As per Kathy’s and Litzie’s requests, Im writing more about my breastfeeding experience. Honestly, I’m a bit uncomfortable talking about something that I have failed to do. I’m exclusively pumping since Martha turned 7 months, and she is now only 90% breastfed (she takes one bottle of formula at night). But I guess, I can take pride in persevering to feed her my milk even if I’m working full time and pumping is such a pain in the a** now, LOL. Martha doesn’t want to take any formula milk when she is awake, so I’m forced to.

Piece of advice though: Subscribe to N@W (Newlyweds At Work). Then search their archives, there is a GEM to be found from all the e-mails of breastfeeding mommies there, from the mundane to the complex. They are also such a BIG supportive community.

Read up here: www.kellymom.com. And you are all set. Everything is there – from defining having low supply, to latching, to storage of milk, to nursing strikes and teething – EVERYTHING about breastfeeding.

What I do: Drink drink water (at least 2-3L, yep, that many!). Before I get my period (it came back), my supply really really dips low, so I gobble Natalac (malunggay tabs) 3x a day, and drink drink drink. Sometimes it helps for me to take a 10 minute shut eye before pumping. It helps me relax. I power pump during my low supply days (it comes often, so you better be vigilant, esp. if you are working – stress from work can do that!), 10 mins pump – rest – 10 mins pump. I do it three times a day aside from the regular pumping schedule.

And I don’t stress to much about giving my Martha a bottle of formula a night. At times, my supply catches up and Im able to supply her everything but when it doesnt I give her. Right now, a 900g can can last us 5 weeks, not bad na din. Of course, I still do not slack. I still pump.
Lastly, I need to be honest and say breastfeeding is hard. Ads may claim it is the most natural thing to do, but it isn’t. It takes a lot of learning, discipline, persevering, and rock hard determination. It just is so easy to succumb and give the bottle when your boobs are rock hard and hurt like crazy and your nipples are bleeding. And you might just say, “Oh, Ill take a rest for one day only.” But the implications of it snowball – you end up having nipple confusion, low supply, breast neglect, crying baby, fussy baby – hala, wala na – breastfeeding gone to waste. You need to adjust to a lot of things, sacrifice time alone since the baby will be glued to you all the time.

But everything will be worth it. The sense of accomplishment that your baby is depending on YOU alone to feed her, the pride you will feel when you see your child filling up nicely because of breastmilk alone, the easy way to bond with your babe, the love, the health benefits, everything, will be worth it. Read more… »

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Got this from Baby Center:

You may be very surprised by the way your tummy looks after birth. Your baby is out, but there it is, right around the navel: a big, round, squishy puffball that makes you look like you’re still six months pregnant. Many women also have a dark line down their abdomen called a linea nigra and a web of stretch marks, which are actually little scars caused by the extensive stretching of skin. Those who had a c-section have surgical scars to contend with as well.

It takes time for your body — and especially your belly — to fully recover from pregnancy. Imagine your abdomen as a balloon, slowly inflating as your baby grows. Childbirth doesn’t pop the balloon, it just starts a slow leak. But don’t worry — it’s a steady one.

From the moment your baby is born, hormonal changes cause your midsection to deflate, shrinking it back to something closer to its pre-pregnancy state. It takes about four weeks for your uterus to contract to its normal size. All the cells in your body that swelled during pregnancy will begin releasing their fluids in the form of urine, vaginal secretions, and sweat. And the extra fat you put on to nourish the baby will start burning off (especially if you’re nursing and exercising). But it takes at least a few weeks to see noticeable results.

Stretch marks and the linea nigra, however, endure longer. The good news is that stretch marks usually become considerably less noticeable six to 12 months following childbirth. Their pigmentation fades and they typically become lighter than the surrounding skin (the color will vary depending on your skin color), but their texture will remain the same. The dark color of the linea nigra will gradually fade over a year, but that too may not completely disappear. Read more… »

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Tracback: AVENT Isis pump problem.

Thanks to the breastfeeding mommies over at N@W.

I went to the AVENT distributor at the address here:
LJS Logistic Facility
3555 Magistrado Arellano St.,Bacood, Sta. Mesa,
Manila
Tel: (02)713-6814/17
Open: Mon-fri 8:30am to 5:30pm

And I was able to get the valves for the electric pump. It turns out it can fit the manual pump and it might be more efficient since it doesnt have the ridges from the manual valve. The kind man who assisted me told me that the valve might have had a tear already and it normally softens when it is always left in water (I dont have the AVENT steam sterilizer eh). So there you go! Pumping schedule (and frequency without the hassle) has been resolved.

Thanks N@Wies

(Go Breastfeeding!)

By the way, I found out Martha does not want to drink formula milk. We let her drink formula earlier as I only had 4ozs milk left (kasi nga sira pump ko), and she literally did not drink it. She only drank it when she was so groggy from sleep (I let her finish it, sayang mapapanis). Which only means, by hook or crook, I really need to continue pumping. Buti na lang malaki ang katawan ko maraming fats to burn into milk, LOL. I think Natalac is taking effect too. We can eliminate the 1 bottle of formula at night if I can pump just 3ozs more.

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My best friend is slowly conking out on me. The valve is loosening up and I kept screwing it back on just to pump. Nasasayang letdowns ko, nakaka-asar.

I hope this gets fixed soon, or I can have the part replaced soon. Sayang supply ko, medyo nag-eeffect na si Natalac, back to normal na uli!

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Chubba is on a nursing strike.

Argh, at least I know what it is.

It might be caused by:
• Mouth pain from teething, a cold sore, or an infection (such as thrush). – possible, she is teething around 4 teeth lately.
• In an older baby, the baby is afraid Mom will scream. This is common when your teething baby bites and you react by yelling.

• An ear infection, which causes pressure or pain while nursing. – hmm, her nanny in Amadeo told me that her left ear smells. I didnt notice though. Must validate.
• A cold or stuffy nose, which makes breathing difficult while nursing.

• Too many bottles or overuse of a pacifier, resulting in a reduced milk supply – argh, this may be it. She has been solely taking my milk in the bottle for two weeks before coming home.

• A major disruption in your baby’s routine, such as you returning to work. – or her returning home? LOL.
• An unusually long separation from you. - uh-huh

They say I can try this. If she is just accustomed to bottles for now, I may need to buy a nipple shield.
I need to really take time to get this back on track. And I cant take a leave from work…*niiiiiiice*.

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This is what this entry is going to be all about.

• We are adjusting big time with Martha in the house. She sleeps like a chicken all day – having one hr of sleep time, then 2 hrs of wake time, repeat cycle. So basically, you are not going to get anything done. She sleeps soundly by 8PM only to up, alert and all smiling (and loud) by 4-5AM. So you can draw your conclusion that we are now zombies. (Thus, no layouts for me today.)
• It is all good though as we are doing better than I think we would. The only problem is the heat. Martha is used to cool weather in Tagaytay and humidity in Manila is such a tantrum stimulant for her. And wait until you hear her cry — you would think she is soooooooooo hurt . Read more… »

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The brat is now, all of a sudden, refusing to nurse from me, drats. She still drinks my milk but would prefer to do it from the bottle. It has been such a pain in the a** to get up in the middle of the night to prepare milk then after around 3 ozs, trick her in getting milk from me. Im thinking she’s getting lazy at suckling already. Oh well, she’s with me now so let the battle of wills begin (I can see the trend this is going to be when she gets older, LOL.)

Links for me:
My Baby Won’t Nurse.
Baby doesn’t get it.
I will try to post real updates by tomorrow or Wednesday hopefully. I have my two kids at home and though it doesnt get any better than that, it also doesnt get any busier than what it already is. Im already itching for coffee (because of Martha’s stubbornness to nurse, argh, it has been so convenient to nurse directly before!).

My parents are on the airplane flying to the US again to have continue my Dad’s treatment. Bless all those kind souls who have helped him, helped us. Please pray for their safe travel.

And please pray we are also safe. I have a lot to get ready for for this upcoming Holiday Season, Mommy is gone so Im the woman of the house again *sigh*.

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Meet the best investment Ive ever made.

Never ever in my wildest dreams did I ever consider having this as my best friend. I dont leave for work without it. (Kahit walang baon for lunch, basta dala ko to). This is the first thing I reach for when I wake up and the last thing I hold before I sleep.
Read more… »

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