Breastfeeding [Merged]

[flavvvah]

I'm giving birth this November. And I'm planning to breastfeed. I need tips.

I've heard kasi stories about women wanting to breastfeed, but they couldn't. And I'm scared it could happen to me. I really want to do this for my baby.

Luckily, I've been leaking colostrum as early as the fifth month of pregnancy. Will this assure that I will have a steady supply of milk?

Will it really hurt? What should I expect? I need advice! :*)

I've been reading tons of stuff from books and websites about breastfeeding. But nothing beats advice from moms who have really been there.

So please help. :*)

[Gabriela]

Colostrum at 5 months, I guess that's a good sign. I never really knew I had a good supply of milk 'til 3 days after I gave birth. Frustrating at first kasi walang milk na lumalabas. Tsaka mejo masakit sya sa simula. I just let the baby suck tapos eventually I was overflowing with milk. You'll have this initial tingling feeling while the baby is sucking. And the fascinating thing about it is once I feel that my breasts are full again, I know it's time to feed the baby already. Tip especially pag less than a month pa si baby: since malakas ang milk flow (sumisirit pa yan), alalay lang kasi madali masamid si baby.

After breastfeeding, wipe ur areola and breast with a wet, clean cloth. Don't always wash your breasts with soap kasi nakakairitate (siguro when u take a bath nalang). Besides, breastmilk has a natural antiseptic so you don't have to worry about germs or contaminants.

Be sure to always carry a clean cloth and extra breastpads lalo na if you don't intend to breastfeed the baby in public. I had this experience once na I was leaking at the mall and I didnt have extra breastpads. I'm a working mom so I always bring my breast pump din.

Hope you'll enjoy ur breastfeeding as much as I did kasi it's a wonderful feeling. That was the time when I felt really close to my daughter.

[doc_irene]

that's good if you're planning to breastfeed your baby. but i'm telling you it's gonna be hard but fullfilling din naman.

the day after i gave birth dun lumabas ang milk ko. at first ayaw ng baby ko, but then a lactation consultant taught me how to do it properly..you know like how the baby could latch on to your nipple. tsaka sabi nya the first few days may "baon" pang nutrients yung baby to last him/her for days kaya wala ganong gana na dumede. don't be discouraged if for the first few days eh mahirapan ka...lalo na pag nightfeedings na. you'll get the hang of it in no time.:)

i remember the first time after i gave birth na di ko nabreastfeed on time yung baby ko ( of course i gave him formula instead) kasi we went out for a whole day, grabe sobrang engorged yung breast ko nung gabing yun to the point na nag-chills at nagkafever ako sa sobrang sakit. i was really crying.

i just wished na i had stopped him from breastfeeding when he was still young. pwede na siguro 6 months. kasi 18 months na yung baby ko ngayon at dumedede pa rin. namomoproblema ko ngayon pano sya aawatin kasi ayaw nya na ng formula. he couldn't get to sleep ng di dumedede sa akin. minsan out of habit na lang kaya i want to stop him na.

anyway napahaba ang post ko. the bottomline is...go ahead with your plan to breastfeed your baby. it's worth it cause he'll be healthy.

[flavvvah]

Thanks Gabriela and Doc_Irene! :*)

another question though: pano if i'm gonna take birth control? and meron bang foods na di ko pwede kainin if i'm breastfeeding? will i be able to drink the occassional glass of wine? or pati yon di rin pwede as long as i'm breastfeeding?

[mytitagirl]

breastfed my son from birth to 32+ months, bale last may 3, 2003 lang siya tumigil dumede sa akin, as in totally breastfed siya at after na lang siya uminom ng pediasure chocolate flavor, minsan anchor or sustagen, pero chocolate lang talaga.

problem ko una ay try ako stop breastfeeding (BF) kaso either naninigas dede ko at super sakit or nag-iiiyak siya, e, super nakakaawa talaga, so hindi ko siya napigilan at miski nga lahat na ng brand ng powdered milk pinatikim ko sa kanya, e, ayaw talaga.

nagdecide ako itigil siya kasi nakagat dede ko at nagkapasa at sugat, tapos pinagalitan na ako ng ob-gyn ko kasi nga malaki na daw anak ko at wala na nutrition milk ko at out of habbit na lang dumedede...

may ininom ako to stop milk, di ko na matandaan name, pero kapag ininom kong gutom ay nakakasuka. tapos sinabayan ko na ang total stop sa BF. bale preparation ko ay kinakausap ko baby ko na hindi na kailangan na niya mag-stop dumede at tinuturo ko kids sa tv commercials na malulusog at malalaki dahil sa canned milk, ek-ek at bola, tapos yung first day talagang harrowing...as in iiyak-iyak at meron pang nagmamaka-awang Please, nanay, dede na ako" at "i love you, i love you" at lahat ng endearments niya sa akin at talagang ginawa kong bato ang puso ko kasi sabi ko sa sarili ko na now or never.

very, very, very hard ang 1st week mag-weaning. pero after nun ay okay na din, sa books kasi sabi wean by not feeding during daytime at night time lang tapos wala na, e, pero physically mahirap gawain.

kasama ko din anak ko mamili ng bottles at siya pumili colors at designs, pang-enganyo para uminom sa bote.

ngayon naman problema ang paano siya wean from bote, pero not too much kasi at night lang naman siya bote kapag for sleeping lang talaga...potty training ang major problem, pero still trying kaso messy...

hope this helps sa weaning problem mo.

[mytitagirl]

lahat ng iinumin mo at kakainin mo lalabas flavors sa milk, sabi yan ng books. dati kumain ako bagoong while breasfeeding at nagka rash sa face baby ko, so since then maingat na din ako sa kinakain ko while breasfeeding. tapos sa wine, siguro as long as kaunti lang at di naman isang bote ok lang, kasi i cook with wine na mga tablespoons lang sa dishes at ok naman baby ko that time.

sa pills naman, ask your ob-gyn. i took pills only after i had my regular period back (mga 8-9 motnhs after giving birth) while breasfeeding din, use other forms of birth control kasi di naman true at 100% na safe ka while breafeeding, i have a number of friends na kapapanganak pa lang while breastfeeding nabuntis at magkasunod lang age ng anak nila. best consult your ob-gyn for a prescription.

i took natalac or malunggay capsules to ingrease the nutrients in my milk and increase milk supply too.

hope this helps.:)

[JdelaCruz]

Invest in a good breast pump. You'd definitely want to avoid the discomforts of engorgement and the embarrassment of leaking in public. Plus, you can save all that excess breastmilk so that even if you're out at the movies baby can still have your nourishment.

Buy a brand that's battery AND electric powered. Pigeon is a good brand. A little expensive but worth it in the long run.

[doc_irene]

Originally posted by mytitagirl
breastfed my son from birth to 32+ months, bale last may 3, 2003 lang siya tumigil dumede sa akin, as in totally breastfed siya at after na lang siya uminom ng pediasure chocolate flavor, minsan anchor or sustagen, pero chocolate lang talaga.

problem ko una ay try ako stop breastfeeding (BF) kaso either naninigas dede ko at super sakit or nag-iiiyak siya, e, super nakakaawa talaga, so hindi ko siya napigilan at miski nga lahat na ng brand ng powdered milk pinatikim ko sa kanya, e, ayaw talaga.

nagdecide ako itigil siya kasi nakagat dede ko at nagkapasa at sugat, tapos pinagalitan na ako ng ob-gyn ko kasi nga malaki na daw anak ko at wala na nutrition milk ko at out of habbit na lang dumedede...

may ininom ako to stop milk, di ko na matandaan name, pero kapag ininom kong gutom ay nakakasuka. tapos sinabayan ko na ang total stop sa BF. bale preparation ko ay kinakausap ko baby ko na hindi na kailangan na niya mag-stop dumede at tinuturo ko kids sa tv commercials na malulusog at malalaki dahil sa canned milk, ek-ek at bola, tapos yung first day talagang harrowing...as in iiyak-iyak at meron pang nagmamaka-awang Please, nanay, dede na ako" at "i love you, i love you" at lahat ng endearments niya sa akin at talagang ginawa kong bato ang puso ko kasi sabi ko sa sarili ko na now or never.

very, very, very hard ang 1st week mag-weaning. pero after nun ay okay na din, sa books kasi sabi wean by not feeding during daytime at night time lang tapos wala na, e, pero physically mahirap gawain.

kasama ko din anak ko mamili ng bottles at siya pumili colors at designs, pang-enganyo para uminom sa bote.

ngayon naman problema ang paano siya wean from bote, pero not too much kasi at night lang naman siya bote kapag for sleeping lang talaga...potty training ang major problem, pero still trying kaso messy...

hope this helps sa weaning problem mo.

Thanks mytitagirl for the tip.
Naiiyak nga ako pag nakakagat nya ako eh.
My son is also drinking chocolate-flavored pediasure, kaso di naman nya inuubos. Sippy cup na gamit nya pag nasa labas kami.
Kung pwede nga lang bang kausapin ko sya ng "heart to heart" para tumigil na sya, kaso di pa rin naman nya maiintindihan. mas ok nga kung titigil na lang kusa yung supply ng milk ko para wala na syang madede.

Why don't you try using sippy cups instead of bottles?

[doc_irene]

Originally posted by flavvvah
Thanks Gabriela and Doc_Irene! :*)

another question though: pano if i'm gonna take birth control? and meron bang foods na di ko pwede kainin if i'm breastfeeding? will i be able to drink the occassional glass of wine? or pati yon di rin pwede as long as i'm breastfeeding?

Hmmm...about the birth control thing medyo wala akong masasabi dyan, kasi i'm not taking any b.c. pills eh. pero i remember may b.c. pills for lactating/breastfeeding moms eh. yun kasi ang sinabi sa kin when i went in for my post-partum check up.


basta be careful in everything that you eat and drink. some food,medicine and drinks passes thru your milk to your baby kaya konting ingat. i read somewhere that broccoli causes gas sa babies. when i was still single, umiinom ako ng alak occassionally, but now di na talaga kasi nga nagbebreastfeed ako. lalo na in taking medications. when i was still practicing my profession there in the Phils, i always ask my female patients if they're breastfeeding before i prescribe them any medications.

kaya nga isang reason din why i couldn't take any diet supplements eh kasi nga nagpapadede ako. kainis!:D

[Gabriela]

flavvvah, you can ask ur obgyn to prescribe u birthcontrol pills for breastfeeding moms. i believe that's safe to take. i forgot lang kung ano un prescribe sakin kasi i only breastfed for a couple of months then i switched already to the usual pills.

[flavvvah]

mytitagirl: thanks for the tips. grabe. i didn't know ganon pala kahirap mag-wean ng baby!

doc_irene and Gabriela: thanks too. :*) I asked na my ob. and she said i could take daw progestin only pills when i give birth. that won't affect daw my milk supply and my baby.

JdelaCruz: i'm confused nga about breastpumps eh. sabi ng friend ko na bagong panganak, sha daw she doesn't need breastpumps kasi daw pag pinu-pump niya, sobrang konti lang daw lumalabas. so it's not worth it daw.

eh me naman, i'm thinking, diba breastfeeding is all about supply and demand? the more often you empty your breasts, the more milk it produces. so, ano ba talaga?

is pigeon a good brand? mga how much yung electric/battery operated non? kasi i heard avent is a good brand daw. when i checked the price, grabe! P4000! and this is for manual ha. wala naman kc silang battery or electric. tapos yung medela naman na electric, nasa 7000! grabe. di ko ma-take yung price.

[season]

Originally posted by flavvvah

is pigeon a good brand? mga how much yung electric/battery operated non? kasi i heard avent is a good brand daw. when i checked the price, grabe! P4000! and this is for manual ha. wala naman kc silang battery or electric. tapos yung medela naman na electric, nasa 7000! grabe. di ko ma-take yung price.

Hi, Flavvah! Good luck with breastfeeding. It's one of the greatest things about motherhood. The bonding is just great!

Lucky nga yung ibang moms dito, overflowing ng milk. I had a problem. But I was lucky to have overcome that---I mixed fed for the first three months, then afterwards, he was exclusive all the way! :)

Anyway, for me, the best brand of breastpump is Medela. But I suggest you try expressing using your hand. A friend of mine is able to do this and even has trouble when she uses a pump. Might be the same for you. Once you get your milk going kasi, it just really FLOWS!!!

[mytitagirl]

before you buy a breast pump think if:
1. you'll really use it as in you need it because you'll go back to work in a month or so after and need to express milk;
2. ask around from kamaganak and friends maybe they have a breastpump lying around in their tambak;
3. budget

when i gave birth, too sudden kasi my baby was premature and it was an emergency c-section at 33 weeks, so hindi pa ako handa kasi i was working at that time. so when he came out, diretso siya sa incubator at wala naman ako padededehin, tapos sa advice ng doctor ko magpump ng milk and store para maibigay sa nicu (intensive care ng babies). it took 3 days bago may napump ako, as in first ko na try hand pump at umiiyak na ako sa sakit at may ring marks na dede ko sa exertion. tapos may nagpahiram ng electric pump, e natakot ako kasi di ko mastop, suck lang ng suck.

tapos nang ma-check out ako sa hospital on the 3rd day nagdecide ako na maghagilap na compatible sa needs ko. sa rustans at sm ako nagpunta, pero sa rustans ko nabili ang avent manual breastpump set. noon nga nasa P4000+ na din. pero i tried them all sa hand at skin ko, natakot ako sa battery-operated. sa avent ko lang na feel ang natural sucking motion at very easy to use.

from that time from a few cc of milk to mga 1 glass a day na napump ko, seems kaunti compared sa needs ng baby, pero kasi starting ko yon at wala naman natural demand at nasa tube-feeding nga baby ko pero milk ko naman iniinom niya.

after naalis sa incubator baby ko ay hindi ko na kinailangan breast pump at kaming dalawa na magkasama, so hindi ko na rin nagamit. good thing about sa purchase ko, miski mahal, ay 4 na mothers na rin ang nakakagamit. as in pinapasa-pasa ko lang sa friends ko at hindi na sila bumili, at the moment nasa bicol nga at naroon ang sister-in-law ko just gave birth. so ask around, maybe meron kang kakilala na meron, di mo lang alam.

[doc_irene]

i also bought a battery operated and at the same time pwedeng electrical na breast pump. i bought it when i experienced engorgement nga. i just used it for like a month and then tinigil ko na kasi nakakatamad mag pump. mas convenient straight na lang padedehin yung baby. ok sa kin yon kasi di naman ako nagwowork kaya anytime pwede ako.

but if you'll be working after giving birth it would be better if you'll buy a breastpump, that is kung you want your baby to take only breastmilk even if you're away. but if you're planning to mix feed your baby, siguro pwede ng hindi. that's just my opinion ha.

you're right by the way...breastmilk is all about supply and demand.

[JdelaCruz]

hey flavvvah, Pigeon was the most reasonably priced of the high end quality breast pumps we saw on the market. IIRC, it was between 2k and 3k.

It's battery operated so you can take it anywhere, and it has a plug for an adaptor (not included) to save on batteries when you're at home. It also has a release button so that you control the suction yourself and simulate a baby's sucking rhythm.

If you're going to stay with baby 24/7 and baby feeds regularly and exclusively on your milk, you practically won't need a breast pump. But of course there will be times that you will go out and eventually go back to work and that's where you'll need it.

You're right about supply and demand. The body will keep up milk production with baby's demand, so the more she feeds, the more you produce.

Another tip which my wife swears by, halaan (clams) cooked with malunggay is a sure way to boost milk production. I do not know the scientific basis for this, but everybody says it works.

[tortangpagong]

it's breastfeeding month! breastfeeding items are on sale -- breast pumps, breast pads... so if you're planning to buy, now is a good time. :)

[flavvvah]

Thanks everyone! All your advice are really really helping me! :*)

Tortangpagong: really? it's breastfeeding month? I didn't know that. August ba yon or Sept? May sale ba somewhere? I wanna know! hehehe.

JdeLaCruz: I heard nga that malunggay boosts milk production. My friend took malunggay pills. Pero I think I'll just go natural and eat malunggay as it is. Thanks for the tip. :*) I also checked out pigeon yesterday sa Rustan's. You're right, they are reasonably priced.

Doc_Irene: what brand of breastpump did you buy?

mytitagirl: hay nako, i asked around na. all my friends didn't buy breastpumps when they gave birth. my cousins naman didn't attempt to breastfeed at all. so wala talaga eh. :) sige, if you're sure that avent really is effective, i might as well save up for that. did you try pigeon too? they have a breastpump na exactly the same as avent. baka the same lang naman. eh pag the same lang, sa pigeon na ko. 2k cheaper kc. :*)

season: we were taught by chiki hahn to express our milk by hand. pina-practice ko nga eh. hehehe. and of course, super konti lang lumalabas kasi it's just pre-milk. i just hope marami talaga kong milk pag lumabas na si little one. :*)

Anyway you guys, my mom says I should buy a breastpump pag lumabas na yung baby. Kasi I won't be going back to school until Feb. That gives me around 2 months to be exclusively with my baby. Do you think that's good advice? Or should I have a pump the day I give birth talaga?

[tortangpagong]

hehe, it's this august. sorry... late information... well, the avent isis breast pump is on sale - 6, 500 originally, 3,250 on sale at rustans... i think. - this info is from a couple from our lamaze class. good luck! :)

[flavvvah]

awww...sayang! thanks anyway tortangpagong!

by the way, where do u attend lamaze classes?

[pbrg]

Dito ko na lang i-post baka may interested to buy my slightly used breastfeeding pillow, brand is brestfriend pillow.

[doc_irene]

Originally posted by flavvvah



Doc_Irene: what brand of breastpump did you buy?




my husband bought me Evenflo Battery/Electric Breast Pump by Evenflo

it was around $40 at that time. not so cheap, not so expensive.tama lang sya. and it's so easy and comfortable to use.
you can control the pumping action by pressing a button.



here's how it looks like (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_5/601-8190418-9403342?asin=B000056HM3)

[mytitagirl]

my sis-in-law said to me that you need to eat 3 cups of malunggay a day to get the right amount equivalent to 1 capsule of malunggay. kaya din i took malunggay capsules (called natalac and can be bought at mercury for P6.50/capsule (year 2000 prices), kasi i read that lisa macuja-elizalde took as much as 3 tablets a day when she was breasfeeding her child, so safe siguro at effective.

it worked for me, i didn't have to drink milk myself. PERO i quit on iced tea, coffee, softdrinks at fake juices (i.e. citric acid based). kasi nga may caffeine at super sugar loaded. up to now nadala ko ang no softdrinks, pati anak ko alam niya "bad" ang softdrinks kasi nakakabulok ng teeth...story ko sa kanya yan.

avent manual breastpump all the way ako. nadisassemble kasi parts at puwede ilagay sa isang kaldero to boil lahat when you feel na kailangan sanitized lahat, as in the entire pump parts and bottle collecting. yung binili ko pala dati yung bote nilalagyan ng collecting plastic for the milk at may clips. tapos nung maubos plastic, i used the food grade plastic (makapal siya) na ka-size nung original plastic, sa palengke ko lang nabili, kaso double bag it. meron din kami sealing machine for plastic (parang P520 ata bili sa Longlife sa San Juan). so i'd say na after expressing milk ay sanitary naman lahat, tapos diretso sa freezer.

small quantities per plastic lang ang nilalagay ko nun kasi sa newborn every 2-3 hours feeding at mga 2-3 oz lang per feeding dati ako.

fresh breastmilk when expressed ay may expiration din, tapos frozen breastmilk after thawing cannot be frozen again. hanapin ko pa notes ko on time and number of hours.

[orano]

fresh breastmilk when expressed ay may expiration din, tapos frozen breastmilk after thawing cannot be frozen again. hanapin ko pa notes ko on time and number of hours.

present! fresh from breastfeeding class (gave birth last week!)... breastmilk can be stored in the freezer and be used up to 2 months later. just be sure to label the milk para alam mo kung hanggang kelan pwedeng gamitin.

tapos yun nga, if you're to use it na, thaw it in the lower compartment of the ref and then "heat" it by putting it in a container with hot water - DO NOT MICROWAVE!

this milk must then be consumed within 24 hours.

hope this helps!

and regarding your question flavvah if it hurts, syempre sa una, oo pero when you get the hang of it - ok na especially when you see your baby's very contented face after each feeding! :)

[minnow]

hello flavvvah!
congratulations on your decision to breastfeed-it's really worth it!:)
i've breastfed all my 3 kids-stopped only because i got pregnant again! but with my last, there was this conscious effort na huwag magpabuntis, kaya ngayon, 2 years 4 month na yung little girl ko, nagbe-breastfeed pa din!!! in fact i'm nursing her right now as i type on the keyboard! dapat nga winea-wean ko na kaya lang ako ata ang nagkaka=separation anxiety kasi halos 6 years na akong nagbebreastfeed, parang ayaw ko to stop. lahat na nga ng bra ko, nursing bra... pero iwea-wean ko na talaga.

here are some tips in addition to the ones the other wonderful moms have posted:

1. huwag kang magtaka kung 2 days na hindi pa lumalabas ang gatas mo-talagang ganyan yan. 1st 2 daysang tigas tigas na ng breasts mo, pinapasuck mo si baby , pero walang lumalabas. so pag iyak ng iyak ang baby mo, baka gutom kasi wala siyang nakukuha. sa start lang yan. believe me, when it comes you'll know, kasi bubuhos talaga.
2. get ready with your nursing bra's. first baby, i took it for granted. wala akong nursing bra and para akong gripo.
3. then the nursing pads. sus, ito namang commercially available brands, parang filter paper. di naman nakakaabsorb. my husband's solution? nag-ala mac-gyver... he got those disposable diapers na pampers comfort (yung orange), cut it up into rectangles just enough to cover the breasts, sealed the open edges with micropore tape, and voila!!! sobrang efficient as in 100% no leaks-i used that technique for all 3 kids!
4. invest in a good breastpump. i use medela-very good. they say pigeon and avent are okay. the trumpet types are useless.
5. are you going to store milk? you would need those disposable bottles-plastic bags na ilalagay mo sa disposable bottle holders. kasi yung plastic puede mo istore dercho sa frezer, thaw as needed. okay na yung gerber or playtex.
6. the last thing na please do not forget: TAKE CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTS!!! yon ata yung naneglect ko. nagpabone scan ako recently (the ones na free sa nestle)- my levels are low. malakas makadrain ng calcium ang breastfeeding. and to think i'm a doctor, i should have been more vigilant...

good luck!:)

[flavvvah]

wow! i'm learning! i'm learning! sige sige, more tips pa ha.

pbrg: i was supposed to get one. kaso my mom said, "wag na. igagawa nalang kita." and she's actually making one! excited kasi sa baby yon eh. hehehe

doc_irene: sige, i'll check out na rin the evenflo brand.

mytitagirl: no iced tea??? i love iced tea. kawawa naman ako. how can i give that up? softdrinks, fine. pero iced tea. awww.. siguro i should start by giving it up now palang. i heard the occassional glass of wine is ok. is this true?

orano: congrats on ur new baby! how are you holding up? hows the baby? excited na rin ako magka-baby! i also took notes during my childbirth classes. and breastmilk nga daw can be stored in the ref for 8 days, in the freezer for 2 weeks. pero kung yung freezer may separate door, it can be stored for up to 4 mos! wow.

minnow: during those two days na di pa lumalabas milk ko, will my baby still be able to drink a little? i mean, meron bang lalabas na konti? eh whattabout the colostrum? ok na ba yung baby don for the first 2 days? i'm scared na my baby might get hungry kasi eh. i also didn't know that a nursing bra is really impt. must make a note to myself: buy nursing bra. hehehe. i thought kasi after i give birth ko pa yon kailangan.

once again, thanks you guys! :*)

[flavvvah]

share ko lang:

i had my congenital scan yesterday...and we're having a baby boy! :*)

[annielise]

hey flavvvah congratulations! We're having a boy too... :)

I have a question: When do pregnant women's breasts start to leak? I'm on my 8th month and I don't have milk leaking out yet. Does that mean I'm not going to have milk?

[mytitagirl]

annielise: different women have different experiences, i myself did not have leaks. wala din sa size ng breasts ang breastmilk...meron ako kasabay sa hospital manganak nun at size 38C ata siya pero wala siya milk kasi may problems sa nipples niya, pero ako size 32A may milk.

ON maternity BRAS, buy the next larger size than you normally are and get at least 2 pairs, 100% cotton kasi mainit yung polyester blend.

VANITY: ON GIRDLES, right after giving birth I wore one kasi my greatest fear was to have flabby abdomen like many women in their 30s pataas. I wore mine 6 months straight. Magti-tiis ka talaga and the tighter the better. Never took it off except sa ligo and cr. TIP: cut of the top part of a worn white t-shirt and put it underneath the girdle to absorb your sweat.

On Being A New Mother: extreme feelings. super saya na nakakafrustrate kasi ang dami mong hindi alam. lagi mong iniisip na tama kaya ginagawa ko at lahat gusto mo gawain para sa comfort ng baby mo. pero the love overflows and unconditional din ang return ng baby mo, isang ngiti lang nasuklian na pagod mo. Just remember not to be too hard on yourself and take each day at a time, okay lang din umiyak to express your emotions.

Good Luck sa inyong mga new mothers and mothers-to-be! May you be blessed with heaps and heaps of patience and good health!

[flavvvah]

annielise: when are you due? :*) I read that not all women leak milk during pregnancy. Pero it doesn't mean na you won't have milk. My friend who just recently gave birth didn't leak any milk, pero when her baby came out, she was able to breastfeed. Eto, check mo yung nipples mo in the morning. Look if there's whitish dried ek-ek. My friend said di sha nag-l-leak, pero in the morning, she has this. Ako rin, I have this in the morning. Usually kasi you don't feel it leaking. Ako, I can't feel it. I only know I've leaked pag chi-neck ko.

mytitagirl: what's gonna happen if i don't wear a girdle? hindi ko yata kaya mag-girdle. parang ang init. and i'm not accustomed to things hindering me. bra nga, di ko sinusuot all the time. girdle pa kaya. :*) is it ok not to wear one? also, what brand of nursing bra is good?

[season]

Hey, why don't you join us at Best Friends in Breastfeeding? It's a BF support group for pregnant women and moms...

Wednesday, September 10, 2003

5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Mary The Queen Parish Church, Madison Street, Greenhills (near Xavier School)

[minnow]

Originally posted by flavvvah

minnow: during those two days na di pa lumalabas milk ko, will my baby still be able to drink a little? i mean, meron bang lalabas na konti? eh whattabout the colostrum? ok na ba yung baby don for the first 2 days? i'm scared na my baby might get hungry kasi eh. i also didn't know that a nursing bra is really impt. must make a note to myself: buy nursing bra. hehehe. i thought kasi after i give birth ko pa yon kailangan.



kung wala ka pang milk, wala talagang makukuha ang baby mo. some opt to give kahit a little formula muna. you would have to ask your doctor about this, or your intended pedia. kasi in mother-baby friendly hospitals, bawal ang artficial nipples and bottles kasi nga they encourage breastfeeding. pero since kawawa naman ang baby pag gutom talaga, minsan pinapayagan. minsan, they use droppers lang para hindi magkanipple confusion ang bata (between artificial teats and your nipples).

yung colostrum matagal lumabas kasi color yellowish brown na
malapot ito.not like milk na white and malabnaw. the baby will have to suck vigorously to get it out. once it's all out at saka magfoflow yung milk. pero the amount of colustrum is small lang-a few tablespoonsfuls? not enough to "feed" the baby.

pag nagflow na-the best stimulus for milk production is regular full emptying of the breast. practically all women have the potential to produce adequate amounts of milk, pero pag di masyadong nagpapafeed, nagdwidwindle. also sa start, akala nila wala silang milk (di nila alam usually wala talaga sa umpisa0, so they give up agad and start bottle feeding.

mytitagirl is right-get the cotton bras and get 2-3 sizes/cups bigger. kung 32 ka baka you'll need at least a 34C. the ones i used before were the avon ones. good quality na reasonably priced. convenient yung opening-puwedeng one hand lang. i don't know kung gumagawa pa sila. i got them at the stand-alone avon stores in the sm malls. (actually, if you have time, mag register ka kaya as an avon "consultant" - usually free reg sila. hindi para magbenta ng avon products, but to get the products at a much lower price, yung walang patong, he he he) yung iba yatang MLM brands like playtex, sara lee might have also. not sure though. unless willing ka na maglaba ng maglaba, you might want to get at least 4-5. pero you can get 2 muna, tapos pag tantsa mo na yung "size" mo, get more. i got at least 5 at once kasi laging out of stock and ang tagal magkaroon ng new stock, at saka committed naman ako to long-term breastfeeding.

the girdle helps improve your muscle tone talaga kasi pagkapanganak mo, di mo feel mag-tummy in parati. mas mabilis talaga bumalik ang tone pagnakagirdle. may panty girdle, may tummy girdle lang.

[flavvvah]

season: i'd like to go sana. but it's too far from my place! i live in pque. i've heard about bestfriends in breastfeeding, and i heard may support group meetings sa st.lukes, tama ba ko? pero it's too far eh. wala ba kayo sa bandang south area?

minnow: what did you do during those first two days na wala ka pang milk? i hope talaga may milk nako sa start palang. i hope. if may milk ba ko ngayon, does it mean di ako mahihirapan when the baby comes out? what do i do pag tumigas na yung breasts ko? i heard mangyayari talaga yon. do i start massaging even before sha tumigas?

sige, i'll check out avon. i'm going out later eh.

hey guys, 50% off sale ng baby items sa robinsons! lahat yata ng robinsons. share ko lang. :*)

also, i have a question for everyone? when i give birth, should i room-in the baby? or not? my mom says i should let the baby stay sa nursery. para daw i can rest and recover and prepare for everything i have to do when i get back home. and para daw hindi mahawa yung baby sa mga bibisitang tao. what do you guys think? :confused:

and can someone please give me a blow by blow account on what will actually happen when i go into labor? i don't mean the contractions. pero what will they do to me sa hospital? will they make me stay sa labor room khet phase 1 palang labor ko? will they ask me if i want anesthesia or will they administer it khet di ko pa hinihingi? can i do away with demerol? i wanna be awake when i push. please let me know what will happen. :*) clueless ako.

[Wittygurl]

hello flavvvah, i just gave birth last june :) ganyan din ako dati, super dami ng questions.

My OB gave an Admission letter that I presented to the nurses na nag-assist pagdating namin sa hospital, nakalagay dun yung mga instruction nya and details like blood type, due date and to inform him immediately once na naglelabor na ko.

Based on my experience, its better if you'll ask your OB all the questions you have in mind.. like yung anesthesia, kelangan nadiscuss na nyo, kasi once na na-admit ka na sa hospital, everything happen so fast..My OB did not give me anesthesia, kulang na daw sa oras eh.. he just gave me shots of local pain killer.. dalwang inection yun sa magkabilang braso ko..groggy lang ako pero i felt the pain so much.. yung daw kasi nagpa-epidural.. yun yung tinuturok sa likod , yun ata tinatawag nilang painless labor..

On breastfeeding, wala din akong milk right after delivery.. but the nurses instructed me to breastfeed kahit walang milk flow para daw lumabas yung milk. My OB told me na ganun talaga, after two days magkakaroon. Hindi naman pedeng magutom si baby kaya daw binibigyan sila ng milk formula sa nursery.. My hospital prefer room-in para sa bonding ng Mommy and baby.. pero when you feel like resting, you can call the nurse and request them to bring your baby back sa nursery..

When I went back home, wala pa rin akong milk.. buti na lang pinadala nila yung formula milk ng baby ko galing sa hospital.. I think ganun naman sa lahat ng hospital.. thats why you have to prepare feeding bottles pa rin :)
After 3 days pa ko nagkaroon ng milk, kahit masakit na yung breasts ko wala pa rin milk flow.. buti na lang, my mom advised me to warm compress my breasts para daw mabuhay yung mga ugat .. after nun, bigla na lang nagflow yung milk ko :D

hay naku, sobrang saya maging mom!
Now, I'm mix feeding him kasi balik na ko sa office.. lakas kasi nyang mag-milk, kaya yung napump ko kulang sa kanya in 1 day..

good luck on your delivery!

[flavvvah]

Thanks for the advice wittygurl. :*) I'll talk to my doctor sa next check-up ko.

by the way, where did you give birth? which hospital?

[Wittygurl]

flavvvah : :) I'm from Laguna, I gave birth in a hospital near us.

[doc_irene]

Originally posted by Wittygurl
flavvvah : :) I'm from Laguna, I gave birth in a hospital near us.

hey Wittygurl, where in Laguna?

Taga-Laguna din kasi ako eh, Santa Rosa to be exact.:)

[mytitagirl]

flavvvah: sana may little notepad ka na sulatan mo ng lahat ng questions mo, para kapag nasa ob-gyn ka ask mo lahat tapos take notes din on the answers. don't be shy, talk to your ob-gyn and ask if you can ask. most important: how much fees? naghanda ka na ng pambayad ng ob-gyn fees at anesthesiologist fees, hospital fees at pedia professional fees? if you work, sss at philhealth forms.

know all the contact numbers of your ob-gyn. celfone, home, clinic, hospital, pager, etc.

get ready na din sa information na ilalagay mo sa birth certificate, they usually let you fill it out the day after. nurse ang magbibigay sa iyo sa hospital, pero ikaw ang magpapasign sa doctor mo. look at your birth certificate then make a mock-up for your child para lahat information tama. take this seriously kasi meron ako kakilala nagkamali ng sulat sa spelling ng isang letter, e, they have to get a lawyer to change it now...

november isn't too far away ha, do everthing you need to prepare NOW, because once the baby comes siya na ang center mo at mahihirapan ka na gawain lahat ng gusto mo, unless may trusted tagabantay ka ng baby.

on labor day: i did not know i was in labor. basta feeling ko lang parang natatae ako pero walang lumalabas. tapos naninigas ang tummy ko, as in super tigas, yon pala contractions ko, e, di ko alam. so, madaling araw yon, tinawagan ng nanay ko ob-gyn ko kasi worried na siya. ako gusto ko lang sa bed at matulog. nagmind-over-matter lang ako kahit masakit. breathing din. praying a lot. don't remember much sa actual birthing kasi marami sila nilagay sa iv ko ( i had iv for almost 2 months kasi nga difficult pregnancy ko). sa spine ko din nilagay injection pero didn't feel it at all. i remember that they showed me my baby, pero can't focus and i just remember him being very small (3 lbs. 14 oz.). myself came around noon the next day na. i don't have experience sa rooming-in, pero i went to my baby at feeding time sa nicu (nasa incubator kasi siya).

tip ko lang, have the bags packed and do not forget the camera!

[Wittygurl]

Originally posted by Wittygurl
flavvvah : :) I'm from Laguna, I gave birth in a hospital near us.

Originally, I'm from San Pablo.. got married and now leaving in San Pedro :) I gave birth sa Pacita and I'm working in Sta. Rosa.. sa Technopark :D

Where exactly in Sta Rosa? :)

[annielise]

Flavvah: About your questions, go to www.babycenter.com and subscribe to its weekly email. If you tell them your due date, they will tell you what's happening to your baby and your body at that particular week. And of course they have lots of tips in breastfeeding and what to bring to the hospital, what to eat, what to look out for, what false labor is, etc. All that's free. But if you want more, for $12.00 you can actually watch more than 45 on-line videos about labor and delivery, complete with graphic shots of how a baby comes out of the birth canal! It's called their premium services. Truly eye-opening.

[doc_irene]

Originally posted by Wittygurl
Originally, I'm from San Pablo.. got married and now leaving in San Pedro :) I gave birth sa Pacita and I'm working in Sta. Rosa.. sa Technopark :D

Where exactly in Sta Rosa? :)

Sa bayan mismo...Perlas Village to be exact. we're from manila talaga but we moved there nung bata pa ko...dun na ko nag-aral hanggang highschool.

I used to work at Technopark also... sa Ayala Health Care. San ka?

Dito na ko ngayon sa US but my family is still there.

[doc_irene]

flavvah:

about rooming-in with the baby...

nasa sa yo yan eh. kasi ako plano ko din noon na magstay sya sa nursery para i can rest kasi nga pag labas ng hospital wala ka na talagang time na makapagrest. pero grabe i'm telling you, di ko rin natiis! right after i gave birth siguro tinest lang sya tapos pinadala ko na sya sa room ko. andun naman husband ko kaya kami ang tumitingin sa kanya. kahit na gusto kong magpahinga di ko nagawa kasi nga i was very excited eh, all i did was stare and stare at my baby. pero nung last night na namin sa hospital sa nursery ko muna sya pinatulog, and then very early in the morning pinakuha ko na ulit agad.

hay naku....sarap ng feeling pag labas ng baby mo....the best!
:)

[season]

Originally posted by flavvvah
season: i'd like to go sana. but it's too far from my place! i live in pque. i've heard about bestfriends in breastfeeding, and i heard may support group meetings sa st.lukes, tama ba ko? pero it's too far eh. wala ba kayo sa bandang south area?



Hey, Flavvah!

The St Luke's BF class is still around. Just met with Chiqui Hahn and she's making me do the class, so I'm lecturing! :)

Anyway, I know that one of the girls in our group does lectures at Asian too...let me check muna, k?

[Wittygurl]

doc_irene: i can't tell what company, baka mabasa ng mga boss ko.. mahuli ako hehe
Ayala healthcare? ang naabutan ko na lang eh Healthway Medical Clinic.. Dunno if they just changed the name.

Super bilis natapos ng maternity leave ko coz I enjoy taking care of my baby so much.

[flavvvah]

thanks girls for the input!

mytitagirl: nag-n-notes ako. at mga questions ko sinusulat ko. kaso minsan nahihiya ako to actually ask my ob-gyn all my questions kasi ang dami noh! kaya inuunti unti ko lang. pero dami parin ng dami eh. hehehe. abt the birth certificate, i have to bring my marriage certificate ba to the hosp?

annielise: i subscribed to babycenter.com when i first learned i was pregnant! :*) i love that site. pero shempre, id like to know rin firsthand from experienced moms na talaga. lalo na filipina moms. para can-relate more naman ako. :*)

doc_irene: i can't wait! i can't wait narin to see my baby! sobrang wala kong ginawa now kundi tignan mga stuff ng baby. ayus ayusin khet wala naman dapat ayusin. sobrang se-set up ko crib niya, pero tatago ko ulit. haayy nako, i can't wait na talaga! feeling ko, mapapagaya ako sayo. i-r-room in ko rin kasi di ko matitiis! hehe

season: i attended the Childbirth classes at Asian. The four consecutive saturdays that I was there, I didn't really learn much, except for the one meeting where Chiqui Hahn was there to lecture about breastfeeding. Grabe, dun lang talaga ko nabuhayan ng dugo. Yung ibang sessions kasi boring. Tapos puro videos. Kaya di mashado exciting at interactive. Pero when Chiqui Hahn lectured, everyone talaga was listening. Lalo na the fathers. hehehe. Do tell me when yung Breastfeeding na session, para I'll attend again so I can listen to the lecture. :*)

[doc_irene]

Originally posted by Wittygurl
doc_irene: i can't tell what company, baka mabasa ng mga boss ko.. mahuli ako hehe
Ayala healthcare? ang naabutan ko na lang eh Healthway Medical Clinic.. Dunno if they just changed the name.

Super bilis natapos ng maternity leave ko coz I enjoy taking care of my baby so much.

ok, i totally understand.

[taylorwilson]

Alam ko most of us are young Pinay moms - hip hop! In light of the curretn problem with pollution and crazy milk brands, plus thousands of pesos of formula milk - breast milk is still the best, been reading alot and determined ako.
Heard there is a group for support, education and free counseling. Does anyone know where they have monthly meetings? Or how I can get this info here in the Philippines. In the USA, there are a lot of support groups for new moms who are breastfeeding but here sa Manila, we are still behind the times.
This is the best for baby! Help...

[mac_bolan00]

just talk to your ob-gyn. she'll tell you all there is to know. don't put too much faith in someone or some-many who don't even know your medical history. our baby is now six months old and the mom's still nursing her.

once, during an outing to tagaytay, we had bulalo. one hour later, milk was coming out of the mother like a pair of water pistols! no kidding.

[orano]

present! i'm breastfeeding my daughter who's now more than a month old. I didn't attend any breastfeeding talk/meeting except the one given in the hospital. we're currently in singapore and i know that they do have those kind of support groups here but it was my choice not to attend any. i believe breastfeeding is a very natural thing - as long as you have milk and the baby knows how to latch on correctly, there really would be no problem!

[annielise]

I plan to breastfeed my baby when I give birth this October. I've been hearing scary stories though from my friends, like one who gave birth last August and she suddenly quit breastfeeding cos she couldn't take it anymore and she contracted mastitis. I guess the baby wasn't latching on properly. How come here there are a lot of lactation consultants? Is it really that DIFFICULT to nurse a baby???

[Mickey2000]

http://www.boomspeed.com/carolrobert/mickey.gifAnnieliese: Yeah,at first,pero kusa naman kasi mag sa-suck yung baby,kailangan mo lang yung proper position,once na nakuha mo,wala ka ng problema,meron silang mga in charge sa hospital na magtuturo sa iyo how to do that,madali lang naman.:)Saka kapag nasanay ka, lalakas ang instinc mo,kunwari wala ka sa bahay,ma fi feel mo kung gutom na ang baby mo,kahit kunwari natutulog naman sya,pero mafi feel mo iyon.:)

[mac_bolan00]

i think less than 10% of mothers are incapable of breastfeeding. it's as natural as rain. if you talk to your ob-g often enough on pre- and post-natal matters, there'll be no problem.

1. breastfeeding is a positive thought (like all aspects of mothering). don't stress yourself out. even crying can affect it.

2. don't buy a breastpump unless the doc tells you to. and she'll advise you. no nonsense about buying those expensive electric thingies.

3. you better know how to cook soup!

[orano]

syempre sa una nga masakit - sabi sa book, by the 20th feeding daw magiging ok na pero sa akin eh 20th day! :) pero kung tipong more than a month na eh cracked/sore pa rin nipples mo, that only means na mali nga ang position ng baby when sucking.

basta after giving birth, try to have your baby suck as soon as you can, the sucking will stimulate milk production. colostrum pa lang lalabas for 2-3 days - for some babies it will be enough, for some it isn't. that's why i had to supplement with formula for the first 3 days - coz my baby isn't peeing (which means she's lacking liquid). but once my milk got established - pure breastfeeding na!

just think of all the nutrients your baby will get from your milk and i guess that's enough encouragement for you to endure the pain of cracked/sore nipples! :)

[flavvvah]

hi taylorwilson! I'm an expecting mom as well. Only 6-8 weeks to go for me! Can't wait. :) I attended childbirth classes at the Asian Hospital. These classes were free. They hold it every other month. They teach you everything from labor to childcare. One month lang 'to. Every saturday yung classes ng 9-11am. On the third saturday, they teach you about breastfeeding. Usually, they get speakers from the Best Friends in BreastFeeding group.

Our speaker was Chiqui Hahn. And she was really galing. I learned a lot from her. How to massage your breasts in preparation. How to make the baby latch on properly. Positions in breastfeeding. Basta, everything talaga. She covered everything in just 2 hours. I thought I read everything na in books. Pero when someone actually lectures you on it, it seems clearer.

[taylorwilson]

hola everyone. thanks for all the tips, encouragement and words of wisdom. ***** it must be helpful to have supportive pipol like all of you around during moments of doubt.

yes, i heard of best friends in breastfeeding. a freind told me they used to have meetings in st luke's as well but recently yata, they decided to get out of a hospital setting so moms will not be afraid of bringing babies to the support group meetings. so now, i heard for the rest of 2003, the meetings are in the community center of a church in green hills - i think mary the queen yata. ok din yon para hindi maka-kuha ng germs ang preggy mom or new mom lalo na if baby is kasama.

(flavvah...thanks so much) i heard meeting nila is once a month also 2nd wed. of each month and they cover the same stuff you posted.

thanks again 2 all of u !!

[season]

hello! i'm with momi mor (moms milk and more). we have monthly breastfeeding classes (free), every second wednesday of the month at st luke's medical center, 6f MAB library. hope to see you there!

and yes, best friends in breastfeeding is the support group naman.

our target kasi is more the pregnant mommies, while best friends naman, those who are nursing na.

[flavvvah]

follow up!!! :)

i have na an avent isis breastpump. when do i start pumping? when the baby comes out? as in right after my baby comes out? or do i wait till my milk comes in?

also, do u microwave ur milk to heat it? i heard kc it destroys daw the nutrients. true?

[orano]

flavvah: ako, i didn't start pumping until the start of the second week. malakas kasi ang milk ko and hindi nauubos ng baby, so i have to pump the excess para hindi maging sore ang breast ko.

and yes, you don't microwave the milk - frozen/chilled milk can be thawed by placing it in a cup filled with hot water.

[flavvvah]

thanks orano! i hope i have a good supply of milk as well. did you have to take supplements? like yung malunggay pills na sinasabi nila para dumami yung milk mo?

[orano]

nope! i didn't take those pills... i just make sure i take in lots of fluids -water, milk (i drnk amnum 2, for breastfeeding moms) and soups. at ang mga ulam - sinigang, nilaga, etc - basta yung masasabaw! :)

[flavvvah]

anmum2? talaga? meron pala non? :)

[annielise]

I want to buy or rent an electric breast pump because I'm going back to work but I still want to continue nursing my baby, but it's too expensive! The best one out there (according to my friends and reviews online) is the Medela Pump In Style - it comes with its own bag and specially made for working moms. Anyone tried it? It's $280 if I buy it.

What about manual pumps? How long before I can collect milk from both breasts using that? Isn't it tiring, specially for working moms?

Thanks a lot.

[flavvvah]

annielise: sabi nga nila, the best daw in electric pumps is the medela one. but it's super expensive ano? grabe, i checked it out and here it costs mga 22,000 yata. exagg. they say that the aventisis works like a charm daw talaga. a lot of moms swear by it. i have it na. but of course, we won't know till i deliver. :)

[taylorwilson]

iba na rin yung support you get from talking to someone. yong best frined in breastfeeding - magaling daw yon support group na yon. dati sa st luke's pero ka-ka move lang nila sa green hills para central sa makati and QC people. paranaque is far nga pero once a month lang naman. sa tingin ko - iba yung advice makukuha mo reading a book, checking out a website or talking to your doctor. dito sa support group, live advice from other breastfeeding moms - very encouraging and inspiring.

every 2nd wed. of each month meeting nila, 5 30 pm. check it out.

[orano]

annielise: i'm using pigeon's manual breast pump - it's similar to avent's isis din. so far ok naman, i try to time nga yung pag-pump ko and i think it takes me an average of 20 minutes to pump milk from both breasts. within these 20 minutes, i get to fill up two 120ml bottles. not bad, eh?!

[annielise]

Hi orano! Thanks for the input. So manual breast pumps are okay for working moms and/or for frequent pumping? That's good, at least I can save a lot. They say that manual pumps are better than battery-operated ones because the pumping is similar to the baby's suckling. It's just that electric pumps are a lot better because you collect more milk in less time.

But if you can do it with a manual pump, I guess it's not that bad. I'll be checking manual pumps too.

What does the pigeon manual breast pump look like? Is it the cylinder or the bulb-type of pump?

Thanks a lot!

[orano]

I'm not yet working at this time but I can see myself using it once I do. Syempre, talagang you would have to spend more time expressing compared to using an electric one but the difference is not that significant naman (compared to the difference in their prices!).

The pump looks like a bicycle horn, you press the handle to pump the milk. It's cheap - there in the US it will probably be just around $35.

[Wittygurl]

I am! I'm still breastfeeding.. kinda.. mahina na kasi milk flow ko..

[annielise]

orano: Thanks a lot, I'll check it out!

[flavvvah]

hi girls!

33rd week ko na! i soooo can't wait. i'm bored to death. to think last week lang nag-end classes ko. i feel so useless! yesterday, i bought a book. i finished it by dinnertime. nyek. wala na ulit ako mabasa! hehehe.

question, what if while you're breastfeeding magkaroon ka ng sakit? like colds or the flu? i know you can still breastfeed diba? pero hindi ba hihina milk supply mo non?

[orano]

flavvah: according to what i've read, you can still breastfeed even if you have colds or flu since these diseases are not transmitted through breastmilk. however, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly whenever you'll come in contact with your baby as that's the common reason he/she will get those illnesses from you.

don't take medicines din not prescribed by your doctor.

no, you're milk will not diminish with these illnesses as long as you're taking the proper breastfeeding diet (plus probably MORE liquid to keep you hydrated).

[my_bugoys]

I thought my pains and sufferings will be over right after i gave birth to my baby... til i came to breastfeeding!

my OB Gyne advised me to take malunggay capsule supplements to help me produce more milk. it really helps. while my baby's Pedia taught me how to breastfeed properly. I'ts really tough at first. My baby and i are really fighting because he want's the feeding bottles instead, you must really have patience if you want to breastfeed. My Pedia also advised me to buy nipple shield and cream that can only be bought at Rustans. I only forgot the brand.

[flavvvah]

nipple shield? is that the same as the nipple protector? i inquired rin about that. there's one by avent and another one by pigeon. but di ba lalo mahihirapan yung baby non? kasi silicone pa sha? i mean, he has to go thru 2 nipples: the protector and my nipple. won't that be harder? essential ba 'to? kasi kung oo, bibili nako. kung ndi, wag muna.

orano: thanks! mukhang sobrang sanay na sanay ka na magbreastfeed. :) sana ako din. maging successful breastfeeding ko. wait, what is the proper breastfeeding diet? may bawal ba? i know bawal alcohol of course. pero yung typical food, meron bang bawal?

[orano]

flavvah: i've also seen that nipple shield - although i know it will help for those whose sore nipples never heals, try mo muna without it. if you think you can't go on breastfeeding dahil sobrang sakit na ng nipples mo yet you have a good supply of milk, dun mo na lang i-try gumamit di ba?

proper breastfeeding diet is simple - just make sure na you consume 500 more calories than your regular intake. this will make sure na magiging healthy ka pa rin despite your baby getting his/her nutrition from you, too. actually you can still have that ocassional drink of alcohol pero try not to nurse for at least 2 hours after consumption. yung caffeine intake, unlike when pregnant, pwede na rin pero syempre under control (caffeine freak pa naman ako!). kailangan din, alagaan mo yung calcium reqts mo - pag hindi kasi, magiging brittle-boned ka agad when you grow older. ask your OB for medicine you can take to ensure you get enough the needed vitamins/minerals.

[Wittygurl]

Originally posted by flavvvah
wait, what is the proper breastfeeding diet? may bawal ba? i know bawal alcohol of course. pero yung typical food, meron bang bawal?

I have read that mothers should prevent eating spicy foods and other strong flavored food (eg: lots of onion) while breastfeeding. Ayaw daw ng baby nun eh.. kaya di rin ako kumain ng mga ganyang food while breastfeeding. Buti na lang I'm not a coffee person, pero minsan natetempt ako uminom ng softdrinks!

[jisc]

dapat daw mapadede ang baby kagad sa ina, para lumabas kagad yung gatas, pag talagang ayaw lumabas you can ask your husband para tumulong, altough last resort na yon kasi kailangan ng baby yung unang labas gatas eh, minsan daw sumasakit ang breast pag puno na ng gatas yung dede mo pero malayo ka sa baby mo para magpadede, kaya minsan ako yung dumedede sa wife ko para maalis yung sakit (ehehe)

[motivasia]

thanks orano! :) i won't buy na nga muna the nipple shield. ang mahal pala! p600 yung sa avent! yung pigeon naman laging out of stock. at chaka, t-try ko nga muna na walang protector. :) nako, i don't drink coffee anymore. pero i can't go without drinking coke! i guess, pipigilin ko nalang. kasi bka pag dumede yung baby after i drink coke, gising sha all the time! kawawa rin ako non. :)

wittygurl: onions? talaga? love ko pa naman yon. sabi naman nila, if you eat a lot of garlic, babies tend to suck more and longer. does that mean they like it? weird ano? pero good thing di naman ako mahilig sa maanghang. mahina ako sa spicy food. :)

jisc: my husband is so grossed out with breast milk. well, not naman grossed out. pero whenever i tease him to taste it (kasi now palang leaking na ko ng colostrum), his face gets all scrunched up. it's funny. i doubt if he'll ever drink from me. hahaha.

[flavvvah]

whoops. sorry, motivasia and flavvvah are just one person! forgot to log out lang the motivasia. i use that for the buy and sell thread kasi. :)

[my_bugoys]

I only used the nipple shield because my nipples are really sore. pero kung kaya mo naman tiisin e you won't need one. plus, you have to sterilize also before feeding.

I have a friend. her baby is 2 yrs. old and she's still breastfeeding. Housewife naman kasi sya so she has all the time to breastfeed. Ako kasi when i got back to work, humina na sya. I guess hindi na kasi sya stimulated well because i dont pump it in the office. hassle kasi. night time lang ako nagbe-breastfeed. then my milk finally stopped on my third month of feeding.

[flavvvah]

i'm going back to school on february. that means my baby will be around 3 months na. i hope my milk doesn't stop. pano yon? if i pump in school, how do i store the milk? do i have to bring a cooler as well??? hassle nga yon kung ganon.

[NOKiE]

My wife did pump while at her 7am-7pm work. She'd maintain a couple of disposable milk bags with her to store her milk in. They would then be stored in our freezer that same evening with a shelf life of about 3 to 4 months.

I guess walang fridge sa school ninyo, so you might have to resort to a cooler with some ice in it. Maybe they'd make an exception and let you use their fridge.

[my_bugoys]

breastmilk can last up to 24 hour on room temperature, 3 day in the fridge and up to 6 months in the freezer below 0 degrees.

[annielise]

Hi! Just had my breastfeeding class. Breastmilk can last up to 24 hours on room temperature of 68 degrees F, which is much cooler than room temperature in Manila without aircon (and it still depends on the coolness of your a/c). So it's best to have the breastmilk refrigerated as soon as possible, at 39 degrees F. Refrigerated milk can last as long as 72 hours provided you measure the temperature really well because temperature for every fridge varies. Freeze the breastmilk if you're using it after 72 hours at 0 degrees F. Never re-use thawed breastmilk in the same bottle used by the infant as the enzymes in the baby's saliva will change the composition of the milk. Never re-freeze thawed breast milk.

[flavvvah]

thanks y'all. :) maybe i'll just lug a cooler in the trunk of my car. :)

[JdelaCruz]

From Yahoo! News:



Study: Breast-Feeding May Prevent Weight Problems
Mon Feb 2,10:03 AM ET


CHICAGO (Reuters) - The longer white infants from low-income families are breast-fed, the less likely they will be overweight as young children, researchers said on Monday.

The study of more than 177,000 children from low-income families who visited U.S. public health clinics between 1988 and 1992 found that formula-fed infants and babies breast-fed for less than a month were more likely to develop weight problems by age 4 than infants breast-fed for longer periods.

However, the correlation between breast-feeding duration and healthier weight was limited to whites in the study, and did not apply to Hispanics or blacks, who made up nearly one-third of the participants.

U.S. obesity rates among children and adults have been climbing, with Hispanics and blacks the most likely to be overweight.

The report, which was published in the journal Pediatrics, speculated that different dietary habits among low-income Hispanics and blacks overwhelmed breast-feeding's benefits.

Among the possible reasons behind the correlation are that breast-fed children seem to be better able to self-regulate their eating at mealtimes compared to formula-fed children, the report said. Breast-fed babies likely exert more control over when to stop suckling, while babies fed formula might be urged to finish off a bottle or were left wanting more.

Breast-fed children also have been found to make an easier dietary transition to vegetables than formula-fed children, wrote study author Laurence Grummer-Strawn of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (news - web sites) in Atlanta.

And compared to breast milk, formula provokes a greater insulin response that may lead to early deposits of body fat, he wrote.

Breast-feeding is known to provide valuable nutrients and to strengthen the bond between mother and child. The American Academy of Pediatrics, which publishes Pediatrics, recommends mothers breast-feed for at least a year, and the World Health Organization (news - web sites) recommends two years.

In 2001, only 69.5 percent of new American mothers said they had ever breast-fed their newborns and just 32 percent were still breast-feeding at six months. Low-income mothers were the least likely to breast-feed.

In the study, less than one-third of the children were ever breast-fed, and only 6 percent were breast-fed for more than six months.

Among whites, 14.5 percent of infants who had never breast-fed became overweight, compared to 7 percent of those breast-fed at least a year. The proportion of overweight Hispanic children in the study ranged from 22 percent to 29 percent, and among blacks between 13 percent and 19 percent, with duration of breast-feeding having little impact.

[mommycow]

Hi Momsies! I'm on my 4th month and its my first baby. I'm very worried about breastfeeding, sana maging lucky ako to have lots of milk for my baby. Anyway, any more info about the local breastfeeding classes? Are they still being held? =)

I'm awfully clueless, so I just read everything I can and most of my friends are still single kaya I'm seeking out first hand mommy advice.

My BF questions:

Pag nag te-teething na ang baby di ba sooper sakit na mag pa breastfeed or tolerable naman?

Aesthetic question din, some women would rather pump milk then breastfeed dahil mabilis mag sag or droop ang breasts? Totoo ba ito? I think inevitable naman na mag sa-sag talaga ang breasts pero what do ur breast look like after months of feeding?

Isa pa, I've had history of breast cysts pero di naman malignant does that effect the milk I'll be producing?

[annielise]

Hi mommycow! Just have to tell you that when I saw your nick I really laughed out loud. That's what my hubby calls me cos I'm exclusively breastfeeding. So when he is holding our 4-month-old baby and he sees me pumping milk or doing other stuff, he would tell our baby, "There's mommy cow! There's mommy cow!" :D

About your questions, no, the boobs will not droop because of breastfeeding. It's because of lack of support or your genes. Always wear a bra even while you're pregnant and specially when you're nursing. To tell you honestly my breasts don't sag, even when they're big cos of the milk. It's just not in my genes kasi. My baby is teething right now and would put pressure on my nipple because of his sore gums, but it's not really unbearable. Books and lactation specialists here say that when they do become unbearable, just break the suction by putting your pinky finger at the side of your baby's mouth and you can take your breast off.

As for breastfeeing, I did take breastfeeding classes here in the US, but the thing that helped me a lot were a good book about breastfeeding and videos online. I highly recommend the book The Complete Book of Breastfeeding by Eiger and Olds and subscribe to babycenter.com, they have instructional guides on how a baby latches on properly.

Goodluck!

[flavvvah]

wow! nabuhay ang thread ulit! :)

mommycow: this is the best advice i can ever give you: DON'T GIVE UP! hehehe. i had lots of milk. but i gave up. so it just dried up. now sobrang nagsisisi ako. goodluck with breastfeeding. kayang kaya mo yan. about the classes, text Chiqui Hahn: 0920-9052737. or call her at home: 4146102. she regularly holds classes. :)

[mommycow]

Hey Mommy Cow Annielise! hehe! lately i've been getting a lot of stuffed cows and dairy spotted items. Adorably, my hubby thinks im really huge as a cow, my udders included =) He usually rubs my tummy and talks to the baby cow inside. Thanks for the reply, I'm checking out babycenter.com

Hi flavvah! I'll get in touch with Chiqui Hahn thanks for the numbers. I won't give up squeezing my milkbuds, I'm not sure if that's the way its done though.

I was window shopping at landmark kanina and I found an assortment of breast pumps, yung expensive one is the Avent breast pump kit that goes in a nice laptop-like case which is around 6k. I also found the el cheapo ones which looks like a rubber horn and an old brand, I remember that my mom used the same one on our bunso. If I decide to work agad, maybe I'll get one, but it seems like I'll be stuck at home for a long time. I don't mind naman if possible I would like to take care of the baby myself for at least a year. Medyo na traumatize ako with my friends Yaya problems recently.

[flavvvah]

I can swear by the Avent Breast Pump. That's what I bought. Sobrang user-friendly. And it really worked for me. I was able to pump efficiently.

Medela daw is a good brand. But it was a bit too pricey for me.

I also have the numbers of BreastFeeding consultants. She'll go to your house and teach you the basics of breastfeeding (positioning, storage, pumping, etc), she'll teach your hubby basic baby care, and she'll teach your household help what to cook for a breastfeeding mom. PM me if you'd like the number. :)

[annielise]

Hi! I got medela for myself. I think it's worth the price, but we got it cheaper cos we got it from e-bay. If you still wanna breastfeed even after you return to work, I recommend an electric pump. Never get a horn (or bulb-type) pump because even if it's the cheapest, it won't do anything and it will make your nipples sore. The Avent Breast pump is the best I heard when it comes to manual pumps.

[Sayeesha]

My two week-old baby won't latch on to my breasts. As a result I no longer hav any milk. Is there a way to get back my milk AND, most importantly, have her latch on? Is there a proper way to breastfeed? Please help me and my daughter.

[pexxerdoc]

My baby was admitted at the NICU for seven days. When she got back, she won't latch on to my breasts for I no was not producing any or adequate milk. Is there a way to bring back or increase milk supply?

Why was your baby admitted in NICU? Was she born prematurely?

My two week-old baby won't latch on to my breasts. As a result I no longer hav any milk. Is there a way to get back my milk AND, most importantly, have her latch on? Is there a proper way to breastfeed? Please help me and my daughter.

Check this link on “How can I increase my milk supply?” (http://familydoctor.org/019.xml)

”If you think your baby needs more milk, increase the number of feedings a day. It's also important to get plenty of rest and eat right. Give your body time to catch up to your baby's demands.

Don't start giving your baby formula or cereal. If you give formula or cereal to your baby, he or she may not want as much breast milk. This will decrease your milk supply. Also, your baby doesn't need any solid foods until he or she is 4 to 6 months old.

What should I eat?

The best diet for a breast feeding woman is well-balanced and has plenty of calcium. This means you should eat fruits and vegetables, whole-grain cereals and breads, meats or beans, and milk and dairy foods like cheese. You'll need to get enough calories--about 500 more per day than usual--and you'll need to drink more fluids.

A balanced diet that includes 5 servings of milk or dairy products each day will give you enough calcium. If you don't eat meat or dairy products, you can get the calcium you need from broccoli, sesame seeds, tofu and kale. Talk to your doctor about taking extra calcium if you don't think you're getting enough from your diet.

What should I avoid eating?

If you think a food you're eating bothers your baby, quit eating it. Caffeine and alcohol can get into your milk, so limit how much you drink. Drugs--even those you can buy without a prescription--can also get into your milk. Don't take anything without talking to your doctor first. Also, if you smoke, nursing is another good reason to try to quit. Smoking can cause you to make less milk and the chemicals in cigarettes and smoke can get into your milk.”

Best wishes to both of you!

[JdelaCruz]

So Doc, how do you make a baby latch on properly? I think that was the main question of this thread.

[season]

Sayeesha, make sure that your baby's mouth is wide open, and that she takes most of the areola. another thing is that the baby's tummy and your tummy are supposed to be facing each other. you guys are supposed to be like a letter t. pull the baby as close to you as possible. use a lot of pillows to prop the baby up if she needs it.

we have monthly support group meetings (every second tuesday of the month) at mary the queen parish, greenhills, from 530 to 730 pm. try to go, we'll help you position her.

try visiting the site www.lalecheleague.org

good luck!

[Sayeesha]

Thanks, pexxerdoc and season. I had to undergo c-section for her amniotic fluid was close to none. They said that she was already in distress and she injested her excrement. Good thing her complication was just massive UTI and not pneumonia or blood poisoning.

season are there any other schedules besides the one that you menioned? I cannot leave the house at night. Aside from that, we cannot afford to go into seminars... the hospital bill really took its tool....

She would cry and cry, refusing my breasts, forcing me to prepare her formula. I also have a minute lump in my left breast which wasn't there before. It was painfull for two days, but now it'sno longer throbbing... can I let her nurse on my left breast now?

[season]

season are there any other schedules besides the one that you menioned? I cannot leave the house at night. Aside from that, we cannot afford to go into seminars... the hospital bill really took its tool....

She would cry and cry, refusing my breasts, forcing me to prepare her formula. I also have a minute lump in my left breast which wasn't there before. It was painfull for two days, but now it'sno longer throbbing... can I let her nurse on my left breast now?

Sayeesha, these support group meetings are free. They're formed by women who want to help other women. Dads welcome too! This is the only sked I know. I do know that there are also monthly meetings in St Luke's...every second Thursday naman. But I'm not sure if they still have. Call and ask nalang.

the lump could be milk...that hasn't been drained. are you expressing/pumping?

[akane_xylene]

u can buy Pigeon nipple protector sa SM. it helped my baby latch on. kasi mejo inverted nipples ko eh. it removes the pain too. :)

[riAbaby]

use breast pump. ganun ginagawa ko if nahihirapan ako magbreast-feed...

[pexxerdoc]

So Doc, how do you make a baby latch on properly? I think that was the main question of this thread.

Sorry if my reply seemed out of context. She posed the question in WUD about "no breast milk." But the questions were aptly answered already by season, riAbaby, et al.

[Sayeesha]

season thanks. right now I am expressing/pumping. It's really frustrating to see that the expressed milk is not even close to 5ml... And even if the seminar is free, sadly, the schedule is not right up my alley. I would love to come, though.

pexxerdoc thanks for the link. Based on the articles from that site, she won't latch on because she's used to the sturdy texture of the teat of the feeding bottle.

akane_xylene magkano yung artificial nipple? My nipples are not inverted, though... puwede kaya?

riAbaby anong breast pump gamit mo? May nakita kasi ako sa SM na P1000+, mukhang maganda pero pinagiisipan ko kung efficient siya. Yung cheap na breast pump ko kasi walang nakukuhang gatas.

[annielise]

Sayeesha, I am still breastfeeding my almost 16-month old toddler. I still have much milk but the first few weeks weren't easy. Like you, he also wouldn't latch on to my breasts. Good thing i had a lactation consultant that my hospital in the States offered to me for free. I also took breastfeeding classes prior to that. You have to use the RAM movement for you baby who refuses to latch on which is otherwise called the rapid arm movement. You have to put her to your breast as quick as possible, letting her take the full areola instead of just the nipple, because that is not the correct form of latching on. Your baby will just be as frustrated as you are, and you'll end up with bloody nipples if you do that (if you do end up with sore nipples, Lansinoh which is 100% lanolin will heal them in no time, and it's safe for the baby to swallow).

It took me 2 whole weeks for my baby to latch on properly. But I just had to do everything i could coz I was desperate, I really, really wanted to breastfeed. My baby got used to the bottles they were feeding at the hospital so much so that he wouldn't latch on to my breast. So the big question is, how was i able to maintain my milk supply? pretty simple: electric breast pump. During those two weeks that my baby wouldn't latch on, I simply stimulated my breasts by pumping, and that kept my milk supply going. Rule number 1 in breastfeeding: your breastmilk operates on the law of supply and demand, the more your breasts are stimulated by your baby's suckle or by an electric breast pump, the more milk it will produce. that's why i get so sad when moms would say, "I don't have much milk, that's why I just used formula", because most of the time that is not true. Your milk dries up because you use formula and your breasts aren't stimulated by a breast pump or a sucking baby, so it just goes away. that's why I made sure I didn't supplement with formula during the first few weeks because I knew that would dry up my milk.

Why an electric breast pump? A hospital-grade pump is the best because it simulates a baby's sucking motion the best, plus it gets the most milk at the least amount of time. I'm not sure about manual breastpumps, i don't know if you can maintain your breastmilk by using those coz it really takes effort to get only a few ounces of milk. I used the Medela Pump-in-Style electric breastpump which is the best in the market. It was costly at $250, but it sure cost a lot less than a year or more's supply of formula! you can get the Ameda electric pump for less, but it also works just the same as a Medela.

For reading materials, I suggest you read The Complete Book of Breastfeeding by Eiger and Olds. As the title suggests, it has complete info about breastfeeding, complete with diagrams on pumping milk, storing, latching on, etc.

Goodluck, I really pray you get to breastfeed your baby, it's the best move you can do.

[annielise]

As for your lump, let her suck it or let the pump take it out. It's a clogged duct and if it doesn't go away it might lead to an infection called mastitis, so try to get it out. put a warm compress on your breast (wet warm towel or hot water bottle is best) to get the milk flowing. I had several clogged ducts before, and it was only my baby's sucking that eased it.

[riAbaby]

i use the electric breast pump (gentle expressions brand). kasi pag engorged na *** breasts ko masakit kasi puno na nga ng milk eh minsan kasi tulog pa si baby kaya yun ginagamit ko tapos nire-ref ko na lang yung milk for his next feeding. ganun na lang gawin mo para kahit hindi ka na mag-breastfeed ng direct, atleast your baby can still get your milk.

[season]

season thanks. right now I am expressing/pumping. It's really frustrating to see that the expressed milk is not even close to 5ml... And even if the seminar is free, sadly, the schedule is not right up my alley. I would love to come, though.



Hi, Sayeesha! Hope it's getting better now. Please continue pumping. As anneliese said, the first two weeks are rough...but it gets better.

I suggest that even though it seems like you hardly pump anything, do it anyway...and do it EVERY TWO HOURS, even in the evenings till the morning. that way you can ensure that your supply will increase.

And, I suggest you relax while you pump. It helped me by NOT looking at the pump (agit kasi if you see less than 1 oz lang, or droplets lang). I would divert my attention by reading magazines or watching television or talking to friends on the phone.

IF you have any more Qs, please let me know, I'd like to help.

[Sayeesha]

Occassionally, she would suck on my breasts...however, it was just 3 out of 30+ attempts. Kapag alam niyang dibdib ko yon, iyak siya ng iyak tapos itutulak niya sarili niya palayo.

Please tell my every possible error that I am doing. Thanks.

[annielise]

Tickle her lower lip with your nipple till her lips form a big O. then RAM (rapid arm movement) her to your breast. about your frustrations, that's what happened to me too. Remember it took me 2 whole weeks to make my baby latch on. As in I was so frustrated...but then one day, lo and behold he suddenly latched on for no reason at all...i think coz he also got used to being held at the breast. also, make sure her nose isn't being blocked by your breasts...baka naman she couldn't breathe.

keep us posted.

[Sayeesha]

Thanks. No, her nose was not obstructed by my breast. Her chin was pushing against me and her nose was slightly tilted away. I have no idea how she did it, but she did suck... longest was 10 minutes, shortest was three... I could not get her to suck again, though. I'm thinking of attending the seminar this 14th, but I am not sure if we could come...

[annielise]

No, I think you're doing the right thing...just be persistent, and please, for the sake of your baby, don't give up. But also please make sure you still have milk, make sure your baby isn't frustrated because you don't have any more milk. Also, make sure your nipples aren't inverted because babies have a hard time getting milk from those.

[SmR]

where can we buy the ameda electric breast pump and around how much will that cost? thanks...

[Sayeesha]

I think things just got worse... my cheap breast pump could no longer expell any milk (we cannot afford the expensive one) and when she latched earlier, three sucks and she's out. She did it three times.... are we doomed or what?

[cookiepie]

the avent isis is the best,i also have the medela electric pump but the avent is lighter,and I was able to express abt. 4oz in less than 10 minutes.it took me longer to do that in my medela breast pump.naubusan na lang ako ng lalagyan since i only brought 2 4oz bottles to work coz i wasn't expecting to get this much,this is my first day back.i'm just saying since medela is expensive,the avent isis will be a better alternative for close to $60.available ito sa SM,Rustan's,etc.goodluck to you.

[Sayeesha]

Hospital grade ba yan? Yung kamag-anak kasi ng asawa ko papahiramin ako ng breast pump pero hindi daw hospital grade. Ilang minutes kayo napu-pump para makabuo ng 1-3 oz?

[cookiepie]

hello=) avent isis is just a manual pump,equivalent to medela's harmony pump,but just as efficient as an electrical breast pump.magaganda ang reviews dito ng mga nanay na may karanasan sa iba't-ibang klase ng pump.nung una hindi ako makapaniwala pero nasubukan ko mismo :)tungkol dun sa question kung ilang minutes,i know i can express abt 2 oz in less than 5 minutes,hindi pa masakit gulat na lang ako na marami na pala akong milk sa plastic bottle.

[Sayeesha]

Maliit lang dibdib ko... will I get the same amount of milk??

[killerabs]

the lump on your breast is most probably a plugged duct. when you have that the more that you have to expel milk from that breast, which you can do through nursing, pumping or hand expressing. make sure to put warm compresses on that breast because it could lead to mastitis.

[killerabs]

ako din size 32a but can pump 4-5 ounces per breast :) , avent gamit ko, the best, better even than some electric pumps.

[shybry]

don't give up!! i had caesarean as well, and it takes 2-3 days before the milk comes out pag caesarean ka. normal delivery comes out straight away.
I agree with season, you have to relax, because the baby will pick your emotions especially if you're stressed, which will make it harder for your baby to latch and don't forget to put your shoulders down so the milk will flow. You're doing fine, just don't give up.
I'm not sure if this will help but if you put baby on the breast make sure the nipple is in line with your baby's nose, so the baby's under the breast(sort of). I hope you get me.
Good Luck and hope i helped!! keep it up ok!

[annielise]

where can we buy the ameda electric breast pump and around how much will that cost? thanks...

ameda is available in the states, i'm not sure if it's available in Manila...you can try rustan's; however, i think any electric breastpump will do. if you're not very particular, they sell second hand electric pumps like ameda and medela on ebay for half the price. they say it's not advisable to get second-hand pumps, but you sterilize the parts that milk passes through, or you can buy new parts but have a second hand pump. you can also buy new parts on ebay.

sayeesha, the fact that she is latching on, no matter how short, is an encouragement in itself. just make sure you still have your milk supply. keep us posted.

[cookiepie]

Maliit lang dibdib ko... will I get the same amount of milk??
hmm... look at killerabs' reply :)

[akane_xylene]

Sayeesha, the Nipple protector is Php250 in SM dept. store. i highly recommend this. good luck!

[Sayeesha]

Ha? Anon brand? Last time I checked it was around 600+ Avent.

Yung kamag-anak ng hubby ko pinadalhan kami ng Medela mini electric breast pump. Mukhang alam ko na kung bakit ayaw niyang mag-latch ng matagal.... soooooooobrang konti ng gatas ko. 3 pumping sessions, 15 mins per breast and I got barely half an ounce of breast milk. When I pumped this morning, I only got roughly 10 drops... babalik pa kaya gatas ko? :(

[killerabs]

3 sessions in a day ba yon? you have to pump atleast every two hours to build up your milk supply. try mo while feeding your baby with a bottle, mag-pump ka or pump while thinking of your baby or looking at a picture of your baby that helps with letdown. Also make sure you are following instructions to the letter, kasi ako wala din ako ma-pump masyado yun pala i was doing it wrong. ngayon i can pump 4-5 ounces.

since secondhand ang pump mo try to look sa net for instructions on how to use pump properly. goodluck! and don't give up mommy :)

[killerabs]

i forgot to ask if you wait for letdown kasi that's when your milk comes out ng mabilis at madami. you might be stopping before letdown kaya konti lang. sometimes it takes more than fifteen minutes for it to happen. after practice it becomes faster na, ako dati after twenty minutes of pumping, ngayon around 5-10, pag si baby one-minute to two lang :)

[Sayeesha]

Yung agos niya naguumpisa na... pero konti parin, although not as scant as before. Ilang linggo ba bago mag-relactate???? Ubos na kasi yung Natalac ko.... Minsan hindi ako maka-pump kasi ako lang mag-isa tapos inaantok ako, kailangang matulog. Tapos pag gising siya, hindi ko maiwanan kasi baka mag-suka o spew... sobrang takot ako pag magsusuka siya, especially yung projectile vomit niya. Na-trauma talaga ako, ayaw ko syang makitang nagsusuka, grabe. Buti ngayon hindi na masyado.

[killerabs]

pumping often is more effective than natalac. yung suka normal yan kung di namam super dalas so relax mommy :) though minsan baby ko parang exorcist talaga ang dating :crazytongue: have you tried pumping while holding baby or placing her under a mobile para may time ka mag-pump, relactation is different for different mommies, walang set na time frame.

[Sayeesha]

Teka, di ba you're breastfeeding? Ibig sabihin talagang magsusuka si baby kahit ano gawin ko? Natakot na kasi ako kasi three days she vomitted twice, projectile ha. Gulat ko nung nakita ko yung soft spot/fontanel niya sa ulo lumubog. Ibig sabihin nadehydrate siya.

Yung let-down, walang problema. Once I set the pump into proper pressure, ayos yung agos, natatawa na nga ako minsan kasi parang squirt gun. Ang kaso, it lasts for several seconds, then mere scant droplettes na. At least hindi tulad dati na parang talagang wala.

[killerabs]

yes they vomit, kahit breastfed :) but iba na yung lubog na fontanel, never experienced that, for that you have to go to your pedia. so okay na pala milk supply mo, just pump often :)

[Sayeesha]

Gusto ko sanang ipatingin pero not able. Long story. Typo oko, dapat don "three days ago" hindi naman siya sumuka ng straight na ganon, saka mali ko riin kasi pinapadede ko siya ng mali. Pinipilit ko kasi yung 4 oz sa kaniya, eh mukhang hindi niya kaya.

May pag-asa pa ba ako? basta pump lang ako ng pump? Kung mahigit 2 months na siya, magla-latch pa ba siya?

[annielise]

So what does your baby do now? She drinks your milk pero sa bottle? Is that it?

[Sayeesha]

Wish ko lang breast milk ang pinapainom ko sa kaniya. May topak yata ang mamary glands ko. All of a sudden, back to square one na naman yung agos ng gatas... Wala na yung mabilis na let-down. Ni wala pang 5 ml yung nakuha ko sa mga na-pump ko simula kahapon hanggang ngayong umaga. Parang hindi na yata ako magkakaroon ng gatas ah.......

[killerabs]

"Gusto ko sanang ipatingin pero not able. Long story. Typo oko, dapat don "three days ago" hindi naman siya sumuka ng straight na ganon, saka mali ko riin kasi pinapadede ko siya ng mali. Pinipilit ko kasi yung 4 oz sa kaniya, eh mukhang hindi niya kaya.

May pag-asa pa ba ako? basta pump lang ako ng pump? Kung mahigit 2 months na siya, magla-latch pa ba siya?"

My friend's pedia told her na may difference pala in mixing formula for baby, may difference kung mauuna ang water at kung mauuna ang powdered formula. Apparently if you don't do it correctly you risk underfeeding the baby. So maybe yung dehydration is connected to that? I don't know a lot about that so I really hope you have a chance to go to your pedia. Di biro ang dehydration sa baby.

Yes, yes, yes :) pump ka lang ng pump and make her latch every feeding and remember to buy nipples na slow ang flow, sa avent number 1 yon para her formula feeding speed mimics that of breastfeeding so she's not frustrated when she nurses from you.


"Wish ko lang breast milk ang pinapainom ko sa kaniya. May topak yata ang mamary glands ko. All of a sudden, back to square one na naman yung agos ng gatas... Wala na yung mabilis na let-down. Ni wala pang 5 ml yung nakuha ko sa mga na-pump ko simula kahapon hanggang ngayong umaga. Parang hindi na yata ako magkakaroon ng gatas ah......."

Madaming reasons for change in amount of milk, pwede diet, amount of sleep, and stress kaya relax pump lang ng pump ang believe in yourself :)

[Sayeesha]

I don't think she'll latch on quite easily. Unang-una, wala pa akong gatas. Pangalawa, sinubukan ko kahapon, yung positioning lang without latching. Biglang nag-hysterics si Mayumi at tinutulak ako palayo.

As for the formula, una muna yung tubig bago gatas ang timpla ko. Yun ang sabi sa akin kasi. Nauubos na niya yung 4oz at yung fontanel niya hindi na lubog. Hindi na rin magaspang yung balat niya.

Salamat sa note of encouragement. Minsan napanghihinaan na talaga ako ng loob.

Matanong ko, hanggang kailan ba dapat paarawan si baby? Kasi minsan hindi ako makagising para paarawan siya.

[killerabs]

I don't think she'll latch on quite easily. Unang-una, wala pa akong gatas. Pangalawa, sinubukan ko kahapon, yung positioning lang without latching. Biglang nag-hysterics si Mayumi at tinutulak ako palayo.

hindi talaga easy as the other post say, hmmm...have you tried feeding her formula but not from a bottle, I did that with my son, he drinks his, from the bottle (started when he was two months) he licks the milk, so you just tilt it. medyo messy pero kasi para he gets used to the idea that nipples come from mommy :) you could also use a dropper.

As for the formula, una muna yung tubig bago gatas ang timpla ko. Yun ang sabi sa akin kasi. Nauubos na niya yung 4oz at yung fontanel niya hindi na lubog. Hindi na rin magaspang yung balat niya.

Buti :) naimagine ko lang kaba mo kung ako yon baka naiyak pa ko :)


Matanong ko, hanggang kailan ba dapat paarawan si baby? Kasi minsan hindi ako makagising para paarawan siya.

Yes atleast fifteen minutes a day pero ganyan din ako couldn't wake up early to get morning son kasi gising buong gabi si baby, sleeps at 3 am until 12 so wala na. What I do I just go out in late afternoon. Hindi naman kailangan direct sunlight so labas mo lang ng pinto okay na. I go out around 5 para hindi na mataas ang araw.

[slowph]

hi Sayeesha, about your milk supply, you drink lots of liquid ba? parang wala kaseng nag mention.

[sassy_girl07]

i just gave birth and i've been having problems breastfeeding :( my breasts are full, the baby latches, but the milk isn't expressed well. sobrang konti lang talaga lumalabas. i don't know what's wrong.

[killerabs]

i just gave birth and i've been having problems breastfeeding my breasts are full, the baby latches, but the milk isn't expressed well. sobrang konti lang talaga lumalabas. i don't know what's wrong.

If your child is newly born talagang konti lang labas. Sa akin droplets lang nung una. Collostrum pa kasi yan. After a week or so (it's different for different women) naging white na milk ko and mas madami na. Just let your baby drink as much as she wants, she'll tell you naman when she's hungry by crying or if she's full by turning away from your breast.

Is the problem that you feel konti lang lumalabas (which is normal at first) or you still full and it hurts after nursing your baby? Because the second one may mean you have plugged ducts, but you have to fully explain the situation. Again there's a breastfeeding suppport group you can go to the next meeting is on april 11 at mary the queen parish church in greenhills, 530-730 :)

[sassy_girl07]

hi killerabs, konti lang talaga lumalabas and she gets frustrated. i supplement her with formula milk na lang after. i bought avent isis breast pump and medyo successful na man. mga 20ml in one session of pumping (10 minutes) from both breasts. dadami pa ba yung milk in the future? i'm worried kasi the baby might not be able to breastfeed na coz she's used to the bottle already. i use the slow flow, but she has other bottles na hindi avent isis coz medyo malaki na appetite niya. btw, it doesn't hurt after i feed the baby :) do you have support groups here in cebu?

[killerabs]

hi killerabs, konti lang talaga lumalabas and she gets frustrated. i supplement her with formula milk na lang after. i bought avent isis breast pump and medyo successful na man. mga 20ml in one session of pumping (10 minutes) from both breasts. dadami pa ba yung milk in the future? i'm worried kasi the baby might not be able to breastfeed na coz she's used to the bottle already. i use the slow flow, but she has other bottles na hindi avent isis coz medyo malaki na appetite niya. btw, it doesn't hurt after i feed the baby do you have support groups here in cebu?

Not to put blame or to make you feel bad, but formula really sabotages milk supply when given early. Kasi from what I read, what i've heard and through experience, with formula babies get fuller so they feed less frequently, whereas if they take milk from the breast they feed frequently because breastmilk is digested easily. So what happens is the more formula the less they feed from the breast, the less they feed from the breast the less your milk supply. So parang weaning sya from the breast. My friend did that and halos three months lang sya nagbreastfeed. Can you try to wean her from it na since you are pumping naman? What you can do is to mix your breastmilk with formula pa unti-unti, like 1/4 breastmilk 3/4 formula first day, next day 2/4 breastmilk, 2/4 formula and so on until she gets breastmilk exclusively. Don't do it cold turkey kasi baka mag-welga naman baby mo :) Try to give her milk not from a bottle din. There are alternatives like cup feeding, they lap it up like kittens or from a dropper. That's what I did para no nipple confusion. You can get lots of info from the La Leche League book "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding", that's where I got the idea of alternative feedings. Plus you can go these great sites, www.kellymom.com or www.askdrsears.com, they have great articles on breastfeeding and increasing your milk supply.

She gets frustrated kasi kahit slow flow yan different pa rin ang artificial nipples from yours so if you can try to have her nurse more often from your breasts. Slowly take her away from artificial nipples. Slowly is the term because she might not like the abrupt change. Also co-sleeping really did wonders from me. If you can sleep with your baby in the same bed. Take the necessary precautions though, see the websites I indicated above for the steps to take. At night have her suck on your breasts until she sleeps, when she wakes up, I promise your milk supply will go up. If you can't sleep with your baby in the same bed, have her sleep next to your bed, pull down the railing of the crib para same level sya as your bed, as good as co-sleeping na rin yon. :)

If you want to feed her from a bottle or need to feed her from the bottle pa rin, best pa rin ang isis nipples, they really avoid nipple confusion because of its wide base. Just use the isis, after a feeding pour milk again into that bottle, don't switch bottles and nipples na lang.

You can send me your email through private message para I can scan articles from the la leche league book if you want :) la leche league has a site din pala i just forgot the exact address, search for it na lang sa google. :)

Hope that helps, and Goodluck.

[killerabs]

I don't about a breastfeeding support group in cebu but i'll ask:-)

[killerabs]

Plus pala it seems like she wants to feed more with formula kasi nga less frequent feedings.

[annielise]

hi killerabs, konti lang talaga lumalabas and she gets frustrated. i supplement her with formula milk na lang after. i bought avent isis breast pump and medyo successful na man. mga 20ml in one session of pumping (10 minutes) from both breasts. dadami pa ba yung milk in the future? i'm worried kasi the baby might not be able to breastfeed na coz she's used to the bottle already. i use the slow flow, but she has other bottles na hindi avent isis coz medyo malaki na appetite niya. btw, it doesn't hurt after i feed the baby :) do you have support groups here in cebu?

Hi, please check my post from the previous page.

Killerabs is right, don't supplement with formula at this early stage, it'll dry up your milk coz your baby isn't suckling. Use your breastpump to steadily build up your milk supply.

Goodluck.

[Mavi]

On the topic of vomitting, don't worry, Sayeesha. It's normal. Try to burp him after feeding to avoid it.

Hey, everyone, I also am having problems with latching. Would you know of a group that conducts seminars in Makati?

Season, if I do have the opportunity to go to Greenhills for the seminar, do I need to preregister or call or bring anything with me?

[killerabs]

Season, if I do have the opportunity to go to Greenhills for the seminar, do I need to preregister or call or bring anything with me?

This is not directed to me but I'll answer it na lang :) No you just have to come. Bring your baby para some of the people there can observe how she/he latches on and see what might work or not. We bring our babies all the time :)

Don't know any seminars in makati, maybe you can ask chiqui brojas hahn, she lectures on the bradley method at the fort, i'm sure she knows a lot about breastfeeding too.

[killerabs]

Just got this from the web, you might want to call these numbers if you need certified lactation consultants. I'm going to :)

Philippines



The Breastfeeding Clinic:

Nona D. Andaya-Castillo, IBCLC
Contact Numbers
Mobile Phone: 063-0917-3686134
Home: 063-2-271-0954
Office: 063-2-671-6258
063-2-671-3143
E-mail: nurturers@yahoo.com
children_for_breastfeeding@yahoo.com

Elvira L. Henares-Esguerra, RPh, MD, FPDS, IBCLC
Contact Numbers
Mobile Phone: 063-0918-921-2970
Home/Office: 063-2-671-6258
063-2-671-3143
E-mail: children_for_breastfeeding@yahoo.com

The Breastfeeding Clinic provides the following professional services:
Mother-to-mother, Couple and Family Counseling, Parenting Classes, Tutorials and Trainings on the following areas: natural healing, natural fertility management, natural childbirth, vegetarianism, breastfeeding and healing massage.

[sassy_girl07]

hi killerabs. thanks so much for the advice! i'll try to make my baby suck on my breasts more than feed on formula milk. pwede ba i-mix ang breastmilk and formula milk sa isang bottle? i'm not sure what you meant. i really want to breastfeed, but the problem is my mom worries that the baby is not getting enough milk from me so she makes me switch to formula agad :( sigh. also, i try to make my baby get used to my breasts but once she gets no more milk, she doesn't latch on na talaga and she looks for more food. this is when i give her formula.

is it okay if i pump na lang to try to increase my milk supply and then when it gets better, that's when i let my baby feed on my breasts?

[killerabs]

hi killerabs. thanks so much for the advice! i'll try to make my baby suck on my breasts more than feed on formula milk. pwede ba i-mix ang breastmilk and formula milk sa isang bottle? i'm not sure what you meant. i really want to breastfeed, but the problem is my mom worries that the baby is not getting enough milk from me so she makes me switch to formula agad sigh. also, i try to make my baby get used to my breasts but once she gets no more milk, she doesn't latch on na talaga and she looks for more food. this is when i give her formula.

is it okay if i pump na lang to try to increase my milk supply and then when it gets better, that's when i let my baby feed on my breasts?

If there's only one advice I can give you it would be MOMMY KNOWS BEST. Trust your instincts when it comes to your baby, your mother may have the best intentions but she's so wrong :crazytongue: :) Ako I've learned the art of pasok sa isang tenga labas sa isa, just smile say yes, but don't follow or better yet just say the doctor says i should do this or just say i respect your advice but this is what my baby needs, if she gives you but bakit kayo lumaki naman ng okay, tell her every baby is different and you really want to breastfeed.

yes pwede mong paghalo ang breastmilk and formula. mix formula first in right amount, then add the breastmilk. don't make the breastmilk the water ha because that might screw up the proportions of the formula.

now, you have to do both to increase your milk supply, pump and most importantly have the baby suck frequently on your breasts. look at my posts for sayeesha on how to do it. pero is sucking is more important because baby's sucking is different from a pump, empties your breast differently plus hormones kick in na won't if you just pump. Nature talaga takes care of itself . Don't just pump it won't do the trick, do both.

if she cries try to sooth her, carry her in your arms have your heard of a sling, that works wonders, i carry my baby in a sling all the time and it works wonders, upo lang sya, tingin, dede, tulog, dede, tulog, tingin plus remember co-sleeping it works wonders for increasing milk supply. also singit mo boobs mo when she/he is sleepy, surprise move yan that works they don't put too much of a resistance

[sassy_girl07]

hi killerabs :) i've been trying so far to let my baby breastfeed. medyo nafrufrustrate siya pero cge pa rin. sigh, it really takes patience noh? my baby is 2 weeks old na, and di pa gaano malakas milk ko but it's getting better. btw can you suggest what type of sling is best?

[Mavi]

What if the baby latches on but doesn't suckle? Before, he would suck thrice then would fall asleep. Now, he pushes me away.

Should I offer my breast before each feeding? Sometime pag pikon na ako (it doesn't help pa na I've been weepy ever since giving birth) I just give him the bottle.

I'd like to attend the upcoming seminar but that's a few weeks away pa. I'm worried that the longer he's fed with the bottle, the less likely he'll breast feed.

[killerabs]

Mavi : It's great that he's latching on kasi that's the first step! Try not to give him the bottle kasi nga artificial nipples cause nipple confusion and that'll sabotage breastfeeding. There are alternative feeding measures - through dropper, giving a cup feeding, i think i talked about it in the previous posts.

Try to nurse your baby as often as possible, every hour or so para your milk supply will go up.

Also important is before your baby is hungry offer the breast na because if he's hungry na he'll get frustrated and fussy and it'll even make it harder to him to latch on. Tapos if you can have him close to your breast as often as possible kahit he's not feeding that would be great. One mom said after three weeks of not latching on but holding her baby close, even when sleeping (but take necessary precautions :) ) she woke up with her baby nursing lol. Kaya hang in there mommy.


sassy_girl07

Yes, have courage! :) I'm so happy you're not losing hope, it really takes time like any relationship. I promise the hardship will end and when it does it'll be just fabulous!

I have a ring sling from mayawrap. It's a bit expensive, if you order it'll cost around 3,500 with shipping na yan. I will actually start selling slings made from indigenous materials by next month so if you want you can buy from me, cheap lang, depending on the material, from 900-1000 lang. :) Also if you want you can make your own sling from kumot or kahit anong tela na gusto mo. Visit www.thebabywearer.com for more info or www.mamatoto.org. Galing ng sling talaga, i was able to hold my baby close but i got to do other things kasi hands free nursing

Nga pala Nona Andaya the lactation consultant i posted about before does home service for a fee nga lang pero worth it!

[sassy_girl07]

hi killerabs. :) the baby latches fine naman pero she gets frustrated coz di pa enough milk ko to meet her demands (esp since i get her latched when she's hungry only... didn't know that i should do that before she gets hungry). now i pump and pump to get the milk supply up, and i feed it to her through the avent isis bottle. thanks for the link for the slings. tell me if you have slings available already.

i'm happy that things are getting better. thanks for all the advice! they were really helpful :)

[Mavi]

Wow! The mamatoto videos are so cool! Kakatakot lang gawin yung maneuvers.

I've tried cup feeding but nanghihinayang ako because the milk spills and it's so hard pa naman to express. I'll try to purchase a dropper siguro.

[killerabs]

Mavi: Galing no :) have you seen the tandem nursing video, makes me want to nurse twins, well on a good day :naughty:

Ah oo nga my son used to spill everything until he got the hang of it, but whatever works for you is good, goodluck!


sassy_girl07: glad to be of help :) breastfeeding is now my passion. ako i learned about that latch on when not hungry thing from nona the lactation consultant buti na lang pala i heard about it. sige, malapit na ang slings :) just testing the fabric na lang will tell you as soon as they're available

[sassy_girl07]

hi killerabs. pwede ka na maging lactation consultant! :) anyway, how do you do that latch on when not hungry thing? coz my baby, when she's not hungry, she just sleeps and she keeps her mouth shut. baka magising naman if i do it. it's been a rollercoaster ride! the past 2 days, akala ko it's getting better but today she doesn't want to take my breast anymore! :( i have her drink expressed milk though. at least may nakukuha pa rin siyang breast milk. i tried feeding her through a dropper but she cries a lot that i'm forced to give her formula coz wala nang expressed milk. i guess i still have to be patient though. mga ilang weeks pa kaya to?

[killerabs]

hi killerabs. pwede ka na maging lactation consultant! :) anyway, how do you do that latch on when not hungry thing? coz my baby, when she's not hungry, she just sleeps and she keeps her mouth shut. baka magising naman if i do it. it's been a rollercoaster ride! the past 2 days, akala ko it's getting better but today she doesn't want to take my breast anymore! :( i have her drink expressed milk though. at least may nakukuha pa rin siyang breast milk. i tried feeding her through a dropper but she cries a lot that i'm forced to give her formula coz wala nang expressed milk. i guess i still have to be patient though. mga ilang weeks pa kaya to?

Does your baby wake easily? Maybe you could just slightly open his mouth with your finger then sneak your nipple in. I don't know with you but my baby used to dream na he's nursing so maybe insert if during those times. I've noticed most babies do that.

When your baby is sleeping if possible pump ka. Pump every 30 minutes if you can. Ganon talaga, maybe your child was not feeling well today or wala lang sa mood, sometimes naman super receptive, hang in there.

Wala akong answer sa ilang weeks, depends on each baby, some 3 weeks some more, basta persistent ka lang it'll happen. :)

Yung dropper you can put it in her mouth para while feeding she/he can nibble on it, that'll help with the crying, well it did with mine.

[Phooey]

sayeesha, you may try the recommended RAM and, while the baby is starting to suck and stopping because there is no milk, you can drop some of the formula along your breast, just above the baby's mouth (or perhaps into the corner of her mouth) so she will think she is geting milk. keep on doing this until your own milk supply increases. the more the baby sucks, the more your brain thinks it has to send signals to the breast to produce milk.

it also helps if you relax and begin to think of yourself as bountiful mother earth, or something similar. feel yourself producing the milk for this nice and loved baby. imagine a waterfall, or a fountain(!).

you might try talking to your baby, explaining why things have turned out this way, and apologizing for the lost time between you when she was at the picu. my mom says it usually works on her patients. one baby who was pushing her mom away at two weeks is now, at two months, pushing away the bottle.

don't lose hope, but don't tense up either.

good luck.

[killerabs]

sayeesha, you may try the recommended RAM and, while the baby is starting to suck and stopping because there is no milk, you can drop some of the formula along your breast, just above the baby's mouth (or perhaps into the corner of her mouth) so she will think she is geting milk. keep on doing this until your own milk supply increases. the more the baby sucks, the more your brain thinks it has to send signals to the breast to produce milk.

it also helps if you relax and begin to think of yourself as bountiful mother earth, or something similar. feel yourself producing the milk for this nice and loved baby. imagine a waterfall, or a fountain(!).

you might try talking to your baby, explaining why things have turned out this way, and apologizing for the lost time between you when she was at the picu. my mom says it usually works on her patients. one baby who was pushing her mom away at two weeks is now, at two months, pushing away the bottle.

don't lose hope, but don't tense up either.

good luck.

wow, wonderful advice. what's your mom's profession? i never thought of it this way, i saw it as a problems that the mother should solve, when actually it's about establishing a relationship, about focusing on communicating with your child. really, really wonderful advice :)

[Sayeesha]

I'm loosing hope... wala na yata talagang lalabas na gatas eh... :(

[Shelly_rush]

Need help too. My case is weird though. I used to exclusively breastfeed my baby but when I get back to work I only breastfeed every night although I leave some expressed milk for my kid but my sitter also let her drink formula. Unfortunately, when we `tried it this weekend, ayaw na nya mag-latch sa akin. She would continuously cry until you put the formula milk unto her mouth. Sayang kasi feel ko full parati yung breast ko pero ayaw na nya mag-suck. But those I have expressed pero nakabote, she still drinks it. I fear kasi na my milk would stop if she wouldn't drink directly from me kahit nag-p-pump pa ako.

[killerabs]

Why does your sitter give formula? Tell her not to. Be adamant about it. Did you see the other posts? Try not to have her latch on when she's hungry na because she'll complain. If she doesn't want to latch on hold her close to your bosom pa rin, explain why you have to be gone during the day. Children are very sensitive. They react to change so maybe it's a reaction to your going back to work. Just hold her close to you as often as you can, try to give her your breast once she looks willing. Try and try lang. Goodluck. :)

[Shelly_rush]

Why does your sitter give formula? Tell her not to. Be adamant about it. Did you see the other posts? Try not to have her latch on when she's hungry na because she'll complain. If she doesn't want to latch on hold her close to your bosom pa rin, explain why you have to be gone during the day. Children are very sensitive. They react to change so maybe it's a reaction to your going back to work. Just hold her close to you as often as you can, try to give her your breast once she looks willing. Try and try lang. Goodluck. :)

\Thanks killerabs. Have tried hugging her close to me but it doesn't work too. Kakatawa pa..when I try to put my breast to her mouth, she'll try for a while then she'll pull her head tapos magre-react na parang nasusuka with matching sound pa. Nakakatawa. I'm afraid my expressed milk will not be enuf for her during the time that I'm in the office. Minsan I go on an overtime pa. I tried talking to her telling her that she needs mommy's milk pero ang arte pa din.

[killerabs]

\Thanks killerabs. Have tried hugging her close to me but it doesn't work too. Kakatawa pa..when I try to put my breast to her mouth, she'll try for a while then she'll pull her head tapos magre-react na parang nasusuka with matching sound pa. Nakakatawa. I'm afraid my expressed milk will not be enuf for her during the time that I'm in the office. Minsan I go on an overtime pa. I tried talking to her telling her that she needs mommy's milk pero ang arte pa din.

Don't think of it as maarte, think of it as natural reaction to change, yung nga that you are going to work :) how old is your baby ba? maybe you can just feed her when the breastmilk is ubos na instead of giving her formula.

[Sayeesha]

Ganiyan din ang baby ko! Yung parang masusuka! Once she even did vomit. Meron akong nakita sa TV (Zoie Busik: Wild Card) sana nakita ko na ito noon pa. Straw ng tetra pack na juice. The guy dipped the straw, plugged the undipped end with his finger, then fed the other end to the baby. Automatic, yung gatas aakyat sa straw. Of course, the baby was sitting upright already, with neck support and all.

[sassy_girl07]

hi sayeesha. what do you mean? yung gatas aakyat instead of the baby vomiting?

[Shelly_rush]

Don't think of it as maarte, think of it as natural reaction to change, yung nga that you are going to work :) how old is your baby ba? maybe you can just feed her when the breastmilk is ubos na instead of giving her formula.

She's just 3 mos. That's what the baby sitter is doing pagubos na yung na pump ko sa ref, she feds with formula. Can you believe she is drinking 8 oz. already every 2-3 hours. She's really big and long since my husband and I are tall people talaga.

[vclim]

i've been breastfeeding for 4 mos.. my baby now refuses to latch, so i use breast pump all the time. i've been having mixed feelings about breastfeeding now. i feel that it is inconvenient, since i can't go out longer, and i sometimes feel pressured because i have other things to tend to. for the past few days, i pump less frequent, so my milk has become lesser. sometimes, i'm feel relief when the idea of discontinuing breastfeeding comes to my mind, but other times i feel guilty, because i feel that less convenience and more hard work are not enough reasons to stop. do you guys have the same experience as i do? i'm now confused. i need your opinion.

[killerabs]

i've been breastfeeding for 4 mos.. my baby now refuses to latch, so i use breast pump all the time. i've been having mixed feelings about breastfeeding now. i feel that it is inconvenient, since i can't go out longer, and i sometimes feel pressured because i have other things to tend to. for the past few days, i pump less frequent, so my milk has become lesser. sometimes, i'm feel relief when the idea of discontinuing breastfeeding comes to my mind, but other times i feel guilty, because i feel that less convenience and more hard work are not enough reasons to stop. do you guys have the same experience as i do? i'm now confused. i need your opinion.

sounds like you're just really really tired. breastfeeding is really a commitment so it really takes energy. if you need help or just a person to talk to you can call me at 9317660 or 09178433891.

there are a lot of reasons your baby can't/won't latch and a lot of remedies. taking milk from the breast actually helps you relax because prolactin is secreted maybe you're missing out on this just by pumping.

there's a support group meeting this saturday at mary the queen in greenhills from 9-12 maybe you can attend. just hearing stories from other mothers re breastfeeding will help. it's great kasi to find support in other mothers who are doing the same thing and going through the same difficulties.

but please, keep at it, the benefits really outweigh the trials and hardships you may be going through now. i commend you for bfing for four months, some mothers two mos pa lang or wala pang 1 month tigil na :)

go out for a walk or to the spa, your baby can survive, two to three hours with another caregiver, or bring her with you para you can go out, i'm often out with my baby in the mall, sa grocery or even at a coffee shop. easier nga when they breastfeed kasi you don't have to lug around so much stuff.

plus it gets better because after a while they get more independent. my baby is 1.3 years old na and he's walking na and so i get more time to myself na. sa coffee shop i can eat alone na because he walks around the coffee shop saying hi to all the people there, breastfed baby so high iq and eq :)

hang in there mommy *okay*

[vclim]

thanks killerabs, these are really encouraging words. may i know how long you breastfed your bb? how about the others here, how long did you guys breastfeed? :)

[vclim]

by the way, saan exactly sa mary the queen yon?

[DaNa8]

Hi Ella! How long do you plan to keep on breastfeeding your baby? My baby's 19 months old already and I'm still breastfeeding. I wasn't able to pump at work for the past week coz I've really been busy. Would my body adjust to just feeding at night and weekends (doing away with pumping at work) or would it dramatically decrease my milk supply? I'm actually planning to wean him when he's 2 even if my mom keeps on telling me that I should stop breastfeeding him already. Thanks! :)

[bettiney]

My baby is turning 6months old in a few days. I have been mix feeding him right form the start.
I gave birth prematurely and baby had to stay inside an incubator. Aside from that, i had very little bm. Add to that he was always sleepy. I was so anxious that because i wasn't properly stimulated no bm will come out. I decided to just pump using my medela pump in style breastpump. In the beginning, I would get just half an ounce of bm a day (hence the mix feeding). I was so frustrated but I was truly determined to give him bm. Unfortunately, he preferred the bottle over my breast so i just gave him my bm in a bottle.
Fast forward to present. I give him 20oz of bm and 8oz of formula a day. My supply is not as abundant as the other mommies here but that's all i got despite the constant pumping. But then from half an oz a day to 20oz.. not bad.
My tip: pump lang ng pump. tiyaga.
By the way, i even hired one of the lactation experts to come to my house. Sayang lang money because she was hard-selling breastfeeding to me when i was already determined to breastfeed my child. Ang problem lang no bm was coming out. When she saw my breastpump, she criticized my pump and said that the way to do it is to breastfeed direct. My child couldn't stimulate me nga because he sleeps and sleeps even when i'm feeding him.
Oh well.. past is past. I'm just glad he's already 6months and i'm still giving him bm. By the way, he loves formula more than bm but i'm his mama so i decide as to what i feed him.
Now i'm not sure when to stop with the pumping. When do i stop giving him bm? I've been pumping every 2 hours from 6am to 10pm everyday for 6months na rin. When is the best time to stop.

[purpleheadd07]

where can we buy breast pumps and other accessories? how much yun pigeon? tnx!

[vclim]

hi bettiney, just curious, do you pump from 10pm to 6am?

[killerabs]

purpleheadd07 where can we buy breast pumps and other accessories? how much yun pigeon? tnx!

You can buy breast pump sa baby & co. You can buy a breastpump na cheap like pigeon but problem is hindi efficient and may be even more painful. So bilin mo na lang Avent or Medela mas mahal pero in the long run mas cheap dahil mas matagal mo gagamitin, mas madami ka ma-pump therefore less formula kailangan mo bilin or not at all at di masakit sa boobs :)

DaNa8 Hi Ella! How long do you plan to keep on breastfeeding your baby? My baby's 19 months old already and I'm still breastfeeding. I wasn't able to pump at work for the past week coz I've really been busy. Would my body adjust to just feeding at night and weekends (doing away with pumping at work) or would it dramatically decrease my milk supply? I'm actually planning to wean him when he's 2 even if my mom keeps on telling me that I should stop breastfeeding him already. Thanks!

Until he's ready to wean so baka mga around two din or up, but definitely not until 4 or 5. Oo ako kahit stay at home mom most of my feeding are at night kasi nga medyo independent na din baby ko because he's walking so di sya masyado nurse during the day but nurse sya all night. But in your case baka your milk supply will dramatically decrease kasi hindi naman ako totally walang feeding in the morning, may small nips sya once in a while and a big lunch. But if you're weaning, then yes siguro gradually you can lessen feedings during the day but still nurse at night. :)

vclim by the way, saan exactly sa mary the queen yon?
vclim thanks killerabs, these are really encouraging words. may i know how long you breastfed your bb? how about the others here, how long did you guys breastfeed?

he's 15 mos na. yung meeting sa tapat ng church sa parang offices nila.

bettiney By the way, i even hired one of the lactation experts to come to my house. Sayang lang money because she was hard-selling breastfeeding to me when i was already determined to breastfeed my child. Ang problem lang no bm was coming out. When she saw my breastpump, she criticized my pump and said that the way to do it is to breastfeed direct. My child couldn't stimulate me nga because he sleeps and sleeps even when i'm feeding him.

talaga? si nona yan no? she's really like that because she's a breastfeeding advocate. passion nya talaga yon. so what i did was when i met with her tanong ako ng tanong, i would stop her lecture kasi medyo madami naman ako alam, so we focused on mastitis and lumps since yun nga problem ko.

[DaNa8]

Thanks, Ella! I thought your baby's older than mine, hindi pala. Ako din ganyan ang routine pag nasa bahay (weekends). Breastfeed pa din sya during the day pero mas konti at bihira na. Then he goes to sleep breastfeeding at gumigising din sya a couple of times at night to breastfeed.:)

[bettiney]

I used to pump in the middle of the night. For example, when i feed my child in the middle of the night, I pump na rin right after. Grabe! That was so exhausting! Imagine, pumping every two hours 24/7? Now that my supply is more or less alright already, i don't pump anymore in the wee hours of the morning. Mind you, i started passing up the wee hours of the morning just a few days ago lang. :love:

Oo, si Nona! She was so annoying. Even my husband said that hiring her is such a waste of money. Mabuti pa this woman who helped me massage my breast so that bm will come out.

[killerabs]

I used to pump in the middle of the night. For example, when i feed my child in the middle of the night, I pump na rin right after. Grabe! That was so exhausting! Imagine, pumping every two hours 24/7? Now that my supply is more or less alright already, i don't pump anymore in the wee hours of the morning. Mind you, i started passing up the wee hours of the morning just a few days ago lang. :love:

Oo, si Nona! She was so annoying. Even my husband said that hiring her is such a waste of money. Mabuti pa this woman who helped me massage my breast so that bm will come out.

Wow congrats, grabe ang galing mo :) hindi ko ma-imagine mag-pump ako every two hours. Tamad ako kaya siguro straight sa breast lang baby ko. One time nga I forgot to wash my pump and it stayed in our plastic container thingy and my husband found it. Galit na galit :D

She didn't massage you. She massaged me kasi. Sarap. Baka siguro kasi my complaint was breast lump so kasama massage.

Hi Dana8, mas enjoy ko na nga ngayon kasi he's getting more independent and playful. Plus ang daldal na at madaling makaintindi so sometimes when he wants to nurse I tell him five minutes baby mag-type lang ako, he'll nod his head naman. Grabe, binata na anak ko :rotflmao:

[DaNa8]

^^^
Naks, bait naman ng baby mo. Yup, naglalaro na nga din magisa baby ko ngayon kaya di na sya masyado asikasuhin katulad dati.

[gulaysk]

iba talaga ang breastfeeding. pero tulad nga ng sabi nila, hindi madali sa umpisa. ako nung kakapanganak ko pa lang, hindi ko alam kung ano gagawin kasi wala pa akong milk. worried ako na baka sobrang magutom ang baby. pero sabi ng doctor gano'n daw talaga, hindi agad magkakagatas. kadalasan after 3 days pa after you gave birth lalabas. basta dapat ipapasuck mo lang siya para mastimulate ang milk mo. at saka myth daw talaga yung sinasabi ng iba na "wala akong gatas, eh" kasi lahat ng babae nagproproduce 'yan ng gatas. law of nature 'yun. basta ipasuck mo lang talaga ang baby. at syempre, sa breastfeeding, isipin niyo na lang din kung gaano kalaki ang matitipid niyo! grabe ang presyo ng mga bilihin ngayon, lalo na ang gatas.

anyway, here are some tips on breastfeeding:
-invest in a good breast pump (tulad ng sabi nila. mine's avent and i'm really happy with it)
-'wag mag alala na mauubusan ng gatas. the more you empty, the more milk you'll produce. perfect supply and demand din daw ang breastfeeding
-drink lots and lots of fluid (water, soup, etc)
-kapag na-engorge ang breasts mo sa first few days habang wala pang milk, normal lang yon. apply ka lang ng warm compress for relief
-lastly, sipag at tiyaga lang talaga ang breastfeeding pero mahusay talaga ang results at benefits niyan sa baby

goodluck at congratulations sa breastfeeding mothers and mothers to be!

by the way, may alam ba dito kung tuwing kailan at saan ang lectures ng Best Friends in Breastfeeding? thanks. :)

[killerabs]

iba talaga ang breastfeeding. pero tulad nga ng sabi nila, hindi madali sa umpisa. ako nung kakapanganak ko pa lang, hindi ko alam kung ano gagawin kasi wala pa akong milk. worried ako na baka sobrang magutom ang baby. pero sabi ng doctor gano'n daw talaga, hindi agad magkakagatas. kadalasan after 3 days pa after you gave birth lalabas. basta dapat ipapasuck mo lang siya para mastimulate ang milk mo. at saka myth daw talaga yung sinasabi ng iba na "wala akong gatas, eh" kasi lahat ng babae nagproproduce 'yan ng gatas. law of nature 'yun. basta ipasuck mo lang talaga ang baby. at syempre, sa breastfeeding, isipin niyo na lang din kung gaano kalaki ang matitipid niyo! grabe ang presyo ng mga bilihin ngayon, lalo na ang gatas.

anyway, here are some tips on breastfeeding:
-invest in a good breast pump (tulad ng sabi nila. mine's avent and i'm really happy with it)
-'wag mag alala na mauubusan ng gatas. the more you empty, the more milk you'll produce. perfect supply and demand din daw ang breastfeeding
-drink lots and lots of fluid (water, soup, etc)
-kapag na-engorge ang breasts mo sa first few days habang wala pang milk, normal lang yon. apply ka lang ng warm compress for relief
-lastly, sipag at tiyaga lang talaga ang breastfeeding pero mahusay talaga ang results at benefits niyan sa baby

goodluck at congratulations sa breastfeeding mothers and mothers to be!

by the way, may alam ba dito kung tuwing kailan at saan ang lectures ng Best Friends in Breastfeeding? thanks. :)

wow sino dr. mo okay sya. yung meetings every second saturday of the month, this saturday, holiday breastfeeding ang topic, mary the queen parish, madison st, greenhills, near xavier, 9-12. it's not lectures more of support group meeting sya, moms giving their stories. Punta ka? punta ako, i just texted you kasi i just learned an easier way to put baby in cradle position in sling:-) iba talaga babywearing, learning process talaga sya.

[DaNa8]

Pauwi na ko at nagliligpit ng gamit. I said I would bring home my breast pump (I plan to stop pumping at work to eventually decrease my milk supply) pero parang naiiyak ako. Pano pa when it comes to really weaning my baby? Baka di ko kayanin. :(

[killerabs]

Pauwi na ko at nagliligpit ng gamit. I said I would bring home my breast pump (I plan to stop pumping at work to eventually decrease my milk supply) pero parang naiiyak ako. Pano pa when it comes to really weaning my baby? Baka di ko kayanin.

Ako rin ganyan. One time I was in the doctor's office and the doctor talked to me about weaning aba siyempre burst ako into tears, as in halos hagulgol, couldn't even talk :rotflmao:

Kasama siguro talaga na malungkot ka sa weaning.

[annielise]

Gosh...two years and counting. Been looking at my old posts here and I swear after two years I learned a lot. Still a breastfeeding mom here, this time they call it extended nursing! I wanna wean my toddler but I don't know how! help!

[vclim]

dana8, i know how you feel. di naman ako naiyak nung i planned to breastfeed, but boy! was i sad! i miss direct feeding na nga eh, since i just pump all the time.

by the way, mommies...how do you cope with babies biting on your nipples? mine bite a lot before, ang sakit! what i did is pull him to my breast para di ** makahinga for a while and he will release his mouth from my breast, pero nakagat na rin. nangyari na ba na dumugo siya? how do you teach your bb to stop biting?

[vclim]

correction on my last post, it should be di naman ako naiyak nung i planned to STOP BREASTFEEDING.

[annielise]

^ You should take him off your breasts and tell him in a firm voice that you dont allow that. Then tell them they should stop doing that if they still want to nurse. Put Lansinoh or Medela PureLan (100% pure lanolin) on your nipples to heal the sores. Very effective. It's also safe for the baby to swallow. My baby had that phase (biting) but eventually outgrew it.

[DaNa8]

Actually, nagkulong nga ko sa restroom to cry after that. Namumugto tuloy mata ko pag labas ko. I ended up leaving the pump here sa office. Plano ko rin sana child-led weaning but what if ayaw nyang tumigil kahit after 2+ yrs old na sya?

[vclim]

annielise, he's only 4 mos old, can he understand that?

[annielise]

^by the firmness in your voice and the fact that you immediately take him off your breast once it happens, he's bound to get what it means. My son did.

[annielise]

Actually, nagkulong nga ko sa restroom to cry after that. Namumugto tuloy mata ko pag labas ko. I ended up leaving the pump here sa office. Plano ko rin sana child-led weaning but what if ayaw nyang tumigil kahit after 2+ yrs old na sya?

problem ko rin yan. But I tell you don't pump anymore, just give him whole fresh milk. That's what my toddler's been drinking apart from my breast milk ever since he turned 1. All toddlers here kasi drink whole fresh milk na and not formula. I've stopped pumping 14 months ago but I still have a lot of milk! Even though my toddler just nurses at night, meron pa rin.

I want to wean him already but naaawa ako. I told him na I don't want him to "dodo" (that's his own term :glee: ) and he would give me this heartbroken look and would cry silently. It really breaks my heart coz he doesnt really nurse often coz I work and now I want to deprive him of it :(. So I usually give him and he's in milk heaven na. Kasi it sort of comforts him and that's how he emotionally "refuels". He's 26 months, BTW.

[DaNa8]

Yes, I left my pump here sa office pero I haven't used it for 2 weeks now going on 3. He drinks Enfagrow A+ pag wala ako sa bahay.

My baby's term for it naman is "dede". Nurse pa rin sya saken pag dating ko sa bahay (medyo full kasi breast ko coming home from work) and at night. Yun *** pampatulog nya e. Then nagigising pa rin sya a couple of times a night to nurse. Yun nga iniisip ko kung normal pa yun e. Diba by this age (20 months) dapat tuloy-tuloy na tulog nya? Oh well, meron pa naman akong around 4 months before we actually start weaning.

[annielise]

^ Well my baby still wakes up 2x a night. Once in a while once na lang if I get lucky. Kaya I have very dark undereye circles!

[DaNa8]

Hehe, saken several times a night. Around 5 or 6 times siguro. Kaya nga lagi akong sleepy. Feeling ko I've been sleep deprived forever. Buti na lang breastfeeding at hindi bottle-feeding. Malamang mas puyat tayo pag ganun. :)

[scahrlet]

curious lang...di ba after manganak, mga after 1-2 weeks pa lalabas yung breast milk...so ang ipapainom ba kay baby during that time na wala pa gatas is formula?

[sneezy]

^nope. during the 1st few weeks, you're supposed to be producing colostrum (see, http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/colostrum.html)

accdg to the breastfeeding books i've read, if you plan to breastfeed, giving your baby formula early on is discouraged because baka ma-confuse yung baby. in fact, some hospital nurseries give babies formula so you have to tell them beforehand that you don't want it given to your newborn.

this is a highly recommended breastfeeding book that i'm reading right now, you might want to get one for yourself, The Nursing Mother's Companion by Kathleen Huggins (see http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/155832304X/ref=pd_cmp_rvi_1_i/103-0794814-9911867?n=283155).

[killerabs]

curious lang...di ba after manganak, mga after 1-2 weeks pa lalabas yung breast milk...so ang ipapainom ba kay baby during that time na wala pa gatas is formula?

nope, right after the baby is born a mother can produce breastmilk. In fact bago pa nga ako nanganak I was squirting some out na :)

but hindi madami sa umpisa, since the baby doesn't need to eat immediately after being born actually, studies say that since they stored fat in the womb they can last three days without being fed. pero why delay when breastfeeding is one of the best experiences a mom can have :)

some moms three days after lalakas ang milk supply so kahit wala masyado milk let your baby suckle on your breast this helps stimulate milk production. no need to give formula!

it's so true that a lot of hospitals give formula agad to babies, especially if your child stays in the nursery (mine was roomed in), so make sure you give specific directions, mas maganda kung written, tapos have somebody go to the nursery to check while you're recovering. small amounts of formula can be disastrous to breastfeeding kasi it makes the baby feel fuller longer so hindi sya masyado dedede sa yo, so hindi tataas supply mo, tapos ma frustrate so bibigyan mo ng formula, hanggang sa huli puro formula na lang. kaya mag-ingat.

also, it's a scientific fact that all moms produce milk!, sobrang konti lang ang hindi nag-produce madalas akala lang ng nanay wala kasi na-delay ang breastfeeding dahil nasa nursery ang baby so hindi nakadede, or dahil pinainom na ng formula nahiyang na sa bote so di dumedede sa nanay, kaya hindi dumadami ang supply ng mommy. myth lang yung walang milk *okay*

[liza_zam]

Originally posted by killerabs

it's so true that a lot of hospitals give formula agad to babies, especially if your child stays in the nursery (mine was roomed in), so make sure you give specific directions, mas maganda kung written, tapos have somebody go to the nursery to check while you're recovering.

hi killerabs. when you say room in, does it mean na pagkapanganak mo, dinala na agad sa room mo yung baby? di na talaga sya nagstay sa nursery? di ba mahirap? kasi a friend told me na palipasin ko raw muna ang isang araw bago ko kunin sa nursery si baby even if i plan to breastfeed so I can recover from the delivery.

oh, isisingit ko na rin dito yung tungkol sa slings mo. :D i went to procreation last week to check out the slings. crush ko kasi yung dark blue sling with stars and moons sa me babang part that you posted in one of the subthreads dito. kaya lang wala na daw silang stock nun sa procreation. :( and the sales lady told me na mas makapal and mainit daw yung tela nung gusto ko than the new designs they have displayed. totoo ba? tsaka tanong ko rin kung pwede ba talaga sya sa infants? manganganak pa lang ako this feb but i really wanna have one of the slings na. kaya lang medyo apprehensive si husband lalo na daw kung newborn. I hope to convince him otherwise and get one for our baby sana. plano kong isama sa gift registry ko for the baby shower or buy one myself. :naughty:

[tina11]

Hello there mommies! A question from a breastfeeding newbie: Do I need to burp my baby after every feeding, or only if she shows signs of discomfort? Most of the time kasi my 3-day-old little girl falls sound asleep while breastfeeding (I usually breastfeed in bed), and I don't want to disturb her just to burp her if it's unnecessary.

Thanks in advance for your help :)

[sneezy]

also, it's a scientific fact that all moms produce milk!, sobrang konti lang ang hindi nag-produce madalas akala lang ng nanay wala kasi na-delay ang breastfeeding dahil nasa nursery ang baby so hindi nakadede, or dahil pinainom na ng formula nahiyang na sa bote so di dumedede sa nanay, kaya hindi dumadami ang supply ng mommy. myth lang yung walang milk *okay*

it's pretty controversial (male breastfeeding) but apparently even males can lactate!

[sneezy]

Hello there mommies! A question from a breastfeeding newbie: Do I need to burp my baby after every feeding, or only if she shows signs of discomfort? Most of the time kasi my 3-day-old little girl falls sound asleep while breastfeeding (I usually breastfeed in bed), and I don't want to disturb her just to burp her if it's unnecessary.

Thanks in advance for your help :)

you might want to read this article, http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T030300.asp

[tina11]

Wow, I just came back from a breastfeeding session and the answer's here agad :D Thanks sneezy!

it's pretty controversial (male breastfeeding) but apparently even males can lactate!
I watched a Swedish documentary about this, and one guy said he believed he could breastfeed but he didn't want to because his kid might be traumatized :glee: and according to the documentary, there are lots of anecdotes about males being able to breastfeed but strangely enough no studies have been made on the milk they are able to produce and if it differs from female breastmilk.

[DaNa8]

I also read about women lactating even if they didn't give birth in the book What to Expect During the Toddler Years.

[killerabs]

hi killerabs. when you say room in, does it mean na pagkapanganak mo, dinala na agad sa room mo yung baby? di na talaga sya nagstay sa nursery? di ba mahirap? kasi a friend told me na palipasin ko raw muna ang isang araw bago ko kunin sa nursery si baby even if i plan to breastfeed so I can recover from the delivery.

oh, isisingit ko na rin dito yung tungkol sa slings mo. :D i went to procreation last week to check out the slings. crush ko kasi yung dark blue sling with stars and moons sa me babang part that you posted in one of the subthreads dito. kaya lang wala na daw silang stock nun sa procreation. :( and the sales lady told me na mas makapal and mainit daw yung tela nung gusto ko than the new designs they have displayed. totoo ba? tsaka tanong ko rin kung pwede ba talaga sya sa infants? manganganak pa lang ako this feb but i really wanna have one of the slings na. kaya lang medyo apprehensive si husband lalo na daw kung newborn. I hope to convince him otherwise and get one for our baby sana. plano kong isama sa gift registry ko for the baby shower or buy one myself. :naughty:

yes, pagkapanganak ko kinuha ko na siya. hindi naman mahirap kasi my husband was with me. desidido kasi ako mag-breastfeed, in the nursery hindi ka assured that they won't give formula, sugar water or kung ano pa even if you have specific instructions, which is what happened with us, biro mo a few hours lang while i was waking up from the anesthesia eh nasingitan na ng formula at sugar water. dami ko nang moms na encounter who have problems breastfeeding or hindi na talaga nakabreastfeed dahil may nipple confusion na ang bata or nasanay na sa formula. c-section ako but since i was breastfeeding in the side lying positions i got to rest also. plus i don't know it was very soothing to be beside my baby and breastfeeding, i'm thinking it even helped with my recovery (i can compare it since i had two surgeries before). i suggest talking it over with your husband or mom and see if they can stay with you and the baby.

yes, totoo mas makapal sya than the new slings plus mas mahal ang fabric so mas pricey :) pwede talaga siya sa infants. if you get to see my video yung client ko pumayag na i shoot ko siya using the sling sa three week old baby nya. some of my clients immediately after birth ginamit na. pero i understand kung hesitant kayo, first time parents are really cautious, i should know :D

[annielise]

yes, pagkapanganak ko kinuha ko na siya. hindi naman mahirap kasi my husband was with me. desidido kasi ako mag-breastfeed, in the nursery hindi ka assured that they won't give formula, sugar water or kung ano pa even if you have specific instructions, which is what happened with us, biro mo a few hours lang while i was waking up from the anesthesia eh nasingitan na ng formula at sugar water. dami ko nang moms na encounter who have problems breastfeeding or hindi na talaga nakabreastfeed dahil may nipple confusion na ang bata or nasanay na sa formula. c-section ako but since i was breastfeeding in the side lying positions i got to rest also. plus i don't know it was very soothing to be beside my baby and breastfeeding, i'm thinking it even helped with my recovery (i can compare it since i had two surgeries before). i suggest talking it over with your husband or mom and see if they can stay with you and the baby.



Exactly what happened with my baby. He got used to the bottles the nurses fed him in the nursery after a few hours of stay there. I had to finger-feed him as taught by my lactation consultant. My pointer finger was attached to a very small feeding tube that was in turn attached to the biggest syringe you can find which was filled with milk. My baby would suck on my finger (because the size and shape of the finger is very similar to the nipple's) and he would get the milk attached to my finger via tube. It was a challenging 2 weeks but after he got weaned from the bottle, it was all smooth-sailing.

[DaNa8]

^^^
Wow, ang tiyaga mo naman. My baby was also given formula in the nursery but luckily di sya nagkaron ng nipple confusion. Nag-room in na rin kami after one night nya sa nursery.

[killerabs]

Wow annielise ang galing mo. I encounter a lot of moms who say they want to breastfeed pero puro salita lang. Kaya minsan nakakainis kasi wawa naman ang baby :mecry:

Bilib ako sa yo. :)

[liza_zam]

naku, nagwoworry tuloy ako kung anong mangyayari sa amin ng baby ko after I deliver. :unhappy: Buti na lang you guys mentioned this issue or else clueless ako pagdating ng oras. Anyway, I have a check up with my OB tomorrow so I better talk to him about this and see kung ano ang policy nila sa Makati Med so I can make arrangements and give instructions before I deliver coz I really want to breastfeed my baby. Yun kasi ang nakagawian namin magkakapatid. We were all breastfed by my mom and she says that its still the best for baby and cheaper rin at the same time. Thanks for the tips mommies. really appreciate it! :)

[killerabs]

naku, nagwoworry tuloy ako kung anong mangyayari sa amin ng baby ko after I deliver. :unhappy: Buti na lang you guys mentioned this issue or else clueless ako pagdating ng oras. Anyway, I have a check up with my OB tomorrow so I better talk to him about this and see kung ano ang policy nila sa Makati Med so I can make arrangements and give instructions before I deliver coz I really want to breastfeed my baby. Yun kasi ang nakagawian namin magkakapatid. We were all breastfed by my mom and she says that its still the best for baby and cheaper rin at the same time. Thanks for the tips mommies. really appreciate it! :)

Actually there's a law for rooming in. It is encouraged by the government because nga it promotes successful breastfeeding so if they tell you otherwise you can site this law Republic Act No. 7600-AN ACT PROVIDING INCENTIVES TO ALL GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE HEALTH INSTITUTIONS WITH ROOMING-IN AND BREAST-FEEDING PRACTICES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

EC. 5. Normal Spontaneous Deliveries. - The following newborn infants be put to the breast of the mother immediately after birth and forthwith roomed-in within thirty (30) minutes:

(a) well infants regardless of age of gestation; and

(b) infants with low birth weights but who can suck.

SEC. 6. Deliveries by Caesarian. - Infants delivered by caesarian section shall be roomed-in and breastfed within three (3) to four (4) hours after birth.

SEC. 9. Right of the Mother to Breastfeed. - It shall be the mother’s right to breastfeeed her child who equally has the right to her breastmilk. Bottlefeeding shall be allowed only after the mother has been informed by the attending health personnel of the advantages of breastfeeding and the proper techniques of infant formula feeding and the mother has opted in writing to adopt formula feeding for her infant.

You can actually write your birth plan and list down what you want to be done.

For example,

1. No bottle feeding of any kind.
2. Rooming immediately after birth.
3. No vitamin k drops

etc. etc. Make several copies, give it to your doctor and the nurses station, you can even go over it with your doctor and have him sign it para lang clear what you expect from each other. I got this idea from a mom in the breastfeeding support group in greenhills who did it herself. Effective daw :D You can even put the law if you want para may air of authority :bop:

but also ask somebody to check on your baby kasi nga pwede talagang masingitan, sometimes nagpalit na ng nurses and the new nurses weren't given your instructions or kung ano ano pa.

Wag kang ma-stress, it'll all be alright basta planado :)

[sneezy]

killerabs...
i've a q about those vit k drops. i understand that vit k is to aid blood clotting and i was wondering if you had your son circumcised right after birth and if you did, did his clotting mechanism work fine?
i don't know kasi if i'm having a boy or girl and if it's a girl then i'm pretty sure i'd decline the vit. k pero if it's a boy and i'm having him circumcised, napapa-dalawang isip ako.
thanks! :)

[killerabs]

killerabs...
i've a q about those vit k drops. i understand that vit k is to aid blood clotting and i was wondering if you had your son circumcised right after birth and if you did, did his clotting mechanism work fine?
i don't know kasi if i'm having a boy or girl and if it's a girl then i'm pretty sure i'd decline the vit. k pero if it's a boy and i'm having him circumcised, napapa-dalawang isip ako.
thanks! :)

No I didn't have him circumcised, I still believe it's better if it's a rite of passage or else parang wala naman purpose plus I'm hoping it'll be my son's decision and not something we forced him into. And para nakuha ko sya agad after birth so we can breastfeed agad, obvious ba na breastfeeding nut ako :rotflmao:

Here are a few links on vitamin k

http://www.mercola.com/2004/may/26/vitamin_k_injections.htm

Here are a bunch of links on vit K:

http://www.whale.to/y/vitk.html

http://www.drfeder.com/children/vitaminK-newborns.htm

http://health.consumercide.com/vitK-rothwell.html

http://www.babyreference.com/VitaminKinjectORnot.htm

http://www.birthwithlove.com/ (click on vit K link)

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/99/1/88

[eyedoc]

My baby is now 3 1/2 months and I'm still breastfeeding him. Whenever I have to leave him I pump breastmilk for his yaya to feed him with, but I'm mostly with him so I do direct breastfeeding. No formula! :)

Although he was initially given some formula in the nursery (wasn't able to give specific instructions), he never developed nipple confusion because he was cup fed the formula.

Re: rooming in...My baby was not able to room in immediately for various reasons. Although it was not my choice at the time, looking back, it was not really so bad. I had a long labor before finally getting my CS and the rest really helped me. I visited him in the nursery as soon as my catheter was off (the next day) and proceeded to start breastfeeding him. Aside from the usual initial problems with positioning, etc., I didn't really have a hard time latching him on. He's also a very good sucker :). Maybe I was just lucky, but I guess it all boils down to a certain mindset that this is what I want.

Although immediate latching on and immediate rooming in are ideal, it really depends on a lot of factors.

I also got a lot of advise from relatives and friends about supplementing with formula, but I was determined and stuck to breastfeeding.

I'm also lucky that my son's pediatrician is very supportive of me. When I told her I wanted to breastfeed, she gave me a book and a brochure of Medela pumps. She never pushed me into giving my son formula. I guessed it helped that she also breastfed her sons. My obstetrician was also a breastfeeding mom, so I already got a lot of advise even when I haven't given birth yet.

Re pumps. I have both Avent Isis and Medela double mini electric. I bought the Avent first. It actually works very well, but when I had to pump a lot, napapagod ang kamay ko, hence I bought the Medela. I still use the Avent once in a while though, especially when I want to pump discreetly and noiselessly :).

[killerabs]

Hello there mommies! A question from a breastfeeding newbie: Do I need to burp my baby after every feeding, or only if she shows signs of discomfort? Most of the time kasi my 3-day-old little girl falls sound asleep while breastfeeding (I usually breastfeed in bed), and I don't want to disturb her just to burp her if it's unnecessary.

Thanks in advance for your help :)

At first I did because he wasn't so good at sucking so he would take in a lot of air but after a while hindi na. Then when he got better I would burp him when he looked uncomfortable.

No need to wake your baby up :)

[liza_zam]

whoa! killerabs, you really did your homework, eh? :D well, now that you've told me about this law, I'll be sure to keep it in mind and bring it up with my OB.

oh, thanks for the resources on vit k, too. now i'm adding more and more things to discuss with my OB and future pedia (hope i find one i like soon!) and hopefully the old adage na forwarned is forearmed works in my favor! :D

[baby_girl888]

i'm about to be a new mom and really intent on breastfeeding my baby. This thread has been really, really helpful. I'm interested in getting more information about breastfeeding through the breastfeeding support group in Mary the Queen.

Would anybody know what the next meeting schedule is? Or maybe a contact number for me to get details on the next meeting? Also, wanted to check if it's okay to join the group even though I'm still pregnant and haven't strated breastfeeding yet?

[killerabs]

i'm about to be a new mom and really intent on breastfeeding my baby. This thread has been really, really helpful. I'm interested in getting more information about breastfeeding through the breastfeeding support group in Mary the Queen.

Would anybody know what the next meeting schedule is? Or maybe a contact number for me to get details on the next meeting? Also, wanted to check if it's okay to join the group even though I'm still pregnant and haven't strated breastfeeding yet?

meeting is every second saturday of the months, so this saturday meron, jan 14 9-12 am.

okay na okay :) better to be prepared, ask all your questions na.

[tina11]

Hello again Mommies! My baby's 7 weeks old now and it's a joy breastfeeding her. Iba yung fulfillment na nararamdaman ko when she looks up at me and smiles :) Plus it's the only time I can get her away from her lola and daddy and have her all to myself :D

Since last week though, she's been nursing a lot more often... during the day our sessions are usually 30-60 minutes long, and she only plays or naps for an hour before she's hungry again. At night (fortunately, she's settled into a stable sleeping schedule of 8pm-6am), she wakes up every 2-3 hours to eat. (Before her 6th week, she used to go for 2 hours during the day and 4-5 hours during the night before becoming hungry.) I've read about growth spurts about 6 weeks but books and web sites say this only lasts for a couple of days - her growth spurt seems to be lasting a week and a half! Has this happened to your babies too or is am I doing something wrong?

[Juno]

Killerabs: Grrrrrr! I got so mad when I read your post on the breastfeeding law!!! 'Cause I really, really, really wanted to give only breastmilk to my baby the moment he was born. I even wanted to have him latch on immediately once he was out of my womb. But I wan't able to do either. Once he was out, they just put him beside me so we could take pictures and then they asked me if I wanted to latch him on. Suddenly, I was hesitant, him being my first baby and since I didn't even how to hold a baby! Seeing my hesitation, the nurse just took him away and brought him to the nursery.

We gave them strict instructions that he will be breastfed. He had a low birth weight, although he was full term (he was only 5.5 lbs), and my now FORMER pedia decided to give him formula without my consent (i have switched to a much better pedia who is also much more into breastfeeding than the former pedia). To think the law requires babies w/ low birth weight to be latched on immediately after birth!!!

Three hrs after I gave birth, I went to the nursery to try breastfeeding out. He was really good at sucking but he fell asleep right away because he was already full from the formula they gave him!!! I was so depressed. I told the nurses to stop giving him formula and to please call me when he's hungry, even if it is in the middle of the night. They agreed. Hours later, still no call!!! They kept giving him the formula!!! I requested the same thing 2x before they finally put a sign in his lalagyan in the nursery ("Breastmilk Only"), but guess what.....they STILL KEPT GIVING HIM THE FORMULA!!! Kakaasar talaga!! I have no idea if it's because of the pedia or what.

Needless to say, it was very, very, very tough for both my baby and me to get the hang of breastfeeding once we got home. It was the biggest reason behind my post-partum blues. I felt so inadequate for a long time. For 1 month, i was supplementing my breastmilk w/ 2 bottles of formula a day, thinking that my milk supply was low. 'Yun pala, giving my baby the formula was actually hindering my milk production. Luckily, my new pedia gave me the number of a lactation consultant who is very, very reassuring.

My son is now 3 mos. old and we are exclusively breastfeeding. He's now 11 lbs. :) He's only on the 10th percentile (second to the lowest in the normal range), but nonetheless normal.

For the soon-to-be moms, I strongly urge you to consult a lactation consultant not just after, but also before you give birth. She will help to psych you up and reassure you. If I had known that there are LC's here in the Philippines, I definitely would have consulted one right away. The one I consulted is Lita Nery. She's really good, and she is the one who trains the PT's and LC's in Asian Hospital. Her cell no. is 0918-5557565. She will visit you at home or at the hospital when you give birth. She also does post-partum massage, wherein she massages your pelvic bones and areas on your body that stimulate the milk production. (I wish i could have done this!)

Also, an excellent website on breastfeeding FAQs is www.kellymom.com and also try the boards on www.ivillage.com (breastfeeding/lactation consultant board). They're very helpful there.

Good luck! Breastfeeding is such a satisfying and wonderful experience once you get the hang of it. It's not easy in the beginning, though. Who would have thought that the most natural thing for a mom to do could be so difficult to get the hang of?!?

[dalee]

@ juno,
do you have any idea how much is the consultation fee regarding lactation? including massage? how many session for the massage?
thanks!

[asunrda]

juno which hospital did you give birth in? i gave birth before at makati med and they followed my instructions but will be giving birth soon at medical city and wonder how they do.

[Juno]

dalee: she charges P700 per visit w/c includes massage. i have no idea how many sessions for the postpartum massage..

asundra: i gave birth at medical city. :hmm:

[Noglues]

Hi there, just gave birth last week, 8 days ago. :love:

Been reading through this thread. But aside from the pain and discomfort on the breast, nobody mentioned yata about the abdominal cramps. I just want to ask if anybody experienced the same while breastfeeding, lalo na yung kapapanganak lang tulad ko. I don't know if it's normal to feel some contractions during or after BF . Then I noticed parang lumalakas yung post partum bleeding din, pero only after I BF or pump milk.

Sabi kasi ng iba, breastfeeding helps your uterus contract and return to its normal size faster. Thus normal lang yung "hilab". Is this true?

Thanks for any info regarding this... God bless mommies. :)

[season]

hi noglues! that's okay. happened to me too. in fact, after a month, okay na ulit yung uterus ko. back to original size (per my OB). that's one of the benefits of bf...to help you heal faster. kudos to you, breastfeeding mama!*okay*

[asunrda]

juno: thanks for the advise. i think this early i should inform my pedia about my breastfeeding exclusively so that she may inform the nursing staff. my pedia is quite supportive of breastfeeding. i bfed for 15 months and my dd did not get sick at all. like you juno my dd birth weight 5lbs and 8 oz. very light but she was not underweight as i am pretty small as well. i only gained 20lbs during my 1st pregnancy.

noglues: what you are feeling is normal. the breast is connected to our uterus. bfeeding will make it go back to normal much faster. :lol:

[Juno]

Hello again Mommies! My baby's 7 weeks old now and it's a joy breastfeeding her. Iba yung fulfillment na nararamdaman ko when she looks up at me and smiles :) Plus it's the only time I can get her away from her lola and daddy and have her all to myself :D

Since last week though, she's been nursing a lot more often... during the day our sessions are usually 30-60 minutes long, and she only plays or naps for an hour before she's hungry again. At night (fortunately, she's settled into a stable sleeping schedule of 8pm-6am), she wakes up every 2-3 hours to eat. (Before her 6th week, she used to go for 2 hours during the day and 4-5 hours during the night before becoming hungry.) I've read about growth spurts about 6 weeks but books and web sites say this only lasts for a couple of days - her growth spurt seems to be lasting a week and a half! Has this happened to your babies too or is am I doing something wrong?

tina11: that's perfectly normal :) sometimes growth spurts can last much longer than 2-3 days. As with other things, it can vary from baby to baby.

[DaNa8]

Hi Juno! Just wondering, why didn't you room in with your baby after you gave birth? I believe this would have helped you a lot on your plan in breastfeeding your baby.

[MaiKa]

hello mommies! i saw this news item in the inquirer today. this is good news for us breastfeeding mothers.


Giant mall opens 1st breastfeeding station

First posted 04:43am (Mla time) Mar 16, 2006
By Christian V. Esguerra
Inquirer

A 19-YEAR-OLD mother was breastfeeding her baby in a popular shopping mall when a security guard called her attention.

"Ma'am, you can't do that here. Please go to the comfort room," he told her.

Insulted, the young woman retorted: "Why, do you eat in the toilet?" And she continued nursing her child.

The incident -- just one of many showing how mothers are prevented from breastfeeding in public -- left a strong impression on Dr. Elvira Henares-Esguerra, a lactation consultant and founder of the group called Children for Breastfeeding.

Esguerra's group has managed to convince tycoon Henry Sy to designate a "breastfeeding station" for nursing mothers at his SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.

The pink, glass-paneled station is in the basement of the Megamall's building A, between the food court and the ice skating rink. It has a kitchen counter and a sofa that can seat two to three mothers at a time.

The SM management has also organized an orientation course for security guards on how to assist nursing mothers anywhere in the mall.

Similar efforts are under way in other SM malls.

Brink of extinction

"The breastfeeding culture is now on the brink of extinction," Esguerra warned on Tuesday at the opening of the pioneering nursing station.

The SM project is seen as a significant step toward reviving breastfeeding among Filipinos who, according to the World Health Organization, spend P21.5 billion yearly on infant formula.

'Best interest of children’

"Optimal breastfeeding is in the best interest of children everywhere and fulfills children's rights to survival, development and protection," Dr. Nicolas Alipui, UNICEF country representative in the Philippines, said in a speech.

As many as 16,000 Filipino children under five years die every year simply because they're not breastfed, Alipui said, citing WHO figures.

Another disturbing statistic is that infants reared on milk formula are "7 to 25 times" more likely to die of diarrhea than a breastfed baby, he said.

They're also at risk of acquiring pneumonia "5 to 50 times" more than their breastfed counterparts.

'Sure-fire investment'

The recommendation, according to Alipui, is exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby's life, then continued breastfeeding with complementary feeding for two years and beyond.

"Clearly, breastfeeding is a sure-fire investment in children's educational success and ability to participate increasingly in society," he said.

Conversely, he said, "the lack of breastfeeding will undermine any efforts to educate the child in later childhood -- when the lost IQ points can no longer be regained."

Unknown to many people, breastfeeding helps shield children from neglect, abuse and exploitation, Alipui said.

"Breastfeeding forms a strong bond between mother and child," he said. "It stimulates the release of 'feel-good' hormones that relax the mother and strengthens her nurturing feelings toward the baby."

Case in point

Alipui said a case in point was the decision of the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital to replace its nursery with a program on room-in and full breastfeeding among mothers.

"The rate of child abandonment dropped from over a dozen a year to nearly zero," he said.

[tina11]

Thanks for sharing that MaiKa! Thumbs up to SM for being so progressive.

tina11: that's perfectly normal :) sometimes growth spurts can last much longer than 2-3 days. As with other things, it can vary from baby to baby.
Thanks! Sure enough, she's back to a more manageable schedule now. :)

Sharing lang, I'm a bit sad because my maternity leave will be over in a few weeks and I've decided to start supplementing with a couple of bottles of formula during the day... pumping daily is too much work, and even if I work from home most of the time she's so relaxed when nursing (takes 30-second catnaps, or stops nursing often to smile at me and look around) that it takes too long to feed her. It'll be a bigger adjustment for me than her though. Don't know if other moms feel the same way but I get so jealous when I see my baby drinking from a bottle :p

[annielise]

Killerabs: Grrrrrr! I got so mad when I read your post on the breastfeeding law!!! 'Cause I really, really, really wanted to give only breastmilk to my baby the moment he was born. I even wanted to have him latch on immediately once he was out of my womb. But I wan't able to do either. Once he was out, they just put him beside me so we could take pictures and then they asked me if I wanted to latch him on. Suddenly, I was hesitant, him being my first baby and since I didn't even how to hold a baby! Seeing my hesitation, the nurse just took him away and brought him to the nursery.

We gave them strict instructions that he will be breastfed. He had a low birth weight, although he was full term (he was only 5.5 lbs), and my now FORMER pedia decided to give him formula without my consent (i have switched to a much better pedia who is also much more into breastfeeding than the former pedia). To think the law requires babies w/ low birth weight to be latched on immediately after birth!!!

Three hrs after I gave birth, I went to the nursery to try breastfeeding out. He was really good at sucking but he fell asleep right away because he was already full from the formula they gave him!!! I was so depressed. I told the nurses to stop giving him formula and to please call me when he's hungry, even if it is in the middle of the night. They agreed. Hours later, still no call!!! They kept giving him the formula!!! I requested the same thing 2x before they finally put a sign in his lalagyan in the nursery ("Breastmilk Only"), but guess what.....they STILL KEPT GIVING HIM THE FORMULA!!! Kakaasar talaga!! I have no idea if it's because of the pedia or what.

Needless to say, it was very, very, very tough for both my baby and me to get the hang of breastfeeding once we got home. It was the biggest reason behind my post-partum blues. I felt so inadequate for a long time. For 1 month, i was supplementing my breastmilk w/ 2 bottles of formula a day, thinking that my milk supply was low. 'Yun pala, giving my baby the formula was actually hindering my milk production. Luckily, my new pedia gave me the number of a lactation consultant who is very, very reassuring.

My son is now 3 mos. old and we are exclusively breastfeeding. He's now 11 lbs. :) He's only on the 10th percentile (second to the lowest in the normal range), but nonetheless normal.



Yup, that's why I get so frustrated when new moms say they dont have much milk because that's not true. Breastmilk operates on the principle of supply and demand, the more the breasts are stimulated by a suckling baby, the more milk it will produce. And the opposite is true: if you keep supplementing with formula without much suckling from a baby, your milk supply will dry up. That's why I invested on Medela pump-in-style. The hospital-grade electric pump is the best in stimulating your breasts.

My baby also got used to the bottles the nurses at the hospital gave him. When I tried to wean him from that and tried to breastfeed him, it was soooo difficult. He didn't want to latch on. I was able to make him latch on after 2 whole weeks, grabe! Buti na lang I still had overflowing milk supply due to my electric pump. The 3 most important things during that difficult time were my:

1. electric pump
2. Lansinoh or Medela Purelan 100% pure lanolin to soothe sore nipples, and
3. fingerfeeding for 2 weeks (taught by my lactation consultant). It made my baby wean himself from the bottle because the pointer finger is the closest in size and shape of the nipple.

check it out here (http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/8.html)

[DaNa8]

MaiKa, thanks for the article! I'd actually seen the breastfeeding section in SM Megamall when we went there a few weekends ago. A little too late for us though since my 22-month-old toddler seldom nurse when we're out but still good news to all breastfeeding moms.

tina11, I felt the same way the first time I return to work. That's why I made it a point to come home early from work. (I was usually at home by 5:30). Pumping at work also helped me a lot in maintaining my milk supply. But I only had enough time to pump for just one 8 oz bottle so I supplemented with formula too. How I wish I could've stayed home with bebi.

[~gIrLnXtDoOr~]

im also currently breastfeeding my baby.. at first ala **** akong milk, kaya when i got home from the hospital, naku.. ala akong ibang kinakain kundi MALUNGGAY (w/ chicken)! hehe.. kaya ayun the next day, meron nako agad milk.. besides malunggay, NILAGANG BAKA..
pero paminsa-minsan bnbgyan ** namen si baby ng formula pag halimbawa may kailangan kmeng puntahan ng husband ko,etc..

and mind u, at first grabe! ang sakit **** ng nipples ko.. at nakakapagod at very draining ang magpa-breastfeed.. but it's only for the first 2-3wks.. after that, ok na, hindi na masakit..im getting the hang of it na.. :)

[tina11]

~gIrLnXtDoOr~: Good for you! How long do you plan to breastfeed? :)

DaNa8: Kung pwede lang sana tayo maging full-time mom noh? :redsmile: We've been giving my little girl a bottle a day to get her used to it and so that I can get a break. Kaya lang she still wants to nurse afterwards, she'll fuss and whimper until I give in... and this after gulping down 5 or 6 oz of formula! She finds it relaxing siguro. I'm just a bit worried about the first day I go to the office, baka hanap-hanpin niya ang dede at umiyak siya buong araw.

[DaNa8]

^^^
Oo nga. Siguro tawag-tawag ka na lang sa house nyo to check on your baby the first time you go back to work. My son also nurses for comfort. Ayaw nya na yung breastmilk ko if given sa bottle; he wants to get it directly from me. That's why I stopped pumping at work and I also want to wean him na when he turns 2 (next month). Kaso mukhang malabo. Pag sinasabi kong "Di na pwede, wala nang gatas si mommy." umiiyak sya. Gusto ko pa naman sana child-led weaning.

[MaiKa]

tina11 and DaNa8, I hope this encourages mothers to breastfeed. Yung iba kasi nahihiya magpadede in public (and yung iba nahihiya makakita ng nanay na nagpapadede in public).

~gIrLnXtDoOr~, agree ako don na at first masakit to bf but first few days lang yon. After non masasanay ka na :)

[DaNa8]

MaiKa, sana nga more mothers will breastfeed because of this initiative. What I did before was put a blanket for cover when my baby nurse in public.

~gIrLnXtDoOr~, nahirapan din ako the first week I breastfed. My left nipple bled pero sabi ng mom ko continue ko lang at mawawala yun ng kusa. It did heal after a few days.

[tantra]

hi mga mommies! i've been a lurker for quite a while and i just want to share my experience to those mommies who are worried by not rooming in immediately after delivery and by not having any milk....

I have a 26-month old daughter and I breastfed her for 17 mos, and I stayed in the hospital for 3 days but I didn't room in w/ her coz I wanted to rest (my mom also pushed me to rest first) and I admire those mommies who can actually stand after delivery ( I had a normal one, but w/ epidural though, hehe). I just went to visit her siguro once lan during our stay at the hospital coz nahihirapan **** ako maglakad...i never had labor kc, they just had to induce me coz i was losing a lot of water na, tas had epidural pa (low tolerance **** ako for pain), *** after the anesthesia wore off, ayun, i juz stand 2 go 2 the toilet...

anyway, would you believe, that when we went back home, my baby just doesn't want to latch, as in swear, lahat na lang ata ng klaseng breast pump binili ko, inverted pa nipples ko, but my mom really was very persistent that i really breastfeed coz ganun din daw cnasabi ng lola ko sa kanya dati, i always cry and lose hope coz isipin nyo un, 3 wks na, pump lan ako ng pump, nilalagay ko pa sa feeding bottle *** milk ko kc parang nasanay na nga *** bb ko sa nipple ng bottle...but i still tried, cried most of the time coz feeling ko nga i'm a bad mom, kc ang dami kong nababasa about benefits about breastfeeding when i was preggy, tas ngayon ndi ko kaya...but lo! and behold! after 3 wks, nagulat na lang ako na my baby suddenly latched and wouldn't touch her feeding bottle, minsan if i go out for several hours, magugulat na lan ako sbi ng helper, ayaw daw uminom ng formula, kaya ndi rin ako makaalis ng matagal kc nga baka gutomin lan sha...:lol:

advice ko lan sa mga mommies, if u'r having difficulty in latching, just try and try, and talk to your bb na she needs 2 latch and drink ur milk...crazy as it sounds, they can understand...who knows, just like me, you will still hav your milk supply even after delivery even if your child doesn't drink from you directly, as what have been said, supply meets demand, kaya, i-pump nyo lan ng i-pump and try again and again 2 let ur baby latch...:)

question lan mga mommies, I'm here kasi in China, I have a lot of officemates who have just delivered their babies, and they stop na after 6 mos. Naiinis pa nga ako dito kasi the doctors, even my mom-in-law and hubby insist that i stop dw breastfeeding when my bb was 6 mos na kc wala na daw nutrition *** milk ko...how true is that? eh, nababasa ko, it's ok to breastfeed the baby until 2 yrs ata or sumthn...I'm not sure...sinasabi pa ng mga doctors na masmabuti pa ang formula coz mas maraming nutrition daw kaysa breast milk...:confused: how true is that???

[asunrda]

tantra i totally disagree that wala ng nutrition from breastfeeding. many studies have proven that longer breastfeeding is beneficial to the child and to the mother as well as it protect her from breast and ovarian cancer. follow your inner voice and do what you believe is correct.

[tantra]

asunrda: yup, i didn't listen to them, keber ko sa kanila...bahala sila if ayaw nila magbreastfeed ng masmatagal, not only does it lowers d chances of cancer, but it strengthens the bond between mother and baby...=P no regrets **** w/ breastfeeding...

OT: exaj, pahirapan **** magpost sa PEx...laging server is busy...=(

[DaNa8]

^^^
I still breastfeed my 23 month old toddler. Nag-aadjust yung contents ng breastmilk ng mom according to the needs of the baby as he gets older. It's a wise decision to continue breastfeeding. :)

[tina11]

question lan mga mommies, I'm here kasi in China, I have a lot of officemates who have just delivered their babies, and they stop na after 6 mos. Naiinis pa nga ako dito kasi the doctors, even my mom-in-law and hubby insist that i stop dw breastfeeding when my bb was 6 mos na kc wala na daw nutrition *** milk ko...how true is that? eh, nababasa ko, it's ok to breastfeed the baby until 2 yrs ata or sumthn...
UNICEF recommends that mothers...

breastfeed exclusively for the first six months and to continue to breastfeed for two years or more with age appropriate, responsive complementary feeding.

http://www.unicef.org/nutrition/index_breastfeeding.html
Pagpatuloy mo po. You're doing a terrific job mommy!

DaNa8: aww your son loves your milk so much :)

[Juno]

Hi Juno! Just wondering, why didn't you room in with your baby after you gave birth? I believe this would have helped you a lot on your plan in breastfeeding your baby.

Hi dana,
I wanted to room in but we decided to have our baby boy circumsized and my OB told me it would be better to leave him in the nursery so that the nurses could keep watch. I guess it would have been better to room in nga.

Guess what, my sister in law gave birth at med city last sunday and she had the exact same problem! The nurses kept feeding her baby formula even though she kept telling them not to. Inaway niya yung mga nurses and the head nurse also got mad at them, too. Sinumbong ng sis in law ko sa pedia niya and she said that she doesn't trust the nurses there, either, so she told my sister in law to room in immediately.

[annielise]

^ Hi Juno. That's weird, my son was circumcised too 2 days after he was born (or the ff day) but he was able to room-in with me (but then I'm here in the US). But my friend who gave birth from medical city was also able to room-in when her baby was circumcised. So I guess pede din dyan sa Manila.

Dana8: Here's my take on weaning an older child:

Finally! I was able to wean my 2.5 year old pre-schooler from breastfeeding! I stopped 3 weeks ago, on my birthday. It wasnt that hard naman pala. I asked a lactation consultant coz I was really very exhausted with not having an uninterrupted night's sleep for 2.5 years now (yes, he would still wake up 2-3x a night to nurse). She told me to just quit cold turkey. Of course my baby cried at first, but I told him he's a big boy now, and now just the thought of nursing made him say, "yuck!" (maybe coz he's getting older na). And having breastfed him for 2.5 years, I think that's substantial enough. My lac. consultant recommended putting cabbage leaves on my breasts to ease the pain of engorgement, and surprisingly, it worked! :) So happy because as soon as he got weaned, he slept throughout the night na! It made me enjoy him and my family more. I will always cherish those years that we bonded while nursing, but he's big enough, and I'm glad he's weaned. :)

[DaNa8]

yey, page starter! :)

Juno, kakatakot naman palang manganak sa Medical City, pasaway mga nurses nila. Best option is really to room in.

annielise, congrats on your newly-weaned tot! Parehas tayo, I haven't had uninterrupted sleep for almost 2 years na kasi he nurses in the middle of the night pa rin. Ang dami ko lang nababasang literature against quitting cold turkey. Gusto ko sana child-led weaning pero I don't know kung darating pa yung araw na aayawan nya breastfeeding. We'll just see what would happen in the coming months. Sana he'd sleep through the night din once he's weaned.

[Juno]

^ Hi Juno. That's weird, my son was circumcised too 2 days after he was born (or the ff day) but he was able to room-in with me (but then I'm here in the US). But my friend who gave birth from medical city was also able to room-in when her baby was circumcised. So I guess pede din dyan sa Manila.



It was my OB's advise to keep him in the nursery. I thought she meant it as an order at the time, yun pala, it was just a suggestion :P my sister in law who just gave birth last sunday also had her baby circumsized at med city and was able to room in the same day of the circumsision.

[annielise]

yey, page starter! :)

annielise, congrats on your newly-weaned tot! Parehas tayo, I haven't had uninterrupted sleep for almost 2 years na kasi he nurses in the middle of the night pa rin. Ang dami ko lang nababasang literature against quitting cold turkey. Gusto ko sana child-led weaning pero I don't know kung darating pa yung araw na aayawan nya breastfeeding. We'll just see what would happen in the coming months. Sana he'd sleep through the night din once he's weaned.

Child-led weaning usually comes between 3-3.5 years of age. Ikaw, it's up to you if you wanna wait that long. But ako kasi I'm working and I need my stamina to provide for my family. Now I sleep better and work and play better with my baby with all the good night's sleep I get now (ang sarap pala!). And another advantage of weaning an older baby is that he's not gonna use bottles anymore, so ever since he never used bottles, he uses sippy cups (hindi ko rin kasi sinanay). Now he enjoys drinking regular milk, and I'm happy about the weaning over-all. Goodluck and I hope you get to have a good night sleep soon! I fully understand, dinaanan ko rin yan. :)

[dalee]

mommies, kelan kayo bumili ng breastpump, before kayo manganak nakaready na yun or ok lang na after na lang?

[tina11]

Better to have one ready before baby's born. It will help when engorgement sets in around the 3rd day. :)

[purpleheadd07]

i should have read this earlier way before i gave birth. kse i had a cs operation and was immobile for a while so my baby was kept in the nursery. i asked for my baby to be brought in my room kaso inde daw pde kse d na sya makakabalik dun as sterilized ang nursery. i was told to go there for my breastfeeding sessions na lang. so i went there on the 2nd day na ata, kse all thru out i was feeling guilty kse i wasn't able to hold nor take care of my baby that time. sadly i did not have much milk so i was still unable to satisfy his hunger. i guess kse d agad na establish yung sucking reflex nya or naunahan na din sya ng formula. when we got home i did not have more luck just the same or i guess i was just uninformed or tamad lang ****. i dunno. kaya i envy you guys for being able to do such things for your baby. i guess i breastfed him for a little over two months lang and about 25% lang din. he relied mostly on formula. just the same i cherished those times when i would have him near my body as he suckles, sobrang intimate for both of us and i could have him for myself esp when there's the doting lola and cousins and tita often fussing over him.

[DaNa8]

Child-led weaning usually comes between 3-3.5 years of age. Ikaw, it's up to you if you wanna wait that long. But ako kasi I'm working and I need my stamina to provide for my family. Now I sleep better and work and play better with my baby with all the good night's sleep I get now (ang sarap pala!). And another advantage of weaning an older baby is that he's not gonna use bottles anymore, so ever since he never used bottles, he uses sippy cups (hindi ko rin kasi sinanay). Now he enjoys drinking regular milk, and I'm happy about the weaning over-all. Goodluck and I hope you get to have a good night sleep soon! I fully understand, dinaanan ko rin yan. :)

Nyek, ang tagal pala 3 yrs old. My son also drinks from the cup na. He used bottles pero siguro until he was 6 months lang. Just last night, 1000 times yata akong nagising to feed him. Ang kulit, hehe. Kaya nga I was thinking of weaning him na. Sabi ng ate ko, lagyan ko daw ng luya breasts ko. Ayoko naman, parang kawawa sya. Baka I'd try to not sleep with him na lang for a week. Sa lolo and lola muna sya. But I'd still wait for the right timing. Parang we're both not ready to wean pa e. Siguro after his 2nd bday. Thanks for your thoughts! :)

[purpleheadd07]

hi, i just noticed a lump on my right breast. i've stopped breasfeeding for like a month, could this just be a milk cyst or should i panic already? tnx!

[DaNa8]

^^^
Bigyan sana kita ng advice kaso I haven't stopped breastfeeding yet. Better consult your OB to be on the safe side.

[purpleheadd07]

tnx DaNa8. i asked my friend about it, she's a nurse btw, and told me that it must be milk. told me to apply some hot compress and do exercises baka daw i'm just ovulating. i may have to observe it for a while kung mawawala nga. but i'm still due for check up with my ob tomorrow. also, she told me na my period will supposedly start after about 6 months kse i'm no longer breastfeeding? does that mean you havent had your periods even after 2 yrs or so since your still breastfeeding?