a lot of people, even some mothers who have breastfed their kids, do not not know is that the important immune factors present in breastmilk increase in concentration in the 2nd year. That makes a whole lot of sense becos that's the age that children gain independence with greater mobility. Their curiosity is boundless, their eyes are so sharp to see what we adults would miss, and the little fingers so quick to pick things up from the ground and put it in their mouth before a single exclamation could be uttered.

There's also the other benefit that kids who wean themselves off breastfeeding instead of being forced to before they are ready tend to be more secure.

I've been asked by mothers who breastfed kids before if it was painful to continue breastfeeding when the baby has teeth. I've been questioned and ridiculed (in a nice way) for my desire to continue breastfeeding despite my telling them the benefits of extended breastfeeding.

I feel indignant. I feel frustrated. I feel trapped. I feel exhausted from having to defend my decision to do what is medically proven to be the best and right thing to do for my baby.

Why should I substitute my best and what nature had intended for formula milk? Pharma companies have been trying unsuccessfully for years to replicate all the beneficial components in breastmilk but failed to accomplish. They cannot reproduce in formula milk the immune factors that protect my child as she is growing up.

Please do not mistake me. I have nothing against formula milk. In fact, when Faith was 10 1/2 months, I introduced a serving of formula milk for her in the day to replace breastmilk for a slot. Neither do I think lesser of any mom who chooses to give her child formula.

Having gone through the daunting and difficult period of having Faith learn to latch on properly after birth, I know how stressful it is to have to breastfeed at a time when one is coping with post-natal depression, hormonal changes, recovery from delivery and a totally different lifestyle and responsibility. It didn't help that well-meaning friends advice to to persevere with breastfeeding made it worse for me.

The thought of giving up then and there was so strong. Each time I entertained thoughts of that, I feared I would be labelled a failure as a mom for failing to persevere. I gritted my teeth and things got better. I told myself that I would do the requisite 6 months. Six months came and went. Then, I thought again that I will let her hit the one year mark before switching her to formula milk.

Fate [or Faith] has a habit of intervening. At nine months, Faith still has a distaste for formula milk. Given her pint size, I was determined that she should still drink her share of milk, even though she eats her solids well. Breastmilk was the answer becos she never refuses breastmilk. In fact, she loves it.

Thus, the 1 year mark came and went. Even though she continues to have her once a day share of formula milk, she gets to latch on for the night and early morning feeds. As I plough the web and read more information on extended breastfeeding, I became fully convinced of its merits and why I should continue breastfeeding.

Nonetheless, I yearn for the return of my boobs to its former size. Seriously, an increase bustline and cupsize is over-rated. I have scores of tops in the wardrobe left hanging forlornly becos I either can't squeeze them past my chest or zip them up. I've got to buy all my tops one size bigger or go for loose-fitting tops to accommodate my new boobs.

Yet all this inconveniences to me will come to pass in a matter of 2-3 years, maybe more if a second one comes along. However, the benefits of breastfeeding will serve Faith well, even for the rest of her life.

I once held similar incredulous views about extended breastfeeding. My little one taught me otherwise. I hope that as more people read such articles, they would be encouraged to not view extended breastfeeding negatively.

I made no judge of any mom who chooses to breastfeed her child for whatever length of time, or even not at all.

I only ask for the same consideration to not judge me and to respect my decision in bringing my child up the way I deem best for her.