My Breastfeeding Diary: 12 Months

My Baby Boy is officially 1 Year Old (more on his birthday party in the next post)! 

Happy Birthday!! Woo hoo! *applause*

Looking cool in shades

This also marks a major milestone in my breastfeeding journey; we made it to 12 months! =)

My breastfeeding journey up until now had not been easy. Finding time to express at work is still a challenge even though I've been doing it for the last 10 months; you would think that I should already be used to it by now right? Nope. It definitely does not get easier. As the workload piles up and with deadlines to meet, it does not get easier to find time to pump.

Because I haven't been quite diligent in following my pump schedule, my milk supply depleted (from 180ml to 150-160ml per pump session). Added to that, my period returned 2 weeks after he turned 11 months (milk supply generally decreases just before our period returns). In case you are wondering, yes, it is very normal for breastfeeding mothers to not have their period during breastfeeding due to the hormones released as a result of breastfeeding.

With less breast milk for my baby, I finally caved in to the hubby's suggestion to supplement Baby Boy with one feed of formula milk every night before he sleeps. Although research has shown that feeding formula milk does not lead to better sleep for the baby contrary to popular belief (and I have found this to be true for Baby Boy), it does lead to less stress on my part to produce enough milk for him (he cries like crazy and refuses to sleep when he does not have enough milk to drink). Plus, we wanted to see how he takes to formula and surprisingly, Baby Boy had no issues at all with formula unlike his sister when she was his age.

Since he had no problems with drinking formula, there were so many occasions that I had wanted to give up breastfeeding once he reached 12 months. I mean, I have fulfilled more than my fair share of giving him the best right? Plus, I was the only one still pumping at work while the rest of my colleagues had already given up.

However, recently I noticed that my boy has grown closer to his primary caregiver, the mum-in-law, and even my hubby as they spend a lot more time with him and even bring him out on the weekdays (I work really long hours so that I can have 1 day to work from home a week); so much so that my boy started to (*gasp*) reject me! He sometimes pushes me away and cries when he sees his grandma or daddy walk away! I was so heartbroken (woes of a full-time working mum)! =(

The only time that he actually brightens up when he sees me is when it is milk time. "Mama!!" he cries and only wants me to carry him.

Enjoying the Christmas decorations at Marina Square

This is why I'm still going to continue breastfeeding pass 12 months. Even though I'm so tired of lugging the pump to work, tired of pumping and replying to emails at the same time, tired of washing pump parts, tired of seeing so little milk pumped out despite all my best efforts.

I will continue because it is the only thing that bonds Baby Boy with me. It is the only thing that I can provide for my baby when I am at work and not with him.

Besides, now that he will be eating more solid food and drinking less milk, it will hopefully be less stressful for me to bring home enough milk for him everyday.

Despite having only 2 teeth, Baby Boy loves eating and thoroughly enjoys his food!
Here he is looking greedily at the food served at his buddy's ducky-themed birthday party

My mum-in-law grumbles that my boy only has 2 teeth but I see it as a blessing in disguise. There were many occasions where he bit down on my you-know-where and it hurt!!! (>.<) I have had to flick his cheeks with my fingers a few times before he got the message that he was not supposed to do that! *sigh*

Although I've been so tired because he continues to wake up every 3-4 hours at night, I'm thankful that this is very normal especially for babies who are away from their mothers in the day. Baby Boy just wants to be with me at night since he's not with me in the day.

Exactly 7 days before he turns 1 year old, at his buddy's 1st birthday party

Hopefully I can make it to 18 months like I had planned! Wish me luck! =)


Continue to >> My Breastfeeding Diary: 13 Months (Finale)
<< Back to My Breastfeeding Diary: 10 Months

This post is part of my series on My Breastfeeding Journey.
Follow me as I battle the perils of milk production and boob-related pain all over again.