In conjunction with World Breastfeeding Week 2023, held in the first week of August, makchic reached out to several mums around the world to see what their breastfeeding experiences were like – and learned that we all face similar challenges, in spite of our cultural differences.
Here’s what the mothers we interviewed had to share:
Kyuree Lee, mum to Yena (3)
Korean
Like many first-time mums, Kyuree felt that she did not mentally prepare herself for the challenges breastfeeding would bring. The first three months proved to be very challenging, as she battled the exhaustion of having a newborn and experiencing pain in her breasts.
Kyuree resorted to looking for a breast massage centre that could help her. “In Korea, you can find breast massage centres specifically for breastfeeding mums. I went to a centre that specialised in Oketani (a special type of manual technique of breast massage developed by Sotomi Oketani), and they helped to relieve the pain caused by engorgement and clogged ducts in a soothing way.”
Despite the challenges she faced, Kyuree persevered and felt a tremendous connection with her daughter while breastfeeding, which made it all worthwhile.
Emma Rolland-Ahizu , mum to 3 kids
Nigerian
Emma shares that in her Nigerian culture, certain types of foods, such as oatmeal, pap (fermented maize, pearl millet or Sorghum grains, enriched with yogurt), brown rice, sweet potatoes and more, can help to improve milk production. Certain types of leaves can also help to heal cracked nipples. However, she was unable to obtain these in London, where she is currently based.
“I experienced sore and cracked nipples. It made the journey extremely stressful, and eventually, I supplemented [by] feeding my kids with formula milk.” According to Emma, new mothers in the UK get good support and advice from midwives and health visitors, who guide and teach them how to breastfeed. These were very helpful, she added.
Jessika Solomon, mum to Nathaniel (11) & Rachel (8)
German
“In Germany, it’s hard for new mums to have family support after the birth of a baby as extended families usually live far apart,” says Jessika. Hence, first-time mums are keen to engage lactation counsellors to help. “The trend is to breastfeed until it is convenient; until the mum goes back to work or the baby goes to daycare. “
Jessika managed to breastfeed both her kids until they were 2.5 years old. Though her breastfeeding journey with her second child was smooth sailing, she found it challenging with her eldest, especially in the first few weeks.
“Overall, it was such a blessing,” she adds. “It created a deep bond with both my kids in their early years. It was by no means easy, and I was tired, physically and emotionally, but I felt it was God’s calling for me to sacrifice my freedom for their good.”
Suha Mohammed, mum to 2 kids
Jordanian
Suha shares that she introduced the bottle early on in her breastfeeding journey, as her eldest child was extremely colicky (due to a hernia), whilst with her second, she had an internal breast infection, which limited her milk supply.
“In Middle Eastern culture, mums and mums-in-law are your lactation consultants as they pass on what their mothers, aunts, and midwives have taught them,” says Suha. “To increase milk supply, we eat a variety of traditional foods and herbs, which also helps to decrease bloating and cramps. I can’t take the smell of chicken broth until today, as I was fed copious amounts of it; but I did enjoy the caraway pudding with almonds and pistachios.”
Raisa Kettunen, mum to 2 kids
Finnish
As a mum to two adult children, Raisa’s breastfeeding journey took place over 20 years ago. In spite of the breast infection she experienced whilst nursing her second child, her journey was one that she describes as “bliss”. Breastfeeding was very important to Raisa, as she personally felt that “it was very important for both my kids to have their mother’s milk.”
She was also grateful for a more widespread acceptance of breastfeeding in her country. “In Finland, at that time, it was very easy to breastfeed in public. It’s one of the things I appreciated [the most] about the culture. I could breastfeed anywhere in public”.
If you’re new to the breastfeeding journey, or if you’re just looking for answers to some pressing concerns you have, check out our tips from an expert, a first-hand account of how tough the journey can be, tips for pumping as a working mum and more.
Happy World Breastfeeding Week, #makchicmumsquad!
By Hemala Devaraj
The post Mums of the World: Breastfeeding Experiences Across Cultures first appeared on Makchic.