Four Months with Ava, Four Months of Breastfeeding

Dear Ava,

Tomorrow, we will be celebrating your fourth month.  Time sure flies so quickly.  It just seems like only yesterday when I gave birth to you and now you are a four month old who loves rolling around, laughing and communicating with everyone around you.

I think that one of our milestones my dear daughter is that we have been able to breastfeed.  Honestly, I wasn't sure that we were going to make it.  Being a first time mom, I just blindly said that I wanted to breastfeed you.  I guess during the time I was pregnant with you, I had this idealized version of what breastfeeding would be like.  I didn't realize the many trials we would have to go through.  I didn't prepare or read anything about breastfeeding.  Your Lola Marie kept reminding me to prepare myself like making sure that my nipples were supple and soft so that I would feel less pain when we began to breastfeed.  Of course, being the stubborn person that I am, I didn't listen to her.  This is something that I would thoroughly regret in the first few weeks that we were together.

The days after your birth were very difficult for the both of us.  I was experiencing cracked and sore nipples in my right breast.  You were also having a difficult time latching on my left breast since my nipple was slightly inverted.  I spent the next few days crying in frustration but eventually, your Dada bought a nipple shield which thoroughly helped us.  We depended on that nipple shield for almost a month.  Thankfully, now, we don't need to use it anymore.  

We also went through problems with low milk supply.  The lowest of lows was when your Lola Nonie passed away and I couldn't express enough milk for you because I became so busy attending to so many things and couldn't relax and just focus on just expressing milk.  This was when we had to turn to formula to supplement.   

It's been a month and we are now back to feeding you exclusively with breast milk.  My supply has gone up thanks to Mommy Treats and also the various malunggay products that I have consumed.  Of course, we would not have been able to survive this without your Dada who was oh so patient and loving to us and also your Mamu Sally who kept on making shellfish soup with malunggay.  Your Lolo Jojo was a pillar of strength even when he was grieving.  His prayers made our family and our relationship so much stronger.

You are now four months old and I am glad to see that you are a healthy, happy baby.  Your pediatrician has determined that you are developmentally at the 6 month mark.  Your Dada and I are so, so happy about this.  I am so grateful that we stuck with breastfeeding.  I hope that we will continue to do this for as long as we can.  

Our first time to try breastfeeding

Tita Doc teaching us how to breastfeed lying down

Breastfeeding at your Lolo Jojo's and Lola Nonie's house

Breastfeeding before your 3 month appointment
with Tita Doc