Breast milk is the best food we can give our baby. And famous moms have become icons in the fight for breastfeeding, also in public. One of them is Natalia Sánchez, a mother of two children , who has shared and shares her experiences in motherhood on her Instagram account, as a way to normalize it and help other mothers who are traveling the same path.
But even great breastfeeding advocates go through moments of doubt and distrust their decisions. This has been confessed on her Instagram account by the mother of Lía (born in January 2019) and Neo (on May 21, 2020), whom she feeds with breastfeeding in tandem: “It has been 10 very hard days … taking my milk every hour day and night, and where the idea of giving up breastfeeding has haunted me every day… ”.
With a sincerity worthy of praise, the actress, who became popular after her participation in the series ‘Los Serrano’, wanted to leave her “bittersweet” testimony in the hope that “it can help whoever reads it” although she recognizes how hard it was see that your newborn was losing weight.
Motherhood teaches us day by day
I think all mothers agree that motherhood reveals new things to us every day: it is not a bed of roses, so some surprises are wonderful, while others are hard and test our strength.
For this reason, I like the attitude of Natalia Sánchez and the way she shows us every day in her Instagram stories that she faces motherhood very naturally and that she faces the challenges of raising two children so young, the best that she can, although, like the rest, she also stumbles over stones in the way and doubts her worth , just like any non-famous mother.
This has been demonstrated once again in an extensive testimony that accompanies a photo of her breastfeeding her son Neo, who was born in a state of alarm and with whom she is facing new, nonexistent challenges with her daughter Lía. The brothers are only 17 months apart. His words contain great life lessons, useful when the day to day with our children seems to overcome us.
The actress explains the panic she felt when discovering that her newborn was losing weight :
“A month ago Neo was crying uncontrollably for a few days 1-2 times a day. It didn’t seem alarming at all, I thought it would be gas, sleep or any nonsense. But when a baby asks for something inconsolably, he needs something. After 3-4 days like this I weighed him and BINGO! I had lost weight. “
Despite having an older girl, she confesses that a mother’s fears appeared :
“That a newborn loses weight is one of the things that most terrifies mothers / fathers because it can be serious, because it is a sensitive issue on which, for a change, everyone has an opinion and because, in the case of breastfeeding, a rain of phrases hit you deep inside and ‘confirm’ all your fears “.
And it continues to advance, ensuring what all mothers know: that breastfeeding and motherhood have their pros and cons:
“I know it sounds very ‘existential’ and, for those who are not familiar even ridiculous, but it is not. The truth is that we live in a society in which the image of women, breastfeeding and motherhood are so idealized and are so far from reality that, when something goes slightly twisted, our castle collapses and we behind. Damn demand …! “
But, fortunately, with the right professional help, a solution is found , as she tells it:
“I took him to the emergency pediatrician and he had indeed lost 550 g! Upon leaving, I wrote to one of the best if not the best lactation consultant: @albapadibclc (Alba Padró Arocas), with her team who attended me and advised me wonderfully.
After ruling out the usual reasons, infection, frenulum, etc … and since the ‘production drop’ was obvious, since the chest did not feel as turgid as always, we came to the conclusion that it could be multifunctional but, above all, they believed that it could be mainly due to my stress (that terrible and powerful enemy), not eating enough (due to lack of organization), not sleeping (for obvious reasons) and other little things that could have added “.
She explains that they recommended that she continue supplementing with artificial milk to regain weight (which was the main thing), that it be removed so as not to lose breastfeeding and, above all, that she try to “slow down.”
“Sometimes all we need is a knowing look”
Natalia acknowledges that she would not have been able to get ahead without the support of “the great women around .” And he specifically names his sister, “the woman I love the most in this world and to whom I will be eternally grateful for accompanying me in this process (and in all of them) who did not know how long it would last, nor if it would have a happy ending” .
“Thank you Tata for not stopping telling me: ‘Nata, you can …”. Because sometimes all we need is a knowing look from someone we love and that, that heals the soul. His phrase has reverberated in my head when I have wanted to give up the most and has helped me to move on.
That, and as she says, that I am tremendously stubborn. I love you tata … “
But he has also clung to his mother’s advice , like that phrase that “has been with me a lot these days and will always be with me” :
“‘Motherhood works like a plane mask: first you have to put it on yourself and then you put it on your children, because conversely it is useless.’ That is, first you have to take care of yourself and then take care of those around us, if not, the equation does not work and we crash “.
And it seems that he has listened to them, because he assures that he has managed to “lower the pace and the level of demand” , that he is taking care of himself “and everything is back to where it was before. It has not been easy, but it has been worth it”.
And we are left with the words of encouragement that he dedicates to other mothers who may be going through similar experiences, whom he invites to follow their instincts .
If the breastfed baby loses weight: when to consult
Breast milk is the best, but when the baby is not really getting enough milk, it is convenient to bear in mind that in some cases a temporary supplement may be necessary, until the child’s weight normalizes.
As much as we want exclusive breastfeeding, the first thing is that the baby is well nourished. That is the top priority. If there is a problem with breastfeeding, this can almost certainly be overcome, but as long as the first thing is that the baby continues to receive enough food.
Before using a supplement, it is necessary to study the particular case well and seek correct advice, be it from a pediatrician (truly knowledgeable about breastfeeding) or from a Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).
It is not that we are going to give a bottle when in doubt, but we must know that artificial milk can be essential in cases where there is really inadequate nutrition, at least temporarily while measures are taken to improve breastfeeding.
The important thing is to find a good professional, who does not send bottles the first time, but who does know when they are needed, at least temporarily, while helping the mother to solve the problem. With newborns it is vital to maintain proper nutrition and hydration.
When the weight loss is greater than 10% it can take up to three weeks to recover it and in this case you have to be very attentive to its evolution.
If three days after starting breastfeeding the newborn has not begun to regain the weight it had at birth, consult your pediatrician to detect possible dehydration or lack of adequate nutrition. Likewise, it is necessary to see a doctor if the baby is very sleepy and does not ask to eat.
Expressed milk supplementation may also be necessary if weight loss exceeds 5%. In this situation, breastfeeding will have to be reviewed to detect poor posture and offer it on demand, increasing the frequency of feedings and removing the pacifiers if they were being used.
In addition, if the baby does not gain weight, it may happen that breastfeeding has been poorly established from the beginning. Therefore, to avoid these cases or solve the problems that arise, it is important, as Natalia Sánchez did, to consult with the pediatrician to help your baby and detect any physical problem that may affect breastfeeding (such as the short lingual frenulum) , and go to a lactation consultant, to help you find how to solve a possible problem with your child’s breast latch.
Photos | GTres, Instagram Natalia Sánchez, iStock
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