Archive for the 'Breastfeeding Hiccups' Category

Brainwash with Brochure Printing

I’m never against mothers who prefer to feed their babies with formula milk but if you know that breastmilk is the best milk for babies, why don’t you take an effort in providing the best for your babies? Sometimes, we cannot just blame the mothers when they failed in breastfeeding their kids. Just take a look how effective those formula milk companies are in promoting their products in newspapers, TV commercials, Brochure Printing and others, a lot of people still think that formula milk is the best and breastmilk is only meant for those who can’t afford to buy the milk in can.

Sometimes, new mothers can be easily discouraged by the people around her if there is a lack of support, especially during the initial weeks when breastfeeding is the hardest. That’s why when I received those 4 color Brochure Printing from some formula milk companies, I wonder how many mothers or fathers have been brainwashed by the ads?

No wonder there is only a small percentage of mothers who breastfeed successfully. But the figure is getting better now, maybe a lot of us have realized that not everything on the commercial is true.

Should I Quit?

I have lost counts of how many mommies asking me this question … “Should I quit breastfeeding?”

Actually, I have no right to tell them what to do, but just providing my support. Deep down inside, I don’t want them to quit breastfeeding so soon. I know it’s not easy to get started, and it’s even worse if they are not equipped with breastfeeding knowledge and support from family. I had been through it, so I truly understand.

But what keeps me going on is this … “I want to give my baby the best, within my ability!”

Breastfeeding is something which I think I can do and to make me feel like a better mother. I’m not saying that mothers who choose not to breastfeed are not doing a good job, but it’s my personal choice of being a mother whole-heartedly by choosing to breastfeed.

My baby girl is already 10 months old, and she may be supplemented with formula milk when she’s one years old. I have no idea when she will wean off, but I really have no regrets going through the hardship initially, and didn’t QUIT breastfeeding so soon. :)

Teething and Breastfeeding

Before I know anything about breastfeeding, I have always puzzled how baby is going to suck when they have teeth? Won’t they bite? Yes, they do, initially, but there are ways to stopping it.

Justin was easier. When he started teething at 5 months old and biting me while nursing, I’d detach him, and told him sternly that he was not allowed to do so. After a few times, he got the message, and stopped. But he would bite his own thumb as he sucked his thumb to sleep.

As for Isabelle, she doesn’t have thumb sucking habit. I’m her pacifier, and she sucks on demand, sometimes just won’t let go when she sleeps. Yes, if you see my post being posted in the middle of the night, it’s very likely that it’s typed single-handedly as I was breastfeeding Isabelle who just wouldn’t let go!

Yes, I know it’s my fault of creating her sucking to sleep habit. I’ve read so much about training baby to sleep, let them cry and learn how to sleep by themselves, but the method just won’t work and I gave up! I couldn’t bear my babies crying too long, so I’ve putting myself in hot pot and being a pacifier now! LOL!

Ok, back to teething. No matter how many times I told Isabelle, or likely pat her cheeks asking her not to bite, she will do it accidentally when she’s sleep. Imagine me finish blogging at 2am, climbing up to bed to catch up with some sleep but Isabelle’s crying to suckle, and I let her nurse while trying to snooze off. But before I could see “zhou gong”, I was awaken by a sharp pain! Where? My nipple! Ouch! It’s so painful! Most of the time, Isabelle was almost asleep, and I knew she’s not doing it on purpose.

Once, it was so bad, I got a cut from her teeth. It took a week to heal, and whenever I nurse or pump on that side, I’d be biting on my lips and holding back my tears. It’s really really really painful. The cut was infected and there was a small blister. I poked the blister by myself and I almost screamed in agony!

Ok, enough of pain and back to joyful writing….

It will be over, not teething, but this being a pacifier state! She’ll wean off when she’s ready, so for the time being, I got to “tahan” a bit. :P

Low Milk Production

Ever since I’ve started to spend more time at home, I seldom pump to stock up. I prefer to nurse Isabelle directly. At the same time, I stopped nurse and pump simultaneously too as she’s very ke poh with the pump now!

Thus, demand and supply has been equalized and I haven’t suffer from engorgement for a long time. The milk is there, but just enough for her. I got to increase my milk production as I’m going away for a few days to Bali, and looking at the stock in the fridge which is about 20oz now, it’s impossible for Isabelle to be fully on EBM without supplementing. I have mentally prepared to supplement her with goat’s milk, but I feel like trying my best to increase the stock within my ability.

I know the main obstacle in increasing milk production is STRESS. So, I have to relax myself as much as possible.

Here’s my plan:

  1. Resume nurse and pump: This is gonna be tougher now as she’s bigger and stronger and more curious than ever! I’ll have to bring this back to cheat my body that I’m nursing for 2 and to produce more milk.
  2. Eat and Drink: I’ve always been eating well. But sometimes, I delay my lunch as I’m busy with the kids. I got to eat well to reserve my energy for producing milk! And drink lots of water too.
  3. Tea: This is not ordinary tea, but tea which will increase milk production. I got to drink some of it now.
  4. Saving up the breast: This might not work for everyone!!! I may try to feed Isabelle on one breast at night to purposely make the other one engorged and empty the breast the next morning to stock up the milk. But I’m afraid it’ll make the other breast becomes lazy and reduce production too, so I’ll try it out for a few days and see what’s the outcome.
  5. Drink papaya soup: My soup recipe is boiling green papaya (with skin), white fungus and sugar for 30 mintes, and then just drink the soup as often as possible. You can add fish into it if you want, but I prefer leong sui style.

So, I got to go buy green papaya now!

Not Enough Milk

Most mothers around me who failed breastfeeding will tell me that they don’t have enough milk for their babies, and they have to feed them with formula milk. But have you ever thought why the cows, cats, dogs, mice, apes and all the other mammal species don’t have NOT ENOUGH MILK problem, but just human, the Homo Sapiens are having it?

Before formula milk was introduced, we human breastfeeding our young too. That’s how we survive throughout these millions of years. That’s what I embedded in my mind when I started breastfeeding, and told myself not to give up, no matter how hard it may be. If our ancestors can do it without all these info on the internet, and poor medical environment, why I can a modern human being do it? I was very fanatic, I compared myself with animals. LOL! If other mammals can do it, why can’t I? See, I’m soooooo crazy!

The truth is, once the baby’s out from a mother, she has to latch on the within the first hour to stimulate the mother’s milk production. Those who can’t breastfeeding their babies will have to express the milk. Anyway, it’s only COLOSTRUM in the first few days, and real milk will only come in few days later. Colostrum is filled with antibodies, which help babies to fight off infections. It’s more on quality than quantity. If you express, it’s really not much. Unless baby is too weak to suckle, like premature babies, it’s better to just nurse baby directly.

If no bottle or pacifier is being introduced to baby, baby should be feeding on demand by mommy’s breasts. Just alternate the breast for each feeding, or it baby is feeding well, try to offer the other side after she finishes nursing on the first breast. On subsequent feeding, start with the second breasts. Don’t detach baby before she finishes, unless she’s fallen asleep and not sucking. Breast milk comes in two contain, the foremilk which is more on water and sugar, and hindmilk, the one which is full in fat and more fulfilling. As long as baby is taking in both foremilk and hindmilk, she’s feeding well. So, you have to make sure that baby’s nursing long enough on one breast to get both foremilk and hindmilk, before offering the second breast. So, let’s get back the problem of not having enough milk for baby.

You see, our milk production is based on supply and demand. The more baby nurses, the more milk you’ll be having. The thing is, not every mother has the determination and will to breastfeed her baby. Some just gave up when the baby becomes very attached and nurses frequently at night. They feel like breastfeeding is too demanding, and would like to take more rest than being a milk bank to the baby. I’ve been through the process twice, so I know how it feels. But remember, we’re not going to breastfeed our babies forever. It’s only tough for the first few months, and things will get better once baby’s feeding pattern develops, and learns how to sleep for longer hours.

Another thing is, hormone prolactin which produces milk only works at night. Thus, night feedings are very important to ensure sufficient milk supply to baby. When baby suckles at the breast, the nerves system at the nipple will send messages to mother’s pituatary gland and release hormone oxytocin which delivers milk from the breast to baby. You may feel a stingy sensation where milk will be gushing out into baby’s mouth too. This is called let down, where milk will come out automatically.

Our breasts will never be out of milk. The more baby suckles, the more milk our bodies will produce. That’s why it’s called supply and demand. So, forget those sayings of NOT Enough Milk, ok. :)

Before Breastfeeding…

None of hubby’s family members breastfeed, and my mom only breastfed me for 6 months, but not exclusively. When I was pregnant and told my friends and relatives that I would like to breastfeed Justin exclusively, I got lots of negative comments from them, including my mum! Here goes:

  1. Chinese don’t have milk, only Malays have. (Sorry for being bias)
  2. Sure no milk one because they failed already
  3. Very tiring, confinement is for mothers to rest and sleep
  4. Breastmilk not filling enough, need to supplement with formula, if not baby will go hungry
  5. My breasts will be out of shape, smaller, slagging, in short, UGLY!
  6. Nipples will crack
  7. Only people with no money breastfeed (sorry, bias again)
  8. Did I leave out anything?…

There’re too many negative comments, but I mentally filtered them out, so I can’t remember much. But knowing that I’ll be learning this all by myself, I got to get myself equiped.

This is how I prepared:

  • Buy books and magazine on breastfeeding. Don’t just read from ang mo’s point of view, get some input from Asians too.
  • Join local breastfeeding forum, MMB is a very good one to meet up with breastfeeding moms.
  • Search the net, there’re lots of breastfeeding website to read on. And after reading up, I know better on the problems I’m going to face, so I was better prepared.
  • Listen only to mothers who breastfeed more than a year because they’ve gone through a few stages of breastfeeding and the advice given is more reliable.
  • Stay away from those who gives me negative comments, which meant I didn’t talk about breastfeeding anymore with them, but only other topics to keep my spirit up.
  • Educate hubby, I’ll ask him to read up some info, and if he didn’t have time for it, I’ll tell him about it.
  • Get back up. My back up team consisted of … one member…HUBBY!!! I told him to keep reminding me that I want to breastfeed, and never, never, never give up, buy formula, give bottle, give pacifier… during confinement. If I almost gave up, he couldn’t!
  • Educate the people you’re staying with during confinement. I purposely get chinese materials on breastfeeding and asked MIL to read, when she had the time. I also talked to her about the goodness of breastfeeding, and what’s true and what’s not.
  • If you can do it, don’t get a confinement lady. Not all confinement ladies support breastfeeding. In fact, most of them hate it as breastfed newborns pee and poo a lot, so more work for them.
  • But if you need confinement lady, be firm with your determination to breastfeed.
  • Watch out for baby blues or post natal depression. It’s really hard at first, not only with breastfeeding, but with taking care of a newborn. So, if you really feel that you couldn’t take it anymore, GET HELP. Talk to someone, hubby, friends, relatives…Remember, a happy mum is more capable of taking care of baby and yourself. I got the blues too, and really felt like crying when I was having breastfeeding problems with Justin, so I understand how it feels like.
  • I’ve always reminded myself, my baby is mine, so I have the right to decide what I want for him or her. That’s how I filtered out the negative comments and can’t remember much now! :P