SIX MONTHS BREASTFEEDING EXCLUSIVELY

Three months compulsory maternity leave is slowly fading. Months have gone down to weeks, weeks to days. I am starting to get nervous, questions are piling up on my mind, Nitaachia nani mtoto wangu?(Who will I entrust my baby with?) Atakula nini? (What will she eat?) Sina mboch! (I do not have a house help) Will daycare accept my baby? She is still too young? Mungu Wangu!(My God).


So I have been exclusively breastfeeding my DD, (Darling Daughter), since birth. Reality has come knocking that I have two weeks remaining to report to work. Most of the times I used to be on the Internet and always googling on how to better my parenting skills through other parents' experiences. Then, I find a way to still give the baby breast milk while away on my official duties. It was simple. Expressing breast milk.

Photo Courtesy, Breast Pump

That same week, I, baby daddy, and DD, went to Nairobi's Biashara Street, (known for selling baby items, ranging from diapers to clothing to toys, name it, they have it) and purchased a manual breast pump and other baby necessities. In the evening I tried pumping and not even 10 ml came out. I was devastated. I thought I would pump at least 180 ml. So that night passed. The following day came. I needed a refrigerator. By that time, the cheapest one is around KES15,000. Where can I get such a huge amount of money at once. Nilikuwa nimesahau, ni mimi napata chama this round. But on the other hand, I have my baby in mind, luckily I manoeuvre and get that cash. #BabyTings.

The evening before I go to job, I haven't expressed enough for DD. So, I rush to the supermarket and get Nan, powdered milk meant for babies. By now, I am satisfied that when I am away, DD will be fine, she will only be missing me, the smell of my stained breast milk clothes.