Lesson learned: why ASI booster never works on me

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Punya anak ketiga membuat saya makin mempersiapkan diri untuk (((menyongsong))) masa menyusui. Berharap masa menyusui kali ini akan jauh lebih lancar-aman-terkendali macem arus mudik. Because, both my first and second child are I considered as breastfeed failed back then.

Chiya, hanya menyusui sampai usia enam bulan saja. Waktu itu sempat berkali-kali nursing strike which, I didn’t notice and never did something to make it better. Stupid me, yes I know. Puncaknya, dia nursing strike for the whole night and totally refused to breastfeed. I prayed we were still alive when the dawn breaking. (Lebaynyaaaa ga kira-kira.)

I did pump breastmilk, with a simple device look like a horn. It was seriously painful, by the way. Since Chiya never likes milk, yes, she also refused it. At last, she drank milk only less than sixty millilitres a day until she was two or three. And she never finished it off.

Sementara Levi, di usia dua bulan sempat (((dioplos))) susu formula. Direct breastfeed hanya beberapa hari saja, selanjutnya minum ASIP via dot. Gantian gitulah, ASIP-formula-ASIP-formula.

Awalnya saya memutuskan memberi Levi ASIP karena anak ini begadangnya gak nanggung-nanggung. Sampai bikin orang tuanya membentuk komisi khusus begadangan. Edanlah pokoknya. Sementara kalau kurang istirahat, produksi ASI gak bisa memenuhi kebutuhan oroknya Levi saat growth spurt.

Riwil begadang + growth spurt + nenen kosong = ?
Kebayanglah ya, sist.

Usia tujuh bulan mamaknya tak kuat untuk konsisten eksklusif pumping so I decided to gave up. Sorry, but I am human too. Cerita bagaimana akhirnya saya menyerah tentu bukan keputusan karena sesuatu hal yang terjadi kemarin sore. Berkali-kali saya coba menyemangati diri saat produksi ASIP berkurang karena accidentially skipped pumping.

Sleep deprived + kejar tayang ASIP + restless = ?

This time, I won’t let myself give up (again). Ada banyak sekali keunggulan ASI dari pengalaman saya menyusui selama ini. Breastfeed itu praktis. Apalagi kalau bayinya begadangan. Dulu, saya gak pernah dikasih tahu gimana caranya menghadapi masa begadang dengan rileks. Ada banyak tips soal menyusui new born dengan proper latch-on etc, but there are not how to cope with breastfeeding and sleep deprived. Not also about how to be happy with that.

Kalau bayi begadang, susui dengan posisi tiduran. Jangan khawatir tersedak, payudara punya sistem output yang canggih. Dan bayi sangat jenius untuk menyusui sambil tiduran. Pada anak ketiga ini saya menyusui sambil tiduran mungkin sekitar 90%. Most of time. Apalagi dia gak begadangan. Waktu istirahat saya jadi jauh lebih banyak. Menyusui terasa lebih rileks. Bayi pun lebih rileks saat menyusui. Breastfeed always makes baby soothes and calm.

Kepraktisan juga terasa kalau bepergian. We don’t need to bring those bottles or even hot water in flask. We also don’t need to be busy when the baby is hungry. Serius deh, rempong bener kalo bayinya mimik ASIP. Kita juga harus selalu menghitung waktu konsumsi yang tepat. Jangan sampai ASIP-nya expired. Let alone bottle addiction. Levi masih ngedot loh umur tiga tahun ini :(

And oh, breastfeeding can save you money. A lot of money. Susu bayi di bawah enam bulan itu gak ada yang murah, loh. “Semurah-murahnya”, still costs you much for daily expenses. Multiply it for the whole month. Then see the number for the exact year. Well, we will say “parents will always give the best—no matter how expensive it is”, but if we can save the money for other purposes, why not?

To make it short, there are a lot of advantages of direct breastfeeding. And next, I’m gonna share about why I don’t feel like I need any sort of ASI boosters.[]