Let's talk Breasts!

This post is about one of the most overlooked aspects of female breasts. One of the primary job of a mammalian boob is to feed and this is far easier said than done. So here is my take on breastfeeding - what's the first image that pops when you think of it?

A serene mother holding a tiny human wrapped in warm towel and simply suckling. If it were this easy then it would be a cakewalk for every mother and perhaps she may no longer be revered the way she is.
I was someone who had dreamt that the first latch would be akin to the squishy feeling I felt when I had dipped my feet in the river Cauvery while many tiny fishes kept nibbling. I was right in a way,  the difference was the fish was a shark! Ah that's how the journey began.

When a child is born there are many who out of goodwill advice on feeding animal milk or concoction of herbs. Its upto the mom to choose what she wishes to feed .WHO  strictly recommends breast milk as best nutrition for a baby for the first six months. In some cases when a mother isn't making enough there could be lactating granules and other foods that help her produce enough for her baby. Each baby is different and so is the mother – what works for one baby doesn't work for another .Its best left to the mother to decide on what to feed her baby .

When a baby turns to solids post the six months mark ,the same mother is posed with doubts from people claiming breast-milk lacking nutrients ! It isn't the case and breast milk produced is specific to each baby so much that even in cases of twins the one for male baby is different from that of the female baby! The in-house production is very unique and attuned to the baby's needs. Today medical research has gone as far as finding strains of breast milk to fight diabetes and cancer! It is proven that breast milk is a living substance and every drop is full of life for the growing baby.


One of the major hassles of breastfeeding mom was confinement to their homes but today breastfeeding in public has become the norm of the day – with maternity clothing , public breastfeeding parlours and many more facilities – these are accessible and available to one and all. Let's just get back to the glorious days when breastfeeding was just a normal routine and the statues in our temples, churches and historical artefacts bear testimony to this. In simple words let's just normalise breastfeeding. 

                                        

There's so many myths that surround breastfeeding , some of the most interesting ones are - boys fed more than a year tend to get virile later in life, mom's milk is just plain water,tiny breasts produce less, a sick mom shouldn't feed her little one,milk stops at the first period postpartum! It would be best to do one's own research before buying into any of this however trustworthy the source is!

With so much information at disposal and myths from well-wishers a first time mom is torn between the right and wrong of the choices she makes .

However the good news is there's lot of avenues that are available to help a first time mother. There's BSIM, La Leche League and many more. All you need is to reach out and there's help available. Many Doctors are breastfeeding-friendly as well.

Many working moms opt to pump and create a stash that's is easily available while she's away. This helps many to juggle their jobs and also continue their passion .

The benefits of breastfeeding is countless and it isn't just to satiate a hungry baby ,it's much more. It helps the mother overcome PPD while providing best nourishment for the baby.Breastfeeding can continue to infancy and toddler-hood which helps creating healthier ,holistic better children of the future.      

On a final note , A newborn's mother is as fragile as the little one .If there's some good that you could do for her – try to just say that she's doing great and encourage her if possible. This is never the case as the mother is only looked down upon if she refuses to adhere to some myths and she's either called arrogant or ‘know-it-all'. In all goodwill she's the one whose survived the hardest to bring the life safe to the world - she'll do her best to give it the best, respect her more  even when says a ‘NO' to you.

Women have it better today with advent of technology . While there's so much talk of women empowerment , even a mother who chooses to breastfeed needs to be supported and understood better.