Is it even possible to breastfeed your babies for ten years? Confused? Wait, this Malaysian mom Anzi Hung first started breastfeeding her baby in 2007 and now she is still breastfeeding even in 2017. She didn’t think too much about it and definitely didn’t expect to have a lot of breast milk either.
True, meet this mom of three girls from Malaysia who has been breastfeeding non-stop for 10 long years. She is married to her childhood sweetheart Liew Chung Yin and rather has a fascinating breastfeeding story.
Their three little daughters are Liew Vixi, 10, Viqi, 6, and Vini, 3.
Aren’t you probably thinking if it is humanly possible to breastfeed for ten long years? Was there any difficulty she faced through this amazing breastfeeding journey?
Anzi says, “When I worked in a factory, I had to sacrifice half of my lunchtime and pump in the toilet, and have a quick lunch in the pantry.”
“My dear husband would pack my lunch early morning at 5 am for me to take to work.”
She adds, “Later when I worked for a listed company, the break slot was spent in the toilet for pumping during the days we had management training/ meeting. While working with the headquarters of a franchise company, I needed to pump inside the car/empty storeroom, when out-stationed for auditing /collecting data.”
“And when I was working in an MNC without a freezer in the office, my hubby would prepare an ice box full of ice cubes for me to bring to work, to keep the milk fresh for 10 hrs, including the traveling time from home to work.”
Due to financial and economic constraints, Anzi got her first electric breast pump only in 2012.
She says, “Only in 2012 did I get my very first electric breast pump to shorten my time spent on pumping.”
Do you think there are any health issues or troubles that would come in the way of breastfeeding for so long? Hear it out from this experienced mom.
Anzi says, “The bad experience I remember the most is when I had a serious illness in my 2nd pregnancy. I had non-stop bleeding, and there was a big drop in my hemoglobin levels, due to acute hemorrhoid. I also came down with dengue…”
“My doctor asked me if I was crazy to continue breastfeeding and to stop what I was doing, But I stuck on. I had to temporarily stop breastfeeding for 2 months though, during my second pregnancy on doctor’s advice that breastfeeding might cause contraction.”
“Then, I recall those times when some problem caused lower suction of my breast pump on my KL trip, and the then battery wore out on my Singapore trip, all of those issues ended up with breast engorgement, which was very painful for a week.”
“This year, I saw some blood getting pumped out together with the breast milk occasionally, due to shrinkage of the vein around the breast… I took antibiotics, lowered the pump pressure/session and now everything’s back to normal.”
Isn’t she amazing to not stop breastfeeding for ten years? Wouldn’t she be tired at all?
The mom of three says, “Of course, I have cried so many times in the middle of the night when I am awake to do the pumping. My youngest girl who is now 3+ has been the fussiest…she is the only one who refused to latch directly after 28 days when I got back to work.”
The family is fond of traveling and have just got back after climbing Mount Kinabalu!
She tells, “I traveled with my girls in these 10 years so I need to pump and store the breast milk for them. Every time, we needed to bring the pumping cup, pump, cable, power bank, thermos along, wherever we traveled. You can imagine how heavy our backpack would be, for caring for 3 young kids for a trip.”
“Previously I would feel guilty about not pumping so much during travel, due to the tiredness. These days, I have learned to reduce my pressure on pumping because the girls have grown up.”
Breastfeeding is good for babies although to each their own decision is best. To breastfeed or not is each mom’s decision. But Anzi says, “I can see that my girls are less prone to falling sick than their parents, and are able to recover sooner after an illness. Breast milk is the only intake they are willing to have even under hospitalization due to viral infection.”
“All my girls look so fit, not skinny, not fat, they are fully breastfed kids.”
“My uterus contracted faster due to the girls’ direct latch, which helped me get back to shape easily. I had put on weight up to 78 kg after my first child, and still, manage to maintain 48-50 kg even I though I eat a lot.”
“Surprisingly, my menses came back only 8 yrs after my first child – meaning, I saved a lot of money on buying pads!”
If you think there are a lot of difficulties and disadvantages due to breastfeeding, then Anzi tells, “I think, a lot of time gets devoted to pumping if you are unable to directly latch the kids. Also, it is hard to maintain a well-balanced lifestyle, both physically and psychologically.”
Anzi says, “Feed on demand. I personally prefer direct latch wherever possible, as it stimulates more yield. Believe in yourself, you have given your baby the most wonderful and intimate time.”
“When it comes to supply, the persistence of pumping session really does matter, together with a balanced diet.”
