Just Help One Mother at a Time, One Day at a Time

The title of this post is a favorite saying of Velvet Escario-Roxas, a woman who I was blessed enough to meet a few weeks ago. She came to visit me at my home and check on how I was breastfeeding my baby. If you’ve been following my posts here, or on my blog (www.trulyrichmom.com), you’ll know that our baby lost a significant amount of weight after she was born, and that it’s only now that she’s getting better and gaining more weight.

When Velvet came to visit us, I immediately felt at ease with her. You know how it is when you encounter someone and you feel as if you’ve known her for a long time already? That’s how it was with Velvet. We had been communicating via Facebook prior to our meeting, and I was supposed to go to Arugaan (which you can read about here: http://www.worldallianceforbreastfeedingaction.org/whatwedo/womenandwork/seedgrants/arugaan.htm) for a session with her and other breastfeeding moms but wasn’t able to at the last minute. So Velvet offered to drop by our home instead.

And I’m really glad she did.

I learned a lot from that afternoon with Velvet. She taught me the laid-back nursing position, something I had never tried before with my two older kids. She taught me how to massage my baby, to help promote better absorption of breast milk, and thus, promote weight gain. She taught me about block nursing or feeding, which would help Baby get more hindmilk, the more "fatty” milk. She taught me how to express my milk by hand, something I am still trying to master up to now (Sorry, Velvet!).

But more than all the practical stuff Velvet taught me, I’m more grateful for the lessons I learned, or rather re-learned, about people.

Velvet volunteers her time and effort to help mothers and children, particularly breastfeeding moms, without asking for anything in return. Being with her and listening to her share her experiences, I learned again that people are more important than things.

Hearing her share about helping moms and babies among the poorest of the poor, I learned again that each of us is called to share what we have with others, especially those in need.

Her stories about helping women in Mindanao reminded me again that all of us are God’s children, no matter what religion or race or culture we have, and we are meant to help one another.

Her enthusiasm and zeal to spread the "gospel" of breastfeeding reminded me of the fact that God created every single part of our bodies for a reason, including a woman’s breasts. Although some women may choose to give their babies formula milk and we are in no way at all judging them for their choices, this fact remains to be true: Breast milk is the best and most perfect food for babies, perfectly designed by God to nourish our little ones.

Most of all, Velvet taught me the importance of just doing my best as a mom and a woman, and of helping others as best as I can - even if it’s just one mother at a time, one day at a time.

Let me end this post with something Velvet said that I already knew even before I met her, but was reminded of again:

"Your first ministry is to your children."

Besides breastfeeding, Velvet also advocates natural childbirth and uses natural family planning (the Billings Ovulation Method) — things that are also close to my heart, and try to promote among my circles of influence. If you want to know more about these (though I’m not an expert), please feel free to email me at tina@trulyrichmom.com or send me a tweet @tinasrodriguez.