March 21, 2014

Breastfeeding for 31 Months

Dominique Parenting and Kids, Parenting Views, Thoughts breastfeeding

Breastfeeding didn’t really come naturally for me. the first time as it was prematurely ended at 6 months . I only had success from the 2nd time around with my #2- Doggie boy. I managed to breastfeed him and subsequently #3- Tiger girl both for 31 months.

It could be said as a first time mother with Monkey boy I struggled with breastfeeding due to Ankyloglossia which was hereditary on my side of the family. I am a carrier and as a result all three kids have it.

Monkey boy had difficulty latching on and had to be supplemented with formula. His tongue tie was only released when he was 8 weeks old. During that period of time I suffered from engorgement and bleeding nipples due to latching issues. Many naysayers, including my own parents, advised me to give up and switch to formula. I however, tried my best to carry on.

I tried pumping using both manual and electric pumps. It was really time consuming. By the time you finish a pumping session it was time for the next feeding session and the cycle was never ending. I gave up in the end and went back to direct latching as pumping wasn’t working well for me and my supply also dwindled because of it.

I felt extremely exhausted as I wasn’t getting any sleep for days on end as Monkey boy was a baby who needed very little sleep.

It was a torture to breastfeed at that time and I finally threw in the towel at 6 months once I reached the minimum length of time recommended by the major breastfeeding organisations.

Doggie boy back then

Doggie boy back then. Wasn’t he really chubby?

With #2 and #3 I was much more prepared. I spotted their tongue tie problem when they were newborns and had it rectified before we left the hospital. Both of them didn’t have any problems latching on and I enjoyed my bonding sessions while breastfeeding. I practiced baby led weaning with them and weaned them off breastfeeding when both of them were about 31 months old.

Breastfeeding is something which only us mothers can experience and enjoy. It is a unique opportunity for us to nourish our child both physically and mentally. One shouldn’t be too bothered by others and their opinions on breastfeeding. You are the mother and you know what is best for your own child.

This post is written for the “WHY I BREASTFEED FOR…..” blog train ran by MadPsychMum

Justina and Family

Next on the blog train is Jus is a SAHM to three little boys and blogs over at Mum in the Making . She’s learning to love her crazy, noisy life right now, and loves reading, chocolate cake and crafting with her kids.

March 16, 2014

Teaching Kids about Coping with Fear of Failure- (Part 1)

Dominique Parenting and Kids, Parenting Views less stress, Parenting, Series

Monkey boy posing behind bars

As your child grows up and at different stages in their lives there are various challenges and obstacles which have to be overcome.

I’m starting off this series by focusing on my first born~ Monkey boy who is one of my biggest challenge.

[Some background information about my #1]

Monkey boy recently turned 10 years ago and is currently in Primary 4 . He is a high achiever as he is doing relatively well in school in both academic and sports.

He in the top class in the level and has been scoring within the top 10% of the cohort for the past three years. In the recent sports day he took part in the 6 x 80m relay and his team came in first.

Monkey boy has been learning swimming and piano since he was young and will be sitting for his Grade 4 ABRSM Piano Practical Exam later on in the year. He is also doing Badminton as a CCA in school and is in the competitive training squad.

You may think that I don’t have much to worry about as he is performing well in school however this is far from the truth.

Monkey boy is one that does not accept failure. He gets frustrated easily and sometimes rather give up then try when he feels that it may be too difficult for him or he may not perform well in the task.

It is really frustrating as it makes it very difficult for him to progress with this mental block which he has created for himself. I have tried explaining to him the need to just try or else he would never know the result in the end.

I haven’t been successful in convincing him to try. It has been exasperating as he argues with me and insists that I refuse to teach him while I am trying to teach him to try it out himself first.

He feels that everyone is being harsh with him or deliberately not helping him to solve his problem. What he doesn’t understand or refuses to understand is that he needs to take the first step and attempt to try to solve the issue himself. He needs to be the one to take the initiative.

Even though it may not be a life and death situation at the moment with the issues he is currently facing he still needs to learn how to deal with it ~ himself.

It is impossible for us , parents, to be there all the time for our kids and solve their problems for them.

I believe that it is more important to teach them how to address problems and difficulties themselves and provide them with the tools to help them along the way.

The fear that he has of failure is crippling him and I am actively seeking to help him overcome this stumbling block.

In the next post I will be sharing the new techniques that I have recently learned that I will be using with Monkey boy to address his fears.