Indeed, there is no better bond than that of a mother with her child. Embracing extended breastfeeding wasn't as easy a journey as I thought in the beginning, but I did it, and today I have stories to tell my fellow moms, especially new moms seeking ideas based on experience. I think there's a kind of magical bond—or should I call it an extra bond—between a mom and her child that comes with extended breastfeeding. This is my third child and the only child I extended breastfeeding on. I once read a post from a mom in this community about extending breastfeeding, and at that time, this child of mine was only 8 months old, so I decided to try it since the World Health Organization even recommended it. What I didn't know is that there's a sweet and bitter aftereffects, hehehe.
I kept breastfeeding my child for up to two years, and he became so attached to me to the point that I can't even use the restroom in peace. He will always want to gum his body with mine at all times, and everywhere I go, it became a concern. Stepping out to buy things in the market without him was a hassle, and if I left him at home with his siblings, he would cry and cry and wouldn't stop until I returned. At a point, I started regretting why I brought trouble to myself, lolz
I forgot to tell you that weaning this child was a big trouble in my home. I tried all I knew and got exhausted, but he refused to be weaned. I experienced countless sleepless nights, so stressed out trying to wean him. It was as if I threw my child from a staircase, considering the way he wails at midnight and during the day.
What about eating solid food? My child would reject almost all food presented to him and request to suck breasts. Oh no. I can't explain all that I experienced with him, haha. I finally succeeded in weaning him after one month of consistent trying, and even when he started school, once he returns, he will rush to come and be dragging my clothes, asking to be breastfed, sometimes in the church and everywhere I go, even in public. I must admit that sometimes his constant request to be breastfed looked embarrassing. He will be 3 years old on May 26 of this year, and he hasn't totally forgotten about breastfeeding.
I have known that exclusive breastfeeding helps to improve a child's immunity, and I believe from my experience that extended breastfeeding helps too. So far, my baby's immune system has been good; I can't remember running to the hospital for his case except for immunization, unlike my other babies, who will be taking me on several hospital trips. This is a good advantage for a growing child. Some mothers say it helps increase a child's IQ, perhaps yes or no, but from what I can see in my child's IQ, it may be yes or he is just blessed with that naturally.
Currently, my two sister-in-laws gave birth to their first child, and it's been a journey of learning new things for them as a new mom, and I feel even more excited having the experience to walk them through, starting with preparing their breasts right before delivery in order to help stimulate breast milk on time.
The advantage of both exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and extended breastfeeding cannot be overstated, and even in an economy like Nigeria, where everything one can think of is highly expensive, I think mothers should take advantage of exclusive breastfeeding for their babies as it costs less than buying baby formula.
Did you extend breastfeeding? What's your experience with your child?
Thanks for reading my story on this!.
See you in my next post!