The first time I actually felt a proper connection/bond with my son (who is now 2.5) was a month post his birth when he actually started to recognize me and I could sense the immense comfort he felt as soon I went close to him. He became my go-to comfort human. From then on, he gives me so many memories to cherish. The way he giggles, calls me 'Amma', runs to me as soon as I open the door after work, the unlimited kisses he plants on my cheek and so many more. 

Words of courage – Though the pregnancy journey did not exactly go as planned and was a little stressful, I still feel blessed that I can call him mine and he is the best I could have asked for.

Humans of Momly

Let us celebrate International Women's Day by reading the courageous stories of our community mothers. These women overcame the challenges that the universe threw at them and emerged as a beacon of hope and strength.

My son is the best thing happened to me

It was 0200 am…swaddled in muslin was my 2weeks old daughter. looking (and behaving) like an owl. Happily breastfeeding with the most innocent and content expressions..(probably wondering why I was staring at her!. 

 I will never forget this night that made me realise this magical bond with my baby. Forever grateful for it as it made me trust my body even more and feel grateful for all that it has done to connect me with this beautiful soul in my arms…

2 years done....still the beautiful journey continues

And here I am after 2years, feeding her as her tiny hands pinch me, squeeze my belly, scratch me, pull my clothes… same content expressions but innocence replaced with naughtiness. As she giggles and tells me about her day while breastfeeding I again thank my body, my baby and my stars for this beautiful journey.

I started exclusively breastfeeding my daughter on 2nd day after she was discharged from NICU. Latching was an issue and it was quite painful. I was so clueless as I hadn’t done an extensive research beforehand (one thing all expecting mothers must work on).

The unsolicited advice created a confusion

I was solely depending on all the well meaning advice by my mother, my Jappa, my sister, sister in law and other experienced ladies of the family. On 3rd day I started receiving all sorts of suggestions and doubts about my diet, my baby’s milk requirements, my milk supply, if it’s inadequate etc etc. It was a difficult and confusing time for me. 

When the going got tough, sisterhood came to rescue

Thankfully I had two rock solid women by my side- my sister and my sister in law. Who told me to just believe in myself, my baby and my body and just do what seems right. I thank them everyday for this!

"Breastfeeding is the best thing on travels" - says my lactation expert


My husband and I love travelling. Thus when my daughter turned 4months we decided to take our first international trip with her. I consulted my LC to understand how to start bottlefeeding her. She gave me the best advice on this. She made me understand how breastfeeding is the easiest thing to do while travelling and bottle feeding comes with its own share of additional works like sterilising, carrying bottles, formula, warm water etc etc.. Thankfully I decided to give it a try and oh how much I love my decision! 

The family that travels together stays together

My daughter is now almost 25 months old and we have taken her on 6 international and 11 within India trips. I have exclusively breastfed her everywhere… in flights, trains, buses, boats, cable cars, hotels, pools, restaurants, parks, beaches everywhere. I even breastfed her during my first solo hike with her. There were times when she didn’t like the local food, specially in offbeat places but thanks to breastfeeding I was always sure that she is getting good nutrition.


My journey so far has been incredible! Some people told me I will be bound due to breastfeeding. But I feel it just made me completely free! Because I can literally be anywhere with her and still provide her a nutritious meal. Some people also told me that we can travel more freely without her but my husband and I just don’t want to travel without her in these initial years. 

Did I struggle after resuming work? Not at all

Some people also raised doubts about how I will join back work. But I am fortunate to have my office right below my residence. Also as I search for good quality cows milk, I know she is still getting all nutrients of milk through me.


This amazing journey has had a good share of lows as well. Like all parents we have had many many sleepless nights due to colic, sleep regressions, illnesses, teething pains, separation anxiety, play school, growing pains list is endless. And as she finds breastfeeding calming and reassuring, there were days it did drive me crazy and question my own decision.

But breastfeeding is the best decision I took in my life

But at the end of the day honestly, every breastfeeding session reassures me that this was and is the right decision for us.


My Breastfeeding Story

Breastfeeding releases myriad emotions. It is a period of highs and lows. Celebrating moms and their nurturing spirit on the occasion of Breastfeeding Week. Read these timeless stories of mothers who showed resilience and strength in the tough times of breastfeeding. 

My Fairytale Breastfeeding Journey

My journey started off real easy, I was in the hospital for 4 days and the nurses trained me so well. No latching issues. 100% support from family, good rest and food. My baby was gaining the necessary weight. Parenting looked so easy.

When I Realised MotherHood is Never a Walk in the Park


I think after 3 months, breastfeeding was very draining for me mentally, I hated the process. Feeding for 30 mins on each breast made me restless. Repeating the whole thing like 8 times a day was just exhausting. I eventually started ignoring the signs when she wasn't feeding well. I dint pump to maintain my supply. 

(My perception - once the milk sets in I thought it would not go away). I did not speak about my discomfort. Told everyone that everything was great.
Eventually after a month, when she was 4 months old I realised my supply was going down. I expressed this to my doctor, but he didn't seem to think there was any issue, since there was no problem in weight gain. I started paying more attention trying to revive it but not with a lot of success. We tried bottle feeds and she out right rejected it.


Then I started work after another month and things just went downhill. She was active but wasn't putting on enough weight. Everyone said you can start solids and that will improve her weight. She ate in good quantities but it dint reflect in her weight. I tried all the things possible to improve my supply, cluster pumping, pumping extra when she was not feeding. Used spoon bottles to feed 30 ml or so with lot of struggle. I just put people around me in stress too. Nothing worked and she just gained 1 kg from 7 to 11 months. She was only 7.5 kgs on her 1st birthday. She was a small baby at birth, so doctors said this could be because of that.


Luckily she started taking a bottle after 1 year, and solids also digested better. 3 or 4 feedings in a day from me also were helping. Brest feeding now felt very comforting, I enjoyed every second of it. the way she clung to me, I felt one with my daughter . I really enjoyed this phase. After 15 months I weaned her off. She is still in the lower spectrum of weight but she is vey active and happy. Even today, I still carry the guilty. I am always worried about her growth.

Learnings In My Journey: A Lesson For New Moms


I hope this story helps someone out there breastfeeding - not make the mistakes I made - not to take breast feeding for granted. 

Express yourself and seek help. Parenting can take a toll on mental health. 

And also keep your child used to the bottle. 

So whenever there is problem there is something to fall back on. Practice feeding in different positions.

Motherhood is Not a Walk in the Park


My baby girl was born underweight at 1.87 kgs and didn't latch in the hospital. The staff said it's since she's small and doesn't have enough strength to suck yet.
Unfortunately in the whirlwind of the first few days, recovering from a c-sec and formula feeding her every few hours, I had delayed getting a breast pump and thought my supply had not started yet...

The Shooting Pain Stopped Me On My Tracks


On the 4th day after delivery I had extremely painful shooting pain in my c-sec scar and couldn't walk..We had to rush to the hospital emergency for a checkup. 

The Lactation Specialist (who was an angel) helped me pump for the first time and all of the shooting pain went away!
From then on I was triple feeding my baby - pumping every 2-3 hrs day in and day out, formula feeding her and also trying to breastfeed her which was still unsuccessful! 

My baby had gotten used to being bottle fed and refused to latch - bottle drinking is easier for babies since they don't need to work hard for milk
It was extremely demotivating and depressing ... Pumping 24/7 gave me sore and cracked breasts and made me extremely sensitive and upset.. When she was a bit bigger we tried pipe feeding her, using a pipe dipped in a milk bottle, which was extremely difficult as well since she was refusing that too.


I still remember breaking down in front of my husband, I wanted to stop breastfeeding completely, I didn't want to touch them ever again because they were hurting so much...

And My Baby Saved Me...Voila She Learnt to Latch


Thankfully the next week itself she learnt how to latch.. And I've been happily breastfeeding her from her 6th week.
As she grew, I completely skipped letting her drink from a nipple bottle, and started her off with straws and open tumbler. I was afraid she would stop breastfeeding again if she got bottlefed again.


She's 22 months now and I currently don't want to stop breastfeeding, the peace and calm I feel when I feed her is incomparable.. And she happens to be a very demanding baby, all of our relatives have gotten to know her love for "Mummy Duddu"

I'm going on an office trip with her for 3 days next week and I'm a bit apprehensive about everyone seeing her ask for duddu... But I don't want to stop anytime soon!


If she's the only baby I'll have in my life, I want to savour these precious moments for as long as possible 

My Breastfeeding Journey- rough start, but now I don't want to stop!

Read more to learn Neha's breastfeeding story - how she handled her breakdown, latching issues and now wished the precious moments would continue forever. 

Rough Start But Don't Want it to Halt

Teaching personal safety and consent, early on, is must. In today’s day and age, children are exposed to online media and subjected to lot of exposure from early age. Most of the times the screen time and the content they are watching is not supervised by adults. Children getting exposed to sensitive or age-inappropriate topics could spike curiosity and lead to unhealthy means to satisfy that curiosity. Engaging with them and keeping an open communication on matters related to body autonomy and the evolving needs of their body will allow them to put forward their thoughts and feelings with ease. Building a safe space at home is very important so that they come and talk on their observations and happenings at school or other places without shutting themselves in one corner. 

Books are a great way to broach sensitive or a difficult subject like personal safety, consent, body awareness etc. Books carry the messages succinctly through words or illustrations which make it easier for parents to pick up the conversation. With pictures or infographics, children get more interested on the topics and show enthusiasm to learn more. Also, when parents sit and engage with them through books, they are more conversant and are able to articulate their thoughts more openly.

Educating Personal Safety – Need of the hour?

With child abuse rising every minute, it is a dire need to teach children personal safety and show them the ways to take care of their body. Healthy personal boundaries and safety hygiene 101 need to be educated using creative ways. By using the actual body parts names instead of vaguely answering or not teaching them the exact definition of private parts will raise curiosity when they grow up. Using age-appropriate words through drawing, illustrations, books will foster a safe environment and establish an honest participation in children. Educating personal safety to children will help prevent unsafe incidents and equip them with knowledge and strategies to deal with such situations in future.

Home is an inviolate space that children regard as safest in the world. Home is where the primary caregivers reside. Primary caregivers are their parents whom they regard as key members in the safe circle. While that is so, establishing a safe circle outside home is very important to guide the children when they are out of the confines of their homes. It could be teachers from school, parents of their classmates or friends, neighbors etc with whom you can trust your child and your child feel comfortable to confide in. Draw the safe circle and teach them the members who form the safe circle. Empowering with books and resources will strengthen their ability to deal with manipulation and child abuse when they are away from their safe circle.

Setting Body Boundaries: 5 Books to Empower the Young

Books on child safety and body autonomy should be gentle, suiting to the sensibilities of a child. Here is the list of 5 books which cater to both children and parents and allow a space for these difficult topics to sit comfortably between the two.

This book teaches children to set personal boundaries and empower them to say no when they sense a breach of trust and invasion of privacy around them. The book is told using a little girl’s narrative with catchy pictures and empowers the children to understand their body rights and express them openly without fear or apprehension. Children can relate to a little girl’s narrative and it is easy to pick up the words and language expressed by the protagonist when they see the main character of their age.

 This one land straight home as it teaches children to treat their bodies as sacred and form an invisible circle so that others cannot enter the safe zone. A parental guide that serves as conversation starters and familiarizes one to pick up the phrases of unsafe touch and healthy boundaries to teach their children on how they can protect their body rights and combat sexual abuse. Told in an engaging and interesting way, this picture book will always have a soft corner in your child’s heart.

 A ready reckoner on personal safety issues, My little Body Book, is a must have in your shelf. With charming and endearing illustrations, the author has given some simple, practical tips on self-care, body safety and establishing body boundaries for children to be aware of when they are interacting with the external environment. You can read aloud to your child and delve deeper using the information mentioned to empower them with more insights on personal safety.

This book is a transformational guide that talks about personal space, protecting private parts, and honouring consent. It enhances body awareness and confidence in children to adhere to their body rights and take charge of their safety at all times. This book calls for a read aloud with its captivating storyline and pictures. Little nick encounters situations that help him build resilience, awareness and know the difference between good and unsafe touch. Flowing in rhythm, this book becomes an emotional learning guide with sing song text.

Talking about the difference between secrets and surprises, how should one never keep the secrets from their parents and delving deeper on body positivity forms the main crux of this beautifully researched book. There are many takeaways for children especially how keeping secrets from their trusted caregivers can land them in problem and there is a freedom in speaking up. It is written for parents as well as children and promotes body awareness and emphasizes on a key message that it is not your fault and trusted caregivers can help if you do not keep any secrets from them.

Want to raise a reader and make your children aware about such grave topics, Join our Momly tribe. More such recommendations available on Momly storefront. Download Momly App and join our Momly Plus Whatsapp group to share, connect and grow more insights on maternal and childcare topics.

Teaching consent and early empowerment lessons on healthy boundaries 

Books on child safety and body autonomy should be gentle, suiting to the sensibilities of a child. Here is the list of 5 books which cater to both children and parents and allow a space for these difficult topics to sit comfortably between the two. 

My son is the best thing happened to me

My Fairytale Breastfeeding Journey

Motherhood is Not a Walk in the Park

Rough Start But Don't Want it to Halt

5 Books to Teach Body Autonomy To Kids

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