If you’ve been reading my blog you know that I have been having difficulty getting Baby J to gain weight. In fact, we were recommended to start him on formula and to only breastfeed at night. I’ve tried lactation sessions and malunggay capsules but the only time he did gain weight was when we were giving him mostly formula. In time, I couldn’t deal with only breastfeeding at night because he would latch and unlatch several times in a row and it was quite uncomfortable. After a few weeks of doing this I just decided to give him formula as well and stop breastfeeding.
The first few days of giving Baby J formula were very difficult since I was so used to feeding him every two hours. My breasts would be full with milk and quite hard. I would usually give in and breastfeed when I couldn’t stand it anymore. Then over time it would take longer for me to be uncomfortable. When I stopped breastfeeding at night, I still felt some lumps in my breasts but I was able to live with the feeling.
It has been almost a month now since I totally stopped breastfeeding and I feel both relief and sadness. I feel relieved because finally I can wear regular clothes when I go out. I don’t have to be wary of my breasts getting hard from milk that has not been expressed. I feel sad because breastfeeding was such an amazing bonding experience between me and my son. I literally fed him with my own body’s supply of milk for several months with no need for outside food! Breastfeeding used to calm him down and help him go to sleep.
Now I have to rely on a bottle of milk. It used to be quite easy at night since I would just pull up my shirt and sleep while he nursed. But once you give him formula the dynamic just changes. Baby J also had to adapt but he was already used to drinking from a bottle. However, he was very picky about the formula’s taste. We went through several brands before we were able to get him to drink Pediasure. Someone should have warned me not to buy the big can at first to check if he likes the taste.
Right now Baby J likes eating solid food. In fact, he seems to like it more than milk! We feed him banana yogurt, pureed vegetables and meat with rice. We’re trying to get him to eat pancakes to test his reaction to eggs but he’s not liking pancakes so much. He’s still below the graph for his weight. But at least his length and head circumference are always steadily increasing.
Now the only other concern on my mind is planning for his 1st birthday. It’s going to be an amazing party. Heck, I never had something like this when I was a kid. His cake will be more expensive than our wedding cake. The grandma doesn’t want to have a Jollibee party and said to just choose whatever I wanted because she’ll pay for it! Hubby thinks his mom is making up for his childhood.
Anyway we’ve reserved the place na at the Big Red Barn in Fun Ranch and the theme is Formula 1 at the request of the father. I’ve found a place where I can purchase his costume and I even have a Ferrari T-shirt for my costume. Everything is falling into place.
