Breast Feeding

Wow Violet, you sound so experienced in this. I definitely need to heed your advice when it is my turn. I am rather apprehensive actually. The instructions seems quite tedious and I am not sure if I can cope with it. To make expressing milk at work feasible, what do I actually need?
 


hi angelbaby,

I can't visualize wat happened to yr fren from yr description... is the milk too much? I cannot do direct feed to my elder one last time 'cos the milk just 'shoot' out and choke her 'cos too much for her to swallow and then wet her face too, so no choice got to feed her EBM.


hi missk,

when are you due? it's exciting waiting for the little one to arrive rite?
I'm breastfeeding my 2nd one now and I learn fm all my previous trials & errors on my 1st one alrdy mah.
Breastfeeding is not easy but it's really worth the effort. Expressing milk is not that complicated ala, just time consuming....

Expressing milk at work :
1) Best to hv a fridge otherwise need a really really good cooler bag & ice packs
2) Need sterilised funnel & bottle for expressing. I usually sterilize at home n bring the funnels in the lock&lock container to work.
3) Get a good pump, either manual or electric is ok so long as u r comfortable with it. I got an electric one 'cos milk supply is a lot, if use manual one, i think my fingers will get cramp
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4)Understanding boss.....

Duration in between pumps:
My work schedule is rather bz so I have no choice but to stretch the hours in between to 5-6 hrs.
When I get home I need to 'entertain' the elder one so also try to stretch my last pump after her bed time.

BM is the best for yr bb, so at least try to BF before turning to FM. PM me if u hv any doubts, I'll be glad to help ok?
 
Hi ginger,

A lot of ppl uses the Coleman icebricks like sp recommended.
But if the transportation journey is not taking too long then just need a ok cooler bag and a couple of good ice packs.
For my 1st bb, I just got a $20+ cooler bag and 2 to 3 ice packs for transport back to home. But disadvantage is that I cannot go out too long after work. Besides, it's heavy oso leh.
For my 2nd bb, I got a nice cooler bag that one of the mummy recommended that can keep the temp constant up to 8hrs. It sort of have the 'ice' packs' build it and it's a patented design. A Little heavy oso but dun hv to struggle with ice packs lor.
Consider other options first and see wat u really need and if u r interested in the cooler bag that I got, I'll PM u the no.


Hi edksd,
Try to get some glass bottles(it's free) fm the hospital nursury and just buy the plastic caps and disc separately. Each bottle can store up to 90-120ml of BM.

For newborns(talking about full term) they drink about 40-70ml, my PD taught me how to calculate the total intake they require per day is use 150 X weight of bb. For eg. my bb was 3.38kg when born so will need about 500ml per day then divide by say 8 feeds will be around 60-70ml per feed.

I've PM u the contacts of the cooler bag dealer, 'cos the last time that nice mummy who helped to org the BP kena fm some of the forum users thinkging that she is earning fm it....
FYI, the last time we buy, there is discount for 3 or more pcs, not sure about now.

Milk Supply :
Also FYI, 1st few days after delivery there won't be any milk, but got to try to keep latching bb on or pump to stimulate the milk production. So don't give up if don't see any milk for the 1st 3-4 days. It takes time.... and perseverance...
 
hi violet, sorry, i duno how to see pm messages leh.

im delivering at tmc, they've glass bottles to give away? how many can i get? these glass bottles is just to store milk, cannot feed bb directly from it right?

oh so actually i can just prepare more small bottles instead of bigger bottles for the time being?
 
violet if u dun mind can pm me the cost?
cuz using icepacks can be a hassle and i need a cooler bag for my maid to transport milk to my inlaw hse everday!

TIA!
 
edksd....
Go to yr email account to retrive the PM, sometimes they will put it to the junk folder. Else, post yr email here and I will send to you again.

All hospital has glass bottles to give away 'cos the milk are sponsored to the nursery where some bb are on FM. And they will throw away the bottles after use. So you can take and recycle them. After you sterilize them it is safe to store and feed. But sometimes they limit the qty each mummy can take lor. They shd be able to give u at least 6-8 bah...

How many bottle to prepare depends on how much you pump, how many times the bb feeds and how many times you sterilize. For my case BM is a lot so I prepare more bottles(about 6 small ones and 6 big ones) so that I don't hv to sterilize that often lor. Lazy mah.


Hi Ginger,
PM u liao. The contacts n the cost.
 
ginger, i got myself the cooler bag from taka. black in colour/square one...very common at kiddy palace too. as for icebricks, i bought the smallest one from NTUC. i'm using 2 of that and it can last 10hrs...
 
violet i got it thanks!

sneaky, the cooler bag u see is it selling for about $29.90 har? i saw one quite nice and simple, pretty flat, but scared like cannot put ice packs in!
 
hi, may i know after sterilising the milk bottles, teats, etc. how do u store it so tt it remains sterile after u take it out from the steriliser?
 
hi edksd,
If at home, I will usually leave the things in the sterilizer until I need to use.

If need to bring out, I will put the teat under the disc of the bottle cap and close the cab over the bottle. That way you prevent the teats being exposed outside.
Or you can still fix on the teat but use the bottle cover to cover the cab on the bottle.
Not sure if you can visualize what I'm trying to say?


For the breast shields that I need to bring to work, I bring them in the lock&lock container 'cos suppose to be air tight so reduce exposure to air lor.

Remember to sterilize the tongs too.
 
hi violet, thanks.

yes i can visualise. so after sterilising u left the things in the steriliser, are u using avent iQ24 steriliser coz they've this 2 modes of keeping things sterile if left in the steriliser for 6 or 24 hrs.

what's breast shields for?
 
hi edksd,

I'm using the pigeon one that I got 4 years ago. They have a new model now I think.
Pigeon one is more flexible in the sense that you can 'dump' all kinds of bottle sizes into it and I heard fm friends who uses Avent that Avent's one is rather customized.
Check out what you really need first before you buy.

The breast shields are the pieces that looks like a funnle that cover the breast and attached to the bottle when you express milk.
 
hi violet,

can i ask u this...

if let's say i dump a lot of things inside the pigeon steriliser, then i turn it on to sterilise. after sterilised, can i just leave the things inside the steriliser? as and when i need something, i just open up and take out and leave the rest still inside the steriliser? is this way of doing ok? coz ive no idea where to store the sterilised stuff and make sure they remain sterile.

and oso can i ask u another qn. actually how many milk bottles do i need to buy? im thinking 2. is it enough? after finish using bottle A, we'll wash it. then after finish using bottle B, we'll wash it. and then sterilise bottle A and B together so they're ready for next use. is this concept right?
 
hi edksd,

Yes this is usually wat I do. I leave the things inside the sterilizer and use as I need.

Your concept is correct but as newborns usually feed every 3-4 so you may want to cater more bottles? Plus if you want to express milk and store then you will need to have about at least 4-6 bottles.
 
but you will still need to sterilize the bottle/cup when you store the BM.
I use Avent milk bag to store the BM, pump into bottle first then pour into the bag.

Anyway... trial and error and you'll figure wat works best for you la.
 
halo ladies, just popped into this thread. edksd, u seemed to be very systematic hor. i never think so far ahead. take things as it goes along. but don worry so much, things will fall into place once ur bb is out. Need help, just ask. I got a lot of info from this forum too.

My bb is coming 2mths already, still breastfeeding. Going back to work soon. Violet, ur advise helps! hope i can manage pumping at work too.
 
hi Ng,

Glad to know that the info are useful to you.

I am very pro BF and always adv my frens to BF whenever one is hving a bb soon.... BM is the best for the bb.
Remember to drink lot's of water and pump whenever you can. My boss not bery BF 'friendly' but I dun care la. Got to go means got to go.

I hope I can tahan longer this time, >1yr I hope.
 
Me too. My daughter is now 14 mths and i am still BF her. Heehee.. no nd bring formula or milk bottle out. So nice.. save $ too.
 
hi to all mummy
i have lost my hp and the mummy num also no more already so those mummy who still have glass bottle with me or got ebm to spare me wan kindly contact me at 93668423 thank a lot
 
hi ladies,
i wasnt so successful with bf. wanted to do it all the way for 6 mths but my supply was low so had to supplement with FM. Not sure if the size of breasts affects the supply too....
 
rachel i think size has nothing to do with it. i dun have a fantastic supply, but enough to feed n store. my breasts is small n din increase much with pregnancy too...

think latching, eating well, etc all plays a part.
 
i was so disappointed with myself...honestly. I felt like ive shortchanged my baby. And my husband wasnt really supportive of bf and my MIL was a little skeptical too. you mentioned eating well...how so? wat kind of food would bring on the supply?
 
Rachel,
me in same boat as u, bb on partial bf becoz not enough ss. Luckily my hb is supportive & my MIL doesn't mind feeding ebm to my bb.

Can try eating more fish, oats, milo, soup and drink more water.

Try to feel good abt yourself as bf is not easy, not everyone can do it and every little bit counts. I notice my ss dips when my mood is low or negative, so I try to be happy more often, hahaha.
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Rachel
dont feel too upset with urself. u hv try ur best, it's gd tat u tried to bf ur bb. I face negative comments too. But with hb's support, manage to overcome it. If ur hb is nt too supportive, it's even harder on u.

Every little bit counts. so long u tried ur best to give ur bb bm, it's gd.
 
I believe this thread is menat for mothers whose babies are abvle to latch on. I am having problem with my 1 month plus bb.

She needs my nipple to suckle my nipple to sleep. And now i think its really a habit. cam someone teach me how to break her habit. She will cry and cry and refused to sleep unril I relent. can go on for hours,
We offered pacifier but did not work.

Anyone alsop face this problem
 
hi, bookworm,
congrats on yr bb gal! so poor thing hor, yr gal cry until u give in. hv u tried the "gentle removal" method?

as for me, I'm still facing this "problem" although my son is coming to 11 mths and I'm drying up. I didn't try "gentle removal" method though as I prefer to just let him suck and sleep, more peaceful & easy for me, haha. I think he'll eventually grow out of this "problem" just as he has, on his own, recently stopped waking up so many times at nite...
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hi bookworm. your gal is still young, try and see if you can remove your nipple by inserting your finger into her mouth gently and releasing her grip on you. otherwise, follow sp's lead... just go with your baby becos this is only a short phase...importantly, follow your instincts.
 
missk: when I was using mini electric, it takes me ard 20-25min to get 2*225ml. I just 'upgraded' to mini electric plus, and I managed to halve the pumping episodes to 10-13min... tis is assuming I have been 'good' (drink lotsa water n soup, and eat steam fish) :p

2 wks ago when i was sick n'd no apetite, it took me 40min to squeez out 1 *225ml.

Hi bookworm: me too! my 1st boy also need me as a pacifier, and he self-outgrew it when he was around 14-15mths old.

[High 5- SP!!! I also find it easier, since I no need to coax him to zzz, he will auto zzz after his suckling sessions
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]
 
hey sunflower

How old is your bb? My son is 17 days old. Is that the reason why I am producing so little milk? Do you allow your son to directly latch on? How often do you pump?
 
my big boy is 31mth old, #2 just turned 6mth.

when I was on maternity, I pump 3hrly to establish milk supply and I'll latch my boy whenever he wants to drink. After latching him, I will pump out the excess. Latching your BB is a good way to increase your supply.

I just resigned in March, so now SAHM. I still express out for my big boy
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If u r diligent in pumping every 3hrly, you should see your MS increasing. Meanwhile, as your BB is still small, your SS should be enough for him. Eat more steam fish
 
okie ..let me clarify. I should be expressing every 3 hour, and still allow my bb to latch on. That means I will express at 6 pm, 9 pm, 12 midnight and so on.

Currently, I am expressing an hour after he latches, thinking that MS has already increased.

What if bb latches just half an hour before the time that I am supposed to express? Does it ever happen to you?
 
Missk, U may oso want to express after bb latch on....can pump out the excess, at the same time, sending signals to the brain to produce more.

Tandrum pumping seems to be very effective as some mummies feedbacked too. Meaning u latch bb on one side, and pump simultaineously on the other side.....coz we are "bluffing" the brain that we are feeding twins! takes alot of practise to cope but can get hb to help too.

Initially sure quite tough but once u established the supply, it's a lot easier. i bf for 3months liao....now still trying to cont'd as long as i can.
 
missk - hee! mayb I wasn't clear enough, I will at least pump 3hrly. If bb latches 1/2hr b4 time to EBM, then like wat Ng said, can pump out the excess to send signals to the brain to produce more, then 3 hr later pump again etc.

u see, my 1st boy was regular like clockwk, 1st 4mths he drink at 2hrly interval! but my 2nd boy was more , let mummy rest. He since 1+mth will drink b4 slping ard 8.30pm, then wake up for milk only ard 5+am. Of coz, occasionally he will wake up at 2am for feeds... but I will still wake up and pump at 3hrly interval.
 
Sunflower

Thanks for clarifying.

Your second boy is great ..he can sleep from 830pm to 530 am. Amazing!!!! I am hoping that my son who is 18 days old can do that. lol! Perhaps he's too young huh?

Last night, my son slept from 6 pm to 9pm. Fed him then he went to sleep till 230am. Fed himagain. He woke up at 430 m am and became a little cranky. Sigh! I dun like the idea of him sleeping at 6pm because he's gonna wake up really early the next morning. Is there anything I can do to wake my son up when he's sleeping?
 
high 5 sf! I really admire yr ss, all yr hard work pumping 3 hourly round the clock paid off!
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missk,
yr son so young already can hv a long stretch of sleep from 9pm till 2.30am, really good leh!
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erm, my son doesn't sleep much esp in his early days so I don't hv any experience to share on "how to wake a sleeping bb" keke.
 
missk

ha ha, bb at this young age usu will simply bohiew(ignore) you when they r slpg. Doubt u cn wake him up. My big boy hor, till he 4mth old, he was a TERROR! he'll zzz v v well in d day, then fr 11pm - 3am his eyes will be bigger n rounder than marble! lucky my dad was nt wkg then, n can help me entertain my son.

u try to rest when your son is slping, esp since u still in confinement nw. Other than BF, n pumping, try not to do anythg else.
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REST n recuperate ya!
 
<font face="Calisto mt"><font color="0000ff">Sunflower/SP</font>,

So your boi just outgrown e latching to sleep/comfort huh? My ger is now 9mo &amp; she's still got e bad habit of latching to sleep. If I dun oblige her then she will cry for bout hr plus to sleep but will wake up very soon to cry again till I give in. I've tried all ways to wean her off, pacifier/water/milk etc all useless. HB is worried tt she will still want to latch even after she turns 2 or 3yo</font>
 
Jenifut, u still manage to bf till 9mths! way to go mummy. i hope I can bf for that long too.

missk, think better don't wake ur bb up when sleeping. U disturb him later he gets cranky and even more difficult to manage! My bb was very chun, every 3hrs drink, day and night also like dat. once she's into 2nd mth plus, naturally she will sleep through the nite already.
 
missk
my boy slp for long stretch in the early weeks. I woke him up every 4 hrs. 4hrs is the max i let him slp cos he's still young n so need to drink n also to build up my ms. around 3+week, he did nt hv long stretch of slp.

does ur bb hv jaundice, it'll make bb slpy too. tt's why my boy slp for long stretch.
 
jenifur - my boi slowly outgrew it himself when he was 14-15mth, he is now 31mth. I tried to wean him off at 1yr old, and I was not successful.

I agree it may seem forever when u r trying to wean them off, and it may make you feel very frustrated. Having been through the weaning process, IMO, I tink it will b easier to wait for you ger to self wean. Most of my fren's bb self wean latest ard 2+yo. HTHs
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jenifur,
oh, my boy still wants to suck to sleep now leh, if I never give in he'll cry for 5-15 mins then zzz, but will wake up later &amp; expect to be "served" anyway, so I stopped trying to wean him. Hope my disappearing ss will do the job for me...

Ng,
jia you, u can do it if u want to!

yl,
my boy also got jaundice but he never slept long leh, maybe my ss not enough he not full so can't sleep long, kekeke.

sf,
huh, 2+ yo, so long ah? yr friends very wei da, can tahan so long!
happy.gif
 

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