Contagious Lifestyle

Archive for the ‘Breastfeeding’ Category

Good news to breastfeeding moms and advocates!

Recently, PGMA has signed Republic Act 10028 or the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009, principally authored by Senator Pia Cayetano, which amends the Rooming-in and Breastfeeding Act that was first filed in 1992.  The new law seeks to promote breastfeeding by ordering tax incentives for companies that provide breastfeeding and breast milk storage facilities.

Under the new law all government and non-government agencies, institutions, and establishments are to put up “breastfeeding or lactation stations” here nursing moms can breastfeed or pump milk for storage.  To avail of tax incentives, a “Working Mother-Baby Friendly Certificate” have to be certified by the Department of Health which must later on be filed with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). 

How I wish this law was promulgated long before so that I didn’t have to pump milk in the comfort room when I was still working after giving birth.  Not only it was uncomfortable but it’s also disgusting since I was expressing food for my baby at an unsanitary place.

Finally..I get to start my day and work. I just got loose from the little one’s tremendous craving for my milk. He’s been clinging to me and breastfeeding (on and off) since an hour ago while watching his favorite Barney DVD on the side. We almost had 2 reruns of the show so I just know how long has he been "making lambing" to me. I was supposed to start my online works that have piled up at 9 am earlier but since motherhood comes first, it’s only now that I’m technically starting my day and can blog in full blast.

Back to the little one’s voracious appetite for my milk, it’s puzzling me how will I wean him come March. He’s turning 2 and I’m slowly prepping ourselves to finally and permanently unlatch him from my breasts. With the way he is now, I don’t think he’d be ready to do so in the next few weeks or months.

Whenever people praise how smart and "bibo" my son is whenever he performs his antics, I can’t help but feel giving ourselves a congratulatory pat on our backs because it only means that our parenting efforts are paying off. Such phrases eradicate my paranoia and guilt for those times when I feel like I’m an irresponsible parent let’s say whenever he gets sick. God knows how much I really strive to nurture and take care of him to the best of my abilities…that sometimes, it appears for some people that I’m already neglecting myself basing on the way I look now, blaming it to the fact that I still breastfeed my son at 20 months old. I really cringe whenever people discourage me to stop breastfeeding so I can already jump into my normal body built and mass.  I may look scrawny and ugly if that’s the term you want to use, but there’s no way I will give up breastfeeding for such a selfish act.  I have no issues if I look so payatot.  All I know is that I’m giving only the best for my son.

In celebration of the Breastfeeding month, the Breastfeeding Club will be selecting a number of expectant parents to participate in a special activity called A BABY SHOWER BY THE BREASTFEEDING CLUB.

The founder of the group says:

Have your pregnancy portraits taken for free, learn to make your own diaper cake and get a chance to win one too, listen to a professional events planner talk about throwing a baby shower and other events, take note of the top 10 breastfeeding tips and win many prizes in the games and in the raffle… Plus free giveaways from related products and services…

All happening on August 29, Saturday, 10am-12nn at the Medela House,1st St., New Manila Quezon City. Come with your husband and share the many joys of pregnancy with other expectant moms…

It will be a feast to celebrate and honor this Breastfeeding Month. Please confirm your attendance by emailing abbievyabot@yahoo.com or texting me at 09178322243.

Abbie Yabot
Certified La Leche League Leader
Certified Lactation Counselor
Founder – The Breastfeeding Club

Look how technology supports the breastfeeding advocates. If you have an iPhone, the following applications are worth trying and definitely beneficial in closely keeping track of breastfeeding.

Baby Tracker: Nursing
The Baby Tracker: Nursing App ($5) tracks nursing sessions so you don’t have to carry a pen and paper and worry about frequency. The app allows you to record the length of your baby’s nursing session and side you nursed on to generate a detailed history and log. You can also record bottle feedings by time (for example, milk or formula) and the amount your hungry infant consumed.

Baby Brain
Baby Brain ($5) may be the end-all-be-all of newborn note taking as it allows parents to add as many children as they want (perfect for multiples) and keeps tabs on which breast was "served" or how many ounces were consumed from a bottle. In addition to feedings, Baby Brain will track naps and diaper changes, too. By entering all of baby’s bodily habits into Baby Brain, parents are logging important information that can be tabulated for further analysis and can even be sent to inquiring parties.

Applications’ notes snagged from lilsugar.com.