Reaching Out to Fellow Moms Through My Latest Book

 

World Breastfeeding Week 2013 Logo
 

BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT: CLOSE TO MOTHERS. This is the theme for this year's World Breastfeeding Week. I had mixed emotions when I first found out about this year's theme a couple of months ago. First, I was glad because the theme this year affirms me that I have the right reasons for embarking on my latest book project. That is to provide inspiration and encouragement to fellow moms (first-time to breastfeed or not) through the stories of real moms who triumphed over breastfeeding challenges. Though I was glad that my book concept is aligned with this year's theme, I felt pressured and disappointed as well that I can't launch my book yet this week. Can I launch it within the month? Only God knows!

 

But I choose to find joy today in my blessings and what I have done so far in pursuing this God-sized dream that God has planted in my heart. So let me enumerate some of them.

 

1. I'm now working with a graphic artist on my book's cover. Yehey! It's still a lot of work but I'm happy to see very beautiful options. I find it hard to choose because they are all beautiful! So I now have a good problem. I need to choose my book cover and work on fine-tuning it.

 

2. I was able to edit two more stories today. Yesterday, I think I edited two also. I thank God that I'm able to accomplish this in spite of the noise around me (screaming kids in the background) and the countless interruptions (from my kids of course).

 

3. I thank God that I'm still able to breastfeed my 20 month old child until now. He just fell asleep actually after nursing from me. That's why I have some time now to update my blog.

 

4. I received more pictures today from the moms who are featured in the book. I don't think everyone can submit on time but I'm still hoping that majority can send in their photos. It would be better if there's a face to their story.

 

5. I feel blessed to be reading testimonies of moms who have struggled to overcome breastfeeding difficulties and continue to do so for the sake of their children. Their stories inspire me to keep on breastfeeding my son despite the challenges in my schedule. Their stories also encourage me to keep moving forward in this book project knowing that more moms out there need to know about them and learn from them.

 

6.  I've been receiving a lot of support from the people around me, family, friends and new acquaintances alike. I know that God sent them my way to affirm me. I believe that every encounter is an encounter that God ordained and that there is purpose for every meeting.

 

7. I will make this the last blessing I will list here (I can list some more but I need to work again so I can finish this book faster.) though I should list more. I thank God for giving me this opportunity to use whatever gifts and skills I have right now to be of service to others - moms and babies particularly. I was reminded of this blessing today when I read a devotional that used this statement as part of the reflection. "Let us try to do whatever we can to help those who are less fortunate than we are in life." Writing and publishing this book on breastfeeding is my way of helping my fellow Filipinos, the Filipino families who are struggling to make both ends meet and wondering how they can nourish their kids/babies when they can't afford the very expensive milk formula which are widely advertised in different forms of media. I want them to know that they don't need to buy these expensive milks because their babies can benefit more by breastfeeding from their mothers. That they can use the money that they will save from buying milk formula to save and invest for their future needs or for emergencies or they can spend this money on other necessities.

  

From World Breastfeeding Week Website

I pray that more breastfeeding mothers would find the kind of support they need this week, this month, this year, to achieve their breastfeeding goals. I hope and pray that I could help them get that support through my upcoming book. Breastfeeding moms reaching out to other moms who are either breastfeeding already or still thinking about it. 

Let me end this post with a quote from C.S. Lewis: 

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You, too? Thought I was the only one." 

 And a quote from me through my upcoming book:

We moms also need help from each other. We need to help each other remember that we are strong. That we are already winners. That we are selfless. That we can love unconditionally and tremendously. That we were amazingly and miraculously made by God. We need friends who will remind us of these truths because we can easily forget these truths when trials and challenges come.

 
Do you moms agree?