Breastfeeding empowers you

(First of two parts)

Ang buwan ng Agosto ay Breastfeeding Month. Ito ang topic ko ngayon sa kolum kong ito dahil ako ay isang Breastfeeding Mom.

Ang aking pangalawang anak, ang aking bunso na si Antonio ay six months old na nung July 31.

For the first six months of his life, I breastfed him. Exclusively. Meaning no water. No multi-vitamins. Just breastmilk.

When he was six months old, I introduced solid food to him. Carrots, squash, dark green leafy veggies. Brown rice. Oatmeal for breakfast.

But I still continue to breastfeed Antonio. And I will do so until he turns one, or, if I can, more than a year old.

But I’ve met moms who still breastfeed their kids up to four years.

Wow! Bilib talaga ako sa kanila! Saludo!

Di ko ma-imagine na tatagal ako ng ganun!

Pero masaya na ako, because I feel empowered na naitatawid ko ang pagbe-breastfeed sa kanila without giving in to the lure of milk formula – a mistake which I made in the past, when, as a first-time mom, I heeded other people’s ill advice and gave soy-based milk AFTER I successfully breastfed my first-born Antonia until she was eight months old.

Huli na nung na-realize ko na hndi na dapat binigyan ng formula ang panganay ko dahil mayroon namang other sources of calcium – hindi lang gatas ang tanging source nito. Since nagso-solid foods na ang panganay ko at that time, marami namang solid foods ang may calcium, at hindi ko na dapat binigyan siya ng non-mother’s milk.

At ngayong natuto na ako, at mas informed na ako, NEVER ko na bibigyan ng milk formula itong pangalawa kong anak… I will stick to giving him just MOTHER’S MILK.

Si Antonia, ang aking panganay ay umiinom ng gatas ngayon, ngunit hindi na ito formula, fresh milk-chocolate flavor. Hindi na ito MILK FORMULA. Sa aking pananaw, dahil five years old na siya, okay lang naman ito. Hindi naman ako hard core or purist – na naniniwala na ang gatas ng baka ay para lamang sa baka. Naniniwala naman ako na kapag malaki na ang bata, like in my case, nung nag-aaral na si Antonia, umiinom na siya ng chocolate milk bilang baon sa school and before matulog.

Tayo ngang mga matatanda ay umiinom ng gatas eh- sa kape natin, sa ice cream, etc.

I would like to focus on babies. And milk formula for newborn and infants.

Para bigyan ang baby ng formula – diyan ako hindi sang-ayon.

Sabi nila, nakakatalino daw ang milk formula. Hindi ako sang-ayon.

Milk formula companies spend billions and billions of pesos for ads just to say that milk formula has the best nutrients for the optimum development of your baby. Nakaka-genius daw!

But have we forgotten the milk code?

Just to refresh you, here it is:

Executive Order No. 51, Oct. 20, 1986

Adopting a national code of marketing of breastmilk substitutes, breastmilk supplements and related products, penalizing violations thereof, and for other purposes

Whereas, in order to ensure that safe and adequate nutrition for infants is provided, there is a need to protect and promote breastfeeding and to inform the public about the proper use of breastmilk substitutes and supplements and related products through adequate, consistent and objective information and appropriate regulation of the marketing and distribution of the said substitutes, supplements and related products;

Whereas, consistent with Article 11 of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, the present government should adopt appropriate legislation to give effect to the principles and aim of the aforesaid International Code;

Now, therefore, I, Corazon C. Aquino, President of the Philippines, do hereby order:

Sec. 1. Title. This Code shall be known and cited as the “National Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, Breastmilk Supplements and Other Related Products”.

Sec. 2. Aim of the Code. The aim of the Code is to contribute to the provision of safe and adequate nutrition for infants by the protection and promotion of breastfeeding and by ensuring the proper use of breastmilk substitutes and breastmilk supplements when these are necessary, on the basis of adequate information and through appropriate marketing and distribution.

Sec. 3. Scope of the Code. The Code applies to the marketing, and practices related thereto, of the following products: Breastmilk substitutes, including infant formula; other milk products, foods and beverages, including bottle-fed complementary foods, when marketed or otherwise represented to be suitable, with or without modification, for use as a partial or total replacement of breastmilk; feeding bottles and teats. It also applies to their quality and availability, and to information concerning their use.

Pero obviously napakadaming milk companies ang lumalabag nito dahil nga bilyon-bilyon ang income sa milk formula.Pero sa dami ng lumalabag, wala namang nakukulong.

A total of 2.5 to three million babies are born in the Philippines everyday. EVERYDAY. Imagine, ganun kalaki ang target market ng mga multi-national milk formula companies.

BUT all the NUTRIENTS needed for the optimum mental and physical development of your baby ARE PRESENT IN MOTHER’S MILK-AND EVEN MORE. And there are so many websites and blogs to prove that feeding your baby only with breastmilk results in HIGHER IQ – and EQ among babies who are exclusively breastfed.

From PubMed.com :

Of 145 normal full-term infants studied during the first year after birth, those exclusively breastfed for the first four months differed significantly from those not exclusively breastfed in physical and behavioral development, and resistance to infection. At four months of age, the mean weight of the exclusively breastfed group was higher (p < 0.05). At one year, the exclusively breastfed group showed more advanced. Personal-Social (p = 0.05) and gross motor development (p < 0.05) on the Denver Developmental Screening test and lesser cumulative incidence of infectious diseases (p < 0.05). This study demonstrated the beneficial effects of breastfeeding on development and resistance to infection in infants.

And unlike artificial milk formula, breastmilk will not cause respiratory cases or other formula related illnesses to babies (such as diarrhea, low verbal IQ etc.). There have been studies too that says formula in cans may contain “ pathogenic micro-organisms.”

Ang tanong?

Kung alam nating lahat that breast milk is the gold standard – why then is the culture of breastfeeding so low in the Philippines? Bakit ba ang daming madaling maniwala na ang formula ay nakakatalino ng baby nila?

Imagine, ang dami na ngang mahirap, magkano lang ang sweldo, pero bumibili ng formula – P700 to P800 kada linggo para sa isang lata – P2,800 to P3,600 a month! Na sana ay maibibili na ng iba pang mga kailangan ng baby nila. Dahil ang breastmilk ay LIBRE . Nakasisiguro ka pa na hindi contaminated ang water – isang problema din kasi ang kakulangan sa malinis ng tubig sa mga depressed areas.

Yung ibang ina, para makatipid, (dahil nga mahal ang presyo kada lata ng formula) ay bumibili na lang ng powdered milk na hindi pang-baby – yung mura lang – P22 kada isang foil pack – pero ito ay loaded with sugar – at hindi naman talaga para sa baby. Paano na ang tamang nutrisyon?

This will be the topic of my next piece.

I will give you pointers on how to breastfeed successfully. Proper diet ng ina para dumami ang kanyang gatas. Proper mindset. Baby positioning while feeding. Milk storage. And how to continue breastfeeding even when you have to go back to work.

For now, as I leave you with Part 1 of my breastfeeding piece, I say to you,

“Breastfeeding empowers you. It is one way of showing your unconditional love to your baby. You can do it, mommy. Be committed and you can do it. “

PS: Watch the five-part video Formula for Disaster: A Documentary on YouTube.

(To be continued)