Breastfeeding Pinays

When I became pregnant, I swore that I will exclusively breastfeed my son for a year (at least). It was a difficult journey especially when I returned to work. Thankfully, I discovered Breastfeeding Pinays on Facebook.

Screen cap from the Facebook page

According to their ABOUT page:

Ang "online community" na ito ay binubuo ng mga ina, ama, trained breastfeeding peer counselors, breastfeeding experts, at mga espesyalista sa pangangalaga ng kalusugan ng sanggol, bata at buntis. Naglalayon ang Breastfeeding Pinays na makapagbigay ng wastong kaalaman, suporta at lakas ng loob para sa mga inang gusto magpasuso (breastfeeding), bumalik sa pagpapasuso (relactation) at matuto ng tamang impormasyon tungkol sa pagpapasuso. Inaasam din ng grupong ito na maitaguyod ang pagpapasuso bilang pamantayan ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino - Protect, Promote and Support Breastfeeding.

As of today, there are about 90,000 members and I am one of the happy parents who truly benefited from the lovely admins of this group. It is a private and closed group so everything is closely monitored to avoid any spam, leakage of information, and of course, to respect everyone's privacy.

The Breastfeeding Advocacy

My breastfeeding journey was not an easy one. I had inverted nipples hence, Z had a hard time getting the proper milk supply. It was frustrating and it made me end up in tears, most of the time.

While most would have given up, I didn't because I was determined to exclusively breastfeed my son from day 1. Good thing my mother, my mother-in-law, and my husband were all supportive hence it was easier to breastfeed (or try to breastfeed). I am so thankful that I didn't have to endure "hard looks," "talks behind my back," and all the "you-should-never-breastfeed-in-public" brouhaha.

I will be eternally grateful to BFP because they helped me breastfeed Z up to three years, even when I'm still working in the corporate world. I had my Avent manual breast pump handy to help me get him the stash I needed. You can read all about here, here, and here.

Learning About L.A.T.C.H

Similarly, LATCH is also one of the best ways to help new breastfeeding mothers learn how to properly latch their little ones.

Check out their details here (I copied it from their Facebook page):

PAGE INFO

• Address

  Metro Manila, Manila, Philippines
• Start Date

  Founded in 2006
• Short Description

  We take the guesswork out of breastfeeding.
• Company Overview

  L.A.T.C.H. (Lactation, Attachment, Training, Counseling, Help) is a non-profit organization established in 2006 that offers quality lactation education and peer counseling services to mothers who wish to breastfeed.
• Long Description

  Visit our forum for Moms of Multiples -https://www.facebook.com/groups/latchmoms/ For breastfeeding queries, you can email us info@theperfectlatch.com or breastfeedinguncovered@gmail.com
• Phone

  0917 532 5643
• Email

  breastfeedinguncovered@gmail.com

I am very thankful that at this day and age, there are still mothers who passionately support breastfeeding. It will be helpful to educate those people who find it awkward, weird, or too sexual. I think we should stop the hate and view it as the natural source of our babies' food.

courtesy of LLLUSA Org