First Time Mum, Lala Akindoju Talks About Breastfeeding Struggles
Nollywood actress and movie producer, Lala Akindoju has revealed that she struggled so hard with producing breast milk for her newborn son that she started giving him formula 24 hours after his birth.
The first time mum who welcomed her son, Adeore in February narrated how she did everything possible and ate all that was recommended in order to produce enough breast milk for her baby, but nothing was working.
She said she cried and felt guilty that her baby must be lacking the necessary nutrient if he’s fed formula, adding that relatives encouraging her to breastfeed and shun formula didn’t help matters.
With time, she accepted that she couldn’t produce enough milk and she settled on formula for her baby.
She encouraged nursing mothers experiencing the same thing not to beat themselves up, as long as their babies are well-fed and happy.
READ ALSO: First Time Mum, TBoss, Who Couldnât Lactate Immediately Writes About Her Breastfeeding Experience
Read her full post…
“#WorldBreastfeedingweek was last week and I read many beautiful posts from motherâs celebrating the joys of breastfeeding and being the sole provider of nourishment for the children in the first one year at least. None really captured my experience, hence this post
Breastfeeding was not a beautiful experience for me and I find that women donât share their not-so-beautiful experiences. From the moment Adeore was born, my body produced very little colostrum and though the nurses massaged, pressed and squeezed- we only got few drops every time he needed to feed. So 24 hours after delivery, he was given formula which consumed in seconds.
In my mind I was like- âI will still breastfeed oâ, #BreastisBest right! El-oh-el. The struggle began- my body was not producing enough milk to feed my child. I would spend 40 minutes pumping and will hardly get 20ml of milk. I drank ogi (which I hate), lactation drinks, fenugreek tea topped with 6-8 fenugreek tablets daily. Nothing was working.
I felt guilty. I cried. This is minus the struggle of getting a good latch, cracked nipples and the pain. I was sure I was denying my child the nutrients he needed to grow properly, so I kept at it.
I was also worried that I would miss out on the mother & child bond formed during breastfeeding. The calls from aunties saying âhope youâre breastfeeding oâ, âdonât give him formula oâ – didnât help at all. I know they meant well but those words triggered me.
I couldnât even confidently say what I was going through. Then Iâll come online and see new mothers posting bottles of milk expressed after 15 minutes of pumping, plus complaints of soaked clothes with milk. At this point I had to ask God if I was a step child.
I breastfed for all 4 weeks and it was hard. Thankfully my husband was very supportive and he was fine with Adeore feeding on just formula. At some point he actually said I should stop, but I was forming I must breastfeed.
.
If you are experiencing this. You are ok. You are doing great. Be easy on yourself because your baby needs you. Breast milk is great. Formula is great too. A fed baby is a happy baby â„ïž
#fedisbestwhetherbottleorbreast
#fedisbest
#MummyAdeore”
Media personality, Gbemi Olateru Olagbegi commented, explaining that she had a similar experience.
