Recently the actress became a mother for the second time 13 months ago, and since then she has breastfed her daughter Olivia, as she has explained on numerous occasions through her social networks.
But María has always spoken naturally and openly about breastfeeding , its lights and shadows, and the potholes that mothers sometimes go through and that can complicate this wonderful life experience.
The actress recently published a video on her Instagram account in which her face is seen in pain while breastfeeding her daughter, due to a nipple wound that her baby made long ago , and that does not finish healing.
With the video, María tries once again to show another reality of breastfeeding ; the one that is not always ideal, nor does it go as planned.
There is a clear tendency to idealize everything on social media . And honestly, always showing such an “ideal” reality does not cause anything other than “misfortune” in those who do not achieve such brilliant results.
It leads them / us to absurd but very real questions, such as: “and why me? What am I wrong? … or the film “what have I done to deserve this” … Less mask and more reality! , which normalize every little detail of everyday life and help us to relativize everything that does not correspond to what they have sold us as “normal”
Here I am, one ordinary morning, with my second lactation … so real, so normal, so animal … I would not change them for anything … both were freely chosen (essential) and although both were hard at first : swollen breasts, surplus milk to a whole family, cracks … both were wonderful (at times)!
And above all in both of them I experienced that feeling of peace, when the baby latched onto me and fell asleep on my little arms, and an immense desire to get off the world while it continued to spin. But like almost everything has a but, the time has come for mine, ours.
It has been months since I dragged an important wound caused by those little teeth that make us so funny. I fight every day because it closes: change the breastfeeding position, disinfect the area, let it air dry… all recommended, but without any improvement… quite the opposite.
I’m not going to teach it obviously .. to avoid sensationalism, and to protect the most sensitive eyes that can see me, but seeing my face, I think you can unleash your imagination.
I don’t feel bad for being a “bad mother” … things don’t go that way. I do not think that love is measured in the months that it is breastfed … not even, and obviously, in whether it is given or not …
It’s just that I feel like I don’t have the strength or the resources to do it . She wants what I have, and if I “simply” don’t give it to her, how do you think she will react? Because I already know. That is why things are not so “simple” …
From said to fact there is a stretch and the fact that I think about it now does not mean that it will be immediate, but it does already come to mind.
Always thinking of her … in the well-being of the house when I’m not there, and the best for the pack of four. That if it were thinking of me would also be worth eh … since breastfeeding will always be two, and nothing more than two. As long as one does not want to, it will be over.
It’s funny, because just taking @alpapadro’s book on ‘Weaning’ out of my sleeve yesterday, I have had a barrage of messages from you sharing your experiences and your difficulties … why does something so animal have to be so complex?
Well, life will teach me and tell me what to do, with my intuition and without ceasing to try to surround myself with the best … those who know the most. I will tell you.
Whether it’s hard or not. Whether it is simple or complex. Whether it is natural or provoked, trying to feel good at all times, since like all of you, you have / we have done the best you have / I have known and with all the love in the world.
(In the video you see her asking for her dose of food / love … without caring about her mother’s hair, the wounds, or whether or not it is the best moment … I stop the video abruptly because of the pain it forces me to change my breasts …) Because this is also breastfeeding: here and now, while the Ferris wheel continues to turn.
The actress has received thousands of supportive comments from other mothers who claim to understand what she is going through, and that like she has, they have shared their experiences and difficulties with breastfeeding their babies.
On the other hand, there have been many women who have thanked María for showing the B-side of breastfeeding; because that other reality also exists and it is necessary to teach it to raise awareness, inform and support mothers who are going through a similar situation.
How to heal a nipple wound?
María Castro wanted to make visible a problem that frequently occurs during breastfeeding: wounds on the nipple , whether a bite is produced by the baby while breastfeeding, or if it is due to a bad grip or bad posture that ends up causing cracks.
The nipple is an especially sensitive area , and unfortunately there are no magic remedies to help heal a wound, especially when you are breastfeeding.
The pediatrician and lactation consultant, Miryam Triana, advised us in this article to wash the nipples daily with soap and water to avoid infection, dry them well and leave them in the air for as long as possible , without applying any topical treatment on them.
Likewise, it is necessary to check the baby’s posture and grip in order to detect any problem that may be interfering, such as could occur with the short sublingual frenulum. It is also advisable to try several positions when breastfeeding, until you find one that helps reduce pressure on the breasts and improve the baby’s latch on.
In the event that the pain is unbearable , the lactation consultant recommends allowing time for the wound to heal, and while expressing milk from the affected breast manually (the breast pump could further damage the nipple) and offering it to the baby .
If the injury was caused by the baby’s teeth when biting the nipple , Miryam Triana gave us in this post a series of tips that could help prevent the situation from happening again.
Photo | IG @maria_castro_jato
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