Shared Experience by Simone Galea

Gheziez qarreja,   (Read this Article in English)

Xtaqt naqsam zewg kelmiet maghkom dwar l-esperjenza personali tieghi. Nibda sabiex minn qalbi naghmel kura lil dawk kollha li ser isiru ommijiet sabiex jghatu l-halib tal-omm lit-tarbija taghhom. Nassigurakom li  l-halib ta’ l-omm huwa l-aqwa halib nutrijenti, efficjenti u ekonomiku  li omm tista taghti lit-tarbija taghha. Il-beneficcji li t-tarbija tigwadanja minnu huma infiniti. 

Jiena omm zaghzugha u ghandi zewgt itfal.Illum it-tifla ghandha sitt snin filwaqt li it-tifel ghandu tlett snin.  Kont determinata mit-tqala li naghtihom mill-halib tieghi.Ghall-ewwel kienet difficli sakemm it-tarbija tirregola l-halib u l-hin li tixrob. U l-aktar kont insib difficli meta kienu jigu tal-familja jew il-hbieb u hallihom jaghtuni l-ideat taghhom.

Fl-ewwel tarbija domt sentejn naghtiha mill-halib tieghi.  L-esperjenza tal-bidu kienet iebsa minhabba li l-halib mis-sider ikun hafif u ghaldaqstant it-tarbija tkun trid tixrob aktar spiss sakemm jibda gej halib aktar grass, imma ma jiddispjaccinhiex.

It-tieni tarbija kien kas differenti ghaliex kull tarbija hija unika.  It-tifel mit-twelid kien jixrob kull siegha u nhallikom timmaginaw kemm indhil kelli minn kullhadd. Min jaghdli dak mhux jixba u ahjar taghtih ‘bottle’, kif ukoll kien hemm nurse li qaltli li is-subien il-breast ma jxebbahhomx u ‘bottle’ izommu.  Kien hemm ukoll qalli biex niekol l-ghagin sabiex b’hekk inxahham il-halib tieghi, imma ibqghu certi li ix-xaham fija deher u it-tifel baqa’ jixrob kull siegha.  L-uniku dubbju li kien idejjaqni kien jekk hux veru qed jixba’ u din ir-risposta malajr hadtha, wahda ghax fil piz kien zdied gmielu u t-tieni meta ghalaq sitt xhur u bdejt naghatih il-frott xorta baqa’ l-istess, jixrob kull siegha. 

Jiena min-naha tieghi kont kuntenta hafna u f’dawk l-ghaxar minuti li jkun imqabbad, kienu mumenti li ma tinsihomx.  Kont ikun rilassata, mohhni biss fih u konvinta’ li dak li qed naghmel kien ghal gid tieghu u ta’ sahtu.  Ahsbu daqxejn kemm kienet facli li meta jibki kemm inqabdu mieghi, immaginaw noghqod nisterilazza l-bottles u nipprepara l-feeds b’tifla ohra li trid kull affett u attenzjoni. 

Illum ghaddew kwazi tlett snin,il-halib tieghi ghadu jghogbu u ghandu kilba shiha ghalih.  Hawn min jistaqsi ‘kif?’ possibli ghadu jihu l-halib, zgur bhala gazaza qed johodha.  Imma nassigurakom mill-esperjenza tieghi li halib jigi u meta jghamel xi gurnata ma jfittix, sidri ikun mimli.

Xi xaghar ilu ghamilna ftehim bejnietna li meta jghalaq tlett snin ghandu jieqaf milli jiehu “iz-zizi” kif isejhilhom hu.  Tghid jirnexxilna it-tnejn li ahna?   Inhoss li parti minni ma tridx terhi dik l-imhabba................

Simone Galea

English Version - Experience By Simone Galea

I like to share a part of my life with you about my personal experience on breast feeding.

To those who are in expectance to become mothers I encourage those to give breast milk their babies.  I am positively sure that breast milk is the most nutrient, practical and economic milk that a mother can give to her child. 

I am a young mother of two children, the oldest being a girl, she is six years old and the youngest is a boy of three.  From the moment I knew I was pregnant I was determined to breast feed my baby.  At first, I found it to be very hard until the baby got a feeding pattern, but the most difficult problem was the battering of ideas that came from my family and friends.

My little girl kept on breast feeding for two years.  My first experience was really tiring because at first the fore milk does not satisfy the baby much so she drank very frequently until hind milk arrived, this was really tiring but I do not regret it.

My second baby was totally different, for every baby is unique.  From birth my boy had a good appetite and fed every one hour.  Try to imagine, I used to get lots of comments about my breast feeding.  Some told me that the baby is still hungry so I should give him a bottle of milk, even a nurse  told me that for boys breast feeding in not enough and only a bottle will satisfy his appetite.  Someone told me to eat a lot of pasta to get thick milk, but the only fat I got, was on myself.  My baby kept on feeding every one hour and the only worries I had were if he is satisfied or not, but soon I got an answer because he added weight considerably and after introducing his first solid food, he still kept on feeding every hour.

I treasure those moments that my child was bound with me feeding from my breast.  There is a great bondage between us.  I feel very relaxed, thinking only about the benefits my baby is having.  Think for a while, how practical it is to breast feed.  It takes only a few seconds to put my baby to my breast and he starts drinking, but how long does it take to sterilize bottles and prepare the feeds.  Remember, while I was breast feeding, I had a daughter to care for and to show her our love and affection.

Today, nearly three years passed and he eagerly wants my breast.  Some people may ask that it cannot be true and perhaps he is using it as a dummy.  Definitely not, I can assure you from my experience there is still milk and if some day he does not take as usual, I feel my breast full and bigger.

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