Hunger Games: Catching Meals (Extended Breastfeeder's Quest)

I am still nursing my 14 month old son and these past few weeks GRABE, I am getting more hungry than ever. Last year, i am hungry too but this time, i can't get full anymore. The word ''busog' is no longer in my vocabulary. Now i eat a lot, BIG FREQUENT FEEDINGS. I am very petite (5 feet tall, weighing only 36 to 40kg --that's my normal weight scale since teenage years and even until now at age 26 and have two kids) and i wanted to gain weight to be 'normal' in the eyes of the many (yeah, including you perhaps? Hehe). But even with my super big appetite and excessive eating, i just can't achieve my dream weight (but I do some excercises but just for toning my abs and butt for vanity puposes lang, hehe di naman siguro yun sobrang nakakapayat). I know many of you will tell me how lucky i am for not getting fat ever.

But my hunger is not so cool anymore, i literally live in the kitchen now, even my mouth get tired chewing. I spend the entire day eating and get a headache if i can't have a meal for maximum of only 3 hours after the last one. It's a challenge for me as a stay-at-home mom and i have no nannies for my kids so I usually struggle having the chance to prepare and eat lots of food like ALL the freaking time. I am also super thirsty. I am not pregnant, but my appetite is many many times bigger than during my pregnancies.

And coz i eat and drink a lot, I also pee and poop a lot (my normal bowel movement when I was a dalaga is twice a day, I just have an incredibly fast metabolism then ngayon dadagdagan pa ng more toilet sessions). I got worried I might be orally fixated or might have some metabolic or hormonal diseases. But I felt glad nasa popular google search ang 'excessive hunger during breastfeeding' and felt relieved to hear stories from other moms and discovered that i am not alone and I am just as normal as other extended breastfeeders.

I am just so amazed of how my body works just to provide the best snack drink (extended breastfeeding) for my toddler. God is a genius, He designed women's bodies to become nurturers of little earthlings, however difficult (and hungry) it takes. Nakakapagod man ang kumain ng kumain nang hindi nabubusog, and halos hihimatayin na ako sa 'starvation' na feeling (feeling ko lang yun, ang sikip na ng pants ko) if hindi makakain ng meal every now and then, OKAY lang basta para sa anak. At sana naman magka laman na talaga ako nito para maging voloptuous na ang aking stick-figure body! Hehe Let my real-life Hunger Games begin! ;)

Philippines Breastfeeding Smart Mob 2013

Hello people of the Philippines! I bet you didn't know, August is the BREASTFEEDING MONTH. Now you know, so let us celebrate! Join the BREASTFEEDING SMART MOB 2013! #BreastfeedingPH #smartmob

To all breastfeeding pinays (purely / mixed, directly / pumping), also open to pregnant moms determined to breastfeed and also to those BF advocates who just weaned... Mag tapok og mag ila-ila ta (let's meet and greet) as we celebrate World Breastfeeding Month!

"COMING TOGETHER, FEEDING TOGETHER"
(A Breastfeeding Awareness Campaign)

This is a simultaneous event happening in various venues at Luzon, Visayas & Mindanao. First time in the Philippines. Tara! Don't be shy. Let's meet, greet and latch altogether.

When? Aug 3, 2013, Saturday at 3 - 4 pm

Where? Various venues in the country. (for Davao: Don Beppe Ristorante Italiano at The Peak, Gaisano Mall of Davao). For other locations in the Philippines, see the posters below.

What to do?
Simple... Let's meet, greet and latch alogether. =) (For Davao: Look for the ladies in orange with babies wearing white, that's me and some of my mommy friends from The POD-- medyo kinareer lang, nagpa print talaga ng breastfeeding shirts. hehe)

What to wear?
Wear any comfortable clothing, you may also use nursing covers. (For Davao: if possible, moms wear a color ORANGE top so that we'd be more "shocking" and let the babies wear WHITE. Well, just for uniformity in our pictorial <char>). Documentation will later be shared to the web through our photos and blogs.

Why?
Just IMHO (in my humble opinion) we do this to promote and "normalize" breastfeeding. We can still get too self-conscious to even try breastfeeding in public and only do it in private for some personal reasons (but not me.. or am I just so proud to flaunt that I finally have boobs now? hehe). Because sometimes our society makes us feel that nursing in public is obscene. But, indecent clothes and pornography are more socially acceptable than us women simply "feeding" our babies. And that's not cool! So together, let us fight for our right to breastfeed in public. Show the world how we can beautifully and blissfully breastfeed our beloved babies without discrimination.

In the first place, why breastfeed?
(Again, IMHO) This smart mob also aims to educate families about breastfeeding. Breasfeeding is still the healthiest & best way to feed (and to love) our children despite the availability of over-priced cow's milk extravangantly marketed by multi-million "business" companies. (Lactivist lang ang peg? hehe) And the best part, it saves us a lot of money. Heck, it's FREE milk! So, let's help market breastfeeding, also for free. 

See you!
Let's say hi to each other for an hour. I swear, it's super fun to meet new moms and have a mommy support group. Let's help empower Filipino women to nurse their babies in public places. 

Spread the word!
Invite all your fab BFFs (breastfeeding friends).  The more, the merrier!

Event Poster:
Poster from Mommy Sense (Davao), my personal breastfeeding support group.

Not from Davao? 
Other places in the Philippines are having their own celebration too. Check out these EVENT POSTERS from other (reliable sources) popular Breastfeeding-Support Groups in the country:

Malate, Manila
Poster from Chronicles of a Nursing Mom (Manila)

Cagayan de Oro Poster from Mommy Bright Side (CDO)

Cebu and Bacolod (I'm confirming it pa.hehe)

*If you have other information to add or have questions/comments/reactions, feel free to contact me (Sao) at saosao.yb@gmail.com and kindly indicate name and location.

JOIN our BREASTFEEDING GROUP in The Philippines:

Meet BFing moms from all around the country (Philippines) via online and feel free to learn, relate, get or give inspiration. JOIN this exclusive Facebook Group "Breastfeeding Pinays" : This group seeks to provide support and information to Filipino families who are interested in breastfeeding.