Shalini is a mother of twins based in Bangalore. From complete thyroid and pre-diabetes reversal to breastfeeding her twins to health - this is her story of healing and growing. In her book, “Inspiring Breastfeeding” she has shared her experiences and tips & tricks to empower and educate mothers who are on a journey of breastfeeding.

Shalini Batra Sahni
39 yrs
Staff Design Engineer
Bangalore

I thought I was living a healthy lifestyle- until I got diagnosed with health issues!
In my early 30s, a routine annual health check-up declared that I was a pre-diabetic. I was appalled to see my fasting blood glucose out of the normal range.  I never experienced any major symptoms & was told since my mother had it, it had to be genetic. However, I was unconvinced. I believed I was already living a healthy lifestyle and was a diligent yoga practitioner! What had then gone wrong with my eating and living habits that had made me sick?

Taking on the advice of a well-wisher I adopted a vegan lifestyle. I completely removed dairy products from my diet. This helped bring down my HBA1C from 6.5 to 6% and fasting glucose to a normal range. 

Hypothyroidism came in the way of pregnancy
I had been married for a year and was eager to start a family. After trying for six months, we went for blood work and found that my TSH levels were off.  I met a doctor who advised that I first needed to bring my thyroid levels to the range. Only then could I conceive.  And so, I started taking Thyronorm. It brought my thyroid levels down to normal and eventually I was able to conceive. Everything went smooth in my pregnancy phase and I delivered healthy twins. 

I was dairy-free throughout my pregnancy
Along my pregnancy journey, I kept hearing from family members and well-wishers about how important it was for me to consume milk and milk products. “Your kids may get deficient”, “They may be underweight”, “They may not develop properly” etc., were all the different kinds of concerns that were expressed. But what made me stick to my resolve was the research that I had done earlier about the benefits of veganism. Nature will not make human babies dependent on animal products for them to develop fully. One of my friends who also had twins even mentioned to me that I had been very bold in not consuming any cow milk in my pregnancy.

My breastfeeding journey
In a way, my belief won overall myths! My babies were born full-term and with a healthy weight of 2.7 and 3 kgs. However, initially, I was unable to produce enough breast milk. My babies had to be formula fed for the first few days of their birth. It was disheartening for me, but my desire to breastfeed them was very strong. I wasn't ready to give up. There was yet another question that fuelled my resolve to breastfeed: If I was born with normal functioning organs, they had it in them to perform their function, right?. I was willing to do whatever it took to provide my milk to my twins. I kept latching my babies to my breast every now and then. And on the 21st day, I was producing enough milk and feeding them well. I weaned them off the formula milk completely.

When my relatives & well-wishers urged that I needed to consume cow’s milk to produce enough milk and meet calcium requirements, I would simply ask them- does a cow drink milk to produce milk for her offspring? She feeds on grass and produces milk. Why couldn't I be on a plant-based diet and produce nutritious breast milk? During my breastfeeding journey, I never had a supply issue. The baby's weight gain and other health indicators are perfect, and they are achieving all the milestones, active, healthy and HAPPY.

Providing my twins with the best milk possible
It was probably a mother’s intense desire to nurture and provide the best for her children- that made me take active steps towards my own health. While breastfeeding, when I consulted a homoeopathic doctor, she immediately made me stop the thyroid medication, explaining that it would affect my milk. 

I was planning on breastfeeding my twins for as long as possible. And the thought of giving them unfit milk disturbed me. I stopped taking the medication from that day itself. However, 21 days later when I got my TSH checked, it had shot up to 12. Panic-stricken, I started taking the homoeopathic pills that my doctor suggested. However, to my dismay, it only got worse. I was reassured that it would eventually get better- but taking those 45 pills a day never felt good. In my heart, I knew I had to take another healing path. 

The start of something good!
This was when I contacted a dear friend, Gayatri. She had herself healed from an autoimmune thyroid condition and I felt positively reassured on listening to her healing journey through nature cure. 

My own healing journey began with small gradual steps under the guidance of Dr. Prashanthi. First, by reducing grains and going on an all fruits diet for breakfast. And then eliminating refined and processed oils from my diet. Later, I even quit wheat. Each day, my raw food consumption increased and so did my diligent practice of yoga. Being consistent for 3 months with my newly adapted eating and living habits transformed my health completely. I was overjoyed when I got my blood reports. My TSH reading had dropped from 15 to 5. 

Raising my twins close to nature
It gives me real joy when people come up to me and ask me what I am feeding my children. They look so energetic and happy. I smile and simply say that I am raising them according to the laws of nature. 

From taking them on trips to nearby villages, letting them play in the soil and sand- to keeping 90% of their diet rich in fruits and vegetables, I want my children to experience the bounty of nature to the fullest. My husband and I have lowered our salt intake, no refined sugar, no oil, no gluten, mostly raw and have made a dedicated fruit corner in our kitchen where we go to snack and/or eat a meal. Moreover, I use only cloth diapers and nappies and home-based products made with leaves and soap nut to clean them. 

I am in no hurry to wean them off my breast milk even though they are 20 months old now. They will stop when they are ready. The one thing that I’ve truly learnt from this journey is - It’s always best to go nature's way.

My husband’s unconditional support in this journey!
In my whole journey of pregnancy, breastfeeding & healing, my husband had a big role to play. He takes equal responsibility, if not more, in taking care of babies, feeding them, cleaning soiled diapers, making them go to sleep, giving them baths etc. He was open to the benefits of all the dietary changes that I made and also eventually himself adopted the new lifestyle. It feels wonderful when the four of us sit together & feast on a big bowl of fruits. I would encourage every father to take a step forward and support his wife in this journey. Pregnancy, delivery, breastfeeding, and raising a baby is an emotionally,  physically and mentally exhausting journey and it helps to be equally invested in these roles.