Ines Perković shared her experience of motherhood and the challenges she faced during the first months of breastfeeding, emphasizing the importance of support and information.
As part of marking World Breastfeeding Week, the portal Bjelovar Info spoke with Ines Perković, a young mother from Bjelovar. She candidly discussed the first months of motherhood with her son Oliver, the challenges of breastfeeding, and the moment when everything became easier.
For Ines, breastfeeding was a natural choice from the start, but she points out that the beginnings are far from easy. "Oliver is an exclusively breastfed baby. In the beginning, it was difficult, and I think it's a skill that both mom and baby learn. It takes time for everything to fall into place," Ines told Bjelovar Info.
Their experience was also marked by a health complication. "From the start, he was only on the breast, and I went through an inflammation that was borderline mastitis. That was my worst experience related to breastfeeding," she recounted. Despite this, after about three and a half months, breastfeeding grew into a special form of bonding. "He's a satisfied baby when it comes to feeding. I can say that after three and a half months, I enjoy it too. I didn't think we'd reach this stage," she admitted.
Although many assume breastfeeding is a simple process, Ines emphasizes how demanding it truly is. "I think only those who are in close proximity to a nursing mother, family, and partner understand how hard it is. People generally assume it's simple. But the baby needs to learn the proper latch, which shouldn't be shallow, and the mother needs to learn how to hold the baby," she points out.
Despite all the obstacles, she is convinced the effort is worth it. "Regardless of the fact that it can be hard, I absolutely recommend breastfeeding. We know it's the best for the child, and that 'sacrifice,' in that form, is absolutely worth it. Formulas are great, and if they're needed, that's fine, and no one is a better or worse mom because of it. If we can breastfeed, then we should persevere," she said.
Ines currently plans to breastfeed Oliver until his first birthday. "The plan is to make it to a year, and after that, we'll see how he's doing, but also considering returning to work and such," she added.
A big role in her journey was played by family support and sharing experiences with other mothers. "I have support from everyone, and I think it means a lot when you have someone going through the same thing at the same time, so you hear that you're not the only one who had a certain situation happen, that it's hard for you, that the baby behaves differently in certain developmental stages... Maybe sometimes we don't even know why something happens," she says.
She highlights the availability of information as a great advantage of today's time. "Today it's much easier to identify a problem. I inform myself about breastfeeding, as well as other obstacles related to motherhood, through books, the internet, and courses," she notes, especially recommending preparation for future parents. "There are even free courses nowadays. You definitely need to be prepared," concluded young mother Ines Perković for Bjelovar Info.
