Hi all,
Haven't posted for a super long time though I still come in regularly to view all the discussions. Hardly get an opportunity to post as my elder child would also want to type whenever I'm working on the PC.
Seems like some mummies are concerned about their milk supplies. As mentioned in all books, when there is a demand, there will be the supply. So make sure you latch on your baby or express your milk out regularly. From my own experience, I found that if I were to pump out my milk irregularly, my supply would be affected. And it would take a while to regain the original supply.
Secondly, make sure you have a balanced diet. I understand some mummies are trying to regain their pre-pregancy weight before CNY. But don't do it at the expense of starving yourself. Don't cut back on your food intake. Of course, I am not asking your to eat more than what is required. The amount that you consume will also affect the milk supply.
To increase supply, I used to do latch on my elder one on one side and pump the other side. The latching on definitely helps to bring about a faster let-down. It also stimulates more let-down than if I were to use the pump alone.
If you are able to, try to latch on your baby instead of expressing your milk out. Cos our babies are the best 'milk extractors' - our little ones beat all types of pumps.
Last but not least, perseverance is the way to go. You need a lot of perseverance for breastfeeding to be successful.
Just my 2-cent worth of humble opinions.