The Word Route

My emotional moment during my breastfeeding journey came when my child stopped feeding at 4.8 years. All these years, he suffered a lot of health issues, mostly respiratory issues. He was diagnosed with childhood asthma (considered common among babies these days). I was advised by my first paediatrician to continue feeding him till he turned 2. Extended breastfeeding helped me tide over his asthma over a period of time, including his dry skin problem. So I can vouch that if you can continue feeding your baby till he/she is two years old, it’s the best health gift for them. My Journey Breastfeeding came naturally to me after my son’s birth. I did not have any particular struggles while breastfeeding him – no medical issues/latching problems. In the beginning, my answers to my friends’ queries as to when am I going to wean him, were quite vague. I had started initially by saying that I would feed him until he turned 2. After he turned two, I changed my answer to 3 years. It was so natu...

MOMMY KNOWS THE BEST ! “Oh, you are still breastfeeding him?” (almost speaking in hushed tones as if I was having an extramarital affair!) When I told my neighbourhood aunty that I am still feeding my then 2 year old, she nearly rolled her eyes up. She told me it is not good to feed “so long” and soon I must apply neem paste to my breasts to wean him. I bet she would have even consulted an astrologer for a weaning date! Sigh! I just thought to myself that while this octogenarian should have been appreciating me for extended breastfeeding, she was doing the reverse! This made me think of the other women in her family who probably never got to make informed choices to breastfeed their own children. I know I am hypothesizing now. But this is a reality in most families! Anyway, I just told her that my doctor had advised to feed longer for health reasons and walked off. Having been closely associated with a parenting network in the city, I get to interact (virtually and in person) ...