Stories of Hope
The journey to breastfeeding can often be littered with concerns, but you are not alone. There are mothers just like you who have overcome the challenges associated with it aided by counsellors and correct breastfeeding techniques. Here are highlights from our repository on Stories of Hope for mothers and their families.
A strong support system helped breastfeed my child
I had a long labour and was handed over my baby daughter, Ruhi after half an hour of birth. Initially I could breastfeed her normally, but after 8-10 days, I started encountering a number of problems. I experienced retracted nipples because of which I had to express milk manually for feeding. Despite efforts, my milk output fell short and Ruhi had to be fed formula milk. I was overwhelmed with guilt and sadness. Thankfully, my lactation consultant helped me to navigate the situation and patiently guided me on the right techniques, be it pumping out my milk using a breast pump, suggesting ways to soothe my occasionally sore and bleeding nipples or teaching me different breastfeeding positions. She also counselled me through my depression. My mother and husband became my other pillars of support, helping me regain confidence to breastfeed. Thanks to this support system, I could overcome the challenges in my breastfeeding journey.
Sonu, Mumbai
My son was born preterm and sick and was shifted to the neonatal intensive care unit immediately after birth. To make matters worse, I did not have enough milk for my baby after delivery. The timely help of doctors, nurses, and milk bank staff of the Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh came as a relief. Gradually, with their support, I started expressing good amount of milk. Now I can feed my baby on my milk exclusively and my child is healthy.
Rajwinder Kaur, Patiala, Punjab
No it was not easy !! BUT SUPPORT IS IMPORTANT
I had a rather easy pregnancy and delivery. So, I had imagined that my breastfeeding journey would be as smooth. However, things turned out to be just the opposite. My son had trouble latching on to my breasts, and I experienced terrible pain during feeding. I started dreading feeding times. I was depressed, guilty, and worried that I won’t be able to breastfeed my baby ever. The anxiety further reduced my milk supply. During these difficult times, my husband and parents showered their love, care and support on me. It was only because of their constant encouragement that I could overcome all the challenges and was able to exclusively breastfeed my child continuously for six months and continue breastfeeding even after that.
Manmayuri, Assam
My daughter was born really small (1.7kg) and admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit soon after birth. Immediately after delivery, I had very little milk. I was upset that I won’t be able to feed my child when the hospital staff at the Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh came to my aid. They helped me express breastmilk and counselled me on the required diet. Now my baby is growing well, and I am not only feeding my baby but also donating breastmilk to the human milk bank for helping other mothers and sick babies.
Ramanjeet Kaur, Nawanshahr, Punjab
Neha Jai Nadkarni, Breast milk donor
