BREASTFEEDING - Personal musings on how I managed to do it successfully


misaryeo, i sterilise all parts of the avent manual pump. should be ok, though i did notice that the petal did seem a bit loose after some months. but didn't affect the pump performance though.
 
tingting,i dump my petal in the boiled water, and when i took it out, the rubber change colour! but when i put in steriliser its fine.. haiz.. so scary
 
misaryeo, yah, heard of some petals turning yellow.. just put in steriliser then..
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hi,

need some advices from mummies out there. can i feed my babe with EBM if I'm sick? or do i hv to pump and throw away the EBM? asked my GP and he says is OK cos the BM produces "antibodies" so it is safe to feed babe w the EBM. is it true? i dun want my babe to fall sick after drinking it.
 
Hi Shalan,

When you fall ill, your body produces antibodies to fight the virus. This antibodies is in your BM too. Thus, when you feed your baby EBM, your baby gets the antibodies too.

So,it is ok to feed your baby with the EBM, don't need to throw away your precious EBM. But do note that the medicine you are taking is suitable for bfeeding mothers. Bcos, the medicine would go to your baby too.

My suggestion, if you think your body can fight the virus w/o taking the mediciation, then try not to take the medicine.

Hope you will feel better soon.
 
Hi Shalan,

Yes, I believe so.

When you are under stress...etc your BM supply will also dip. So, since your body is fighting the viruses, I'm quite sure milk supply will be affected too.

But one funny thing for me is that, when I'm bfeeding, I seldom fall sick.
 
hi ladies, so nice to see this thread still surviving! i am the original post-er of this message! and proud to say i'm still bf-ing my 10 month old ds.

On illness, it's ok to continue bf-ing as long as you check with the paed/doc on whether the meds you take are ok for bb. it's good to continue bf becos 1. it ensures maintenance of ss, 2. it gives antibodies to bb 3. it helps you relax and get well faster!

i would also recommend taking supplements incl omega 3 for good health. I'm very happy to say that i've not fallen ill for the past 2-1/2 years since my 2 pg. only have very mild beginnings of sore throat 2x and managed to nip it in the bud within 2 days.

Good luck to all women who persist in bf and enjoy!
 
Hi mummies, just wondering if there is any advice on expressing milk in other country. I am thinking of going for a short trip, like Thailand, i have been putting this idea off cos i dunno how to prepare myself when i need to pump milk there. From sterilising the pump, cos the water in sin and thailand is diff, dunno if the water will contaminate the expressed milk or not... and how to store milk there? cos chilled milk can only keep 2 days right? how? can anyone help me...
 
hi, is it true tt when the breast is soft, there's no milk?

me one side of the breast is bigger, feel fuller and gets lumps/blocked ducts every now and then.

the other side is alway soft, only sometimes feel a bit fuller, but never as full as the other side.
 
misaryeo, instead of steam sterilising, u can use the sterilizing tablets. to be double safe, maybe dissolve the tablets in boiled water? how many days are u going to be away? if u're going to a better hotel, can check whether u can borrow their freezer or something? then get a cooler box filled with ice on your way back. otherwise gotta pump and throw.

edksd, if u've been bfg long enough, u'll prob feel that the breasts dun feel as full, but actually it just means that ur body is more apt at producing so it does not need to store up so much. i think for ur case, bcos one side is clogged, it feels fuller.
 
hi mummies,

Remember me? :p I had problems expressing earlier in Sept and was frustrated enough to seek solace and assistance in this thread. Am glad to report that I now have no pblm expressing in office. In fact on average, I can hit 180ml each session.

But guess what ... baby, who's 7mths old, is refusing to take EBM, esp frozen EBM! Think she doesn't like the taste. After all my efforts! Luckily she's taking 2 meals of solid so I dun worry so much abt her starving.

Now not sure whether I should continue to express since it's not going into her. Nevertheless, I shall endeavour to BF baby till 1 yr old!

edksd - I also "lope-sided" (very obvious when expressing coz one side a lot more EBM than the other) but baby doesn't seem to mind when latch on directly.
 
Hi all,
Just to introduce myself, I am a mother of a soon-to-be 7 month old. He's started weaning, but still continuing to breastfeed on demand. I live overseas, but coming to Singapore for a month.

My question is, what are the breastfeeding facilities in the shopping centres like? Also, what are the general attitudes to mothers breastfeeding in public (e.g. MRT, bus, public bench, food establishments)? Have any of you breastfed in public, and what have been the general reactions?

I suppose I'm quite apprehensive. I don't have a problem breastfeeding in public, but quite uncomfortable with the possible knowledge of some perverts gonna stare or whatever.

Snort: Congrats....I also intend to bfeed my son until he decides he doesn't want to anymore.

Edksd: I think your body is able to supply milk as and when your baby wants it, i.e. it shouldn't 'run out', even if it feels really soft, although the less frequently you feed, your body will then start making less, so it's the frequency you feed also, that regulates the milk supply
 
hi tootsieroll, welcome!

major shopping centres provide nursing rooms, though some are better than others. Believe there was a thread which compiled a list of shopping centres with nursing rooms. you may want to do a search on this.

personally i only nurse in nursing rooms, or while in the car. i've seen mothers nursing in public, and frankly speaking, i wouldn't have noticed them except for myself being a nursing mother as well. they usually carry their baby in a sling so that it's not obvious, or use a nursing bib. my friend simply pulled up her shirt though, but must be quite thick-skinned to do that. think in singapore u're bound to get some stares if u breastfeed indiscreetly, cos breastfeeding in public is still uncommon.

natnic, congrats! my purpose of pumping is mainly to maintain supply for weekend latches, though my boy still takes EBM. if ur gal refuses to drink EBM, can try mixing in her cereal for breakfast? if not, then donate to other babies..
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hi tootsieroll
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i'm one mummy that breastfeeds in public.. but i wear nursing wear and breastfeed my 13m old in a sling..i also usually find a quiet corner.. so far not many ppl stare at me.. the ones who do look are the little children and mummies that have babies too but the mummies will of course look away when they realise i'm breastfeeding..
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Tingting, fushiastar,
thanks for your helpful replies. I had a brief look at the shopping centre list. For me, if there is a nursing room, then I'll use it, but you know how your baby always decides he's hungry whenever it's not the most appropriate places
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I also wear a nursing bra - I won't have a sling, because I don't know how to use it! (moms in mind sarong sling, the VCD is sooo lousy!). I just lift up my t-shirt and unclip the bra
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I don't mind mums and kids looking, or even men, as long as they just go along with their own business once they realise what I'm doing. What I probably will object to is those ignorant people who just stare or get a thrill out of it, then I think I'll just get really self conscious. Ohwell.

Also, what breastpads do they sell in Singapore? I'm currently using Johnson&Johnson ones (pink box of 30 breastpads)....do they sell those in the supermarket?
 
tootsieroll:
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there are the gerber, pigeon and tollyjoy ones.. not sure abt johnsons and johnsons.. will go take a look and let you know
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tootsieroll, J&J breastpads are seldom available in Singapore i think. more popular brands are pigeon and tollyjoy. They are in the same price range. Depending on your needs, i find pigeon better than tollyjoy in terms of absorbancy. However, Gerber is also good (although a bit more pricey) cos it has 3 categories: light, medium and heavy (overnight) for different needs. Gerber lights are not contoured in design though. Breastpads can be found in supermarkets, though more limited in range. You may want to go to departmental stores (Metro, Isetan, Takashimaya, Seiyu, etc) or children specialty stores instead. Pricing is usually the same across the stores.
 
Hi all,

I'm currently breastfeeding my gal who is 2 weeks old. She takes about 1 hr to feed on 2 breast. And even after that when i put her back in the baby cot, she will sleep a while before waking up again demanding more milk.

Anyone encounter that with your baby?

On the other hand, sometimes she can just feed on one breast for 20 mins and go to sleep.

Quite confused with her breatfeeding pattern.
 
hi Mousy,
First of all, congratulations! My boy is 7 months old now, and even now, my breastmilk is like tranquilizer to him - eat already then sleep.
At 2 weeks, your baby's tummy is like the size of a walnut, so you can imagine what the capacity is like. So she will feed very often, especially since breastmilk is highly digestible. My son had the problem of just suckling and using me as a pacifier, so listen out for the sounds of swallowing when your daughter suckles. Also, if you think she's just falling asleep, you can do a few things to stimulate her to suckle: 1) massage her lower jaw (in circular motion) 2) like those ah ma, slightly tap her cheek 3) gently blow on her cheek (cold air stimulates them) 4) gently stroke the sole of their feet, slight tickle

For me, if all else failed, I usually just stripped my son down to his nappy, and strip my top as well - skin to skin contact works wonders, and also good for bonding
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I think at 2 weeks old, she is still finding her breastfeeding pattern, and it is best to feed by demand, so whenever she needs feeding, give it to her. Babies know when to stop, but on average try to feed around 15-20min, so you know she is getting hind milk as well as fore milk.

Don't worry, I'm sure other breastfeeding mums also had initial breastfeeding problems, but don't give up, persevere on, and once your milk supply is fully established, you will find breastfeeding a breeze
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Good luck!
 
tingting, fushiastar,
I'm currently in singapore.....pleasant surprised about the number of nursing/changing rooms in the shopping centres!
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I decided to bring my breast pads with me in the end. So far so good, and I've fed him in public without any problems (foodcourt, cafes etc). I suppose the culture of singapore is changing, that's a good thing
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mousy pig
dun lose hope. 2 wks still early!!! my son whom is alrdy 2 mths old still hv erratic cycle at times. certain nites i nurse hourly!!!
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i agree wif tootsieroll tt they still finding a pattern, so juz b patient. they will fall into a cycle eventually.
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Hi mousy pig
First of all, congrats to your new born and welcome to the world of motherhood. It's really exciting, lots of challenges ahead...

By breastfeeding your newborn, you are giving her the best headstart in life. Yes, like waht other mummies have mentioned, your milk supply takes time to stablise. Mine took about 6 to 8 weeks. I was almost going to give it all up.

Breastfeeding, besides being the source of nutrition, it is also a great source of comfort. Being cuddled in the warm and familiar arms of mummy is always comforting. So, sometimes, I guess, your gal just need to suckle and be comforted.

Be patient with yourslef and be patient with your baby. Enjoy your motherhood and of course your sweet little princess. Blessings
 
hello gals,

thanks for the encouragement. just wondering do you all usually feed for 15-20mins on each breast? Or usually only on one breast?

sometimes, my gal fall asleep after drinking on one breast, and I'm not sure if she has enough.

btw, usually when will our milk supply be fully establish?

Thanks
 
mousy,
It really depends. Initially I tried to make sure I fed for around 15 min each breast, so both breasts are stimulated every time you feed. I was also told not to go more than 3 hours without a feed, even if it meant waking baby up to do so, cos the breast needs constant stimulation in order to keep up the milk supply. This is especially important at your stage. If both breasts aren't used, then just alternate the breasts - if this method is used, the unused breast should be very engorged by the time its turn comes anyway!
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Also, in the initial stages, it takes a few minutes before the hindmilk replaces the foremilk, so by trying to feed for around 15-20min each breast, you can ensure that baby is getting some hindmilk. Then again, baby might be a strong sucker (you can see the 'blister' on her upper lip), so maybe she is sucking a lot out.

Like what seawave said, I think your breast supply should be established in the next few weeks, especially if you keep feeding regularly and stimulating the breast supply.

I don't know what the system in Singapore is, but I used to bring my boy to regular weight checks (every week) at our baby clinic, then you can monitor her weight gain and gauge whether she is having enough......but whatever you do, if you're committed to breastfeeding, don't let people sway you to give infant formula, especially when your milk supply hasn't been established yet
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Breastfed babies tend to lose a bit of weight in the first 10 days or so anyway, and tend to be leaner, but will soon recover the weight in the next few weeks/months.
 
hi mousy, i only feed on 1 breast, due mainly to circumstances though. I had sore nipple on 1 side, so i fed on single side while tandem pump on the sore side to maintain supply. after a while, it became a habit and i actually had a good supply established. Each time, the feed was about 20-30 min. hmm, my boy seldom slept while feeding in the 1st 10 min. So my mental time is that he should be suckling (i.e. can see jaws move - look at his temple area) during that time. after that, if he sleeps then i'll just remove him and put him back to bed.
 
Hi,

Thanks for all the feedback and encouragement.

However, i do encounter feeding my gal for about 20mins on both breast, then she falls asleep and i put her to bed.

However, she will just wake up a short while (about 10mins later) crying and with her mouth wide open demanding more milk.

Does this mean she did not get enough milk despite being fed on both breast?

Thanks.
 
mousy, could it be that she just wants to suckle for comfort? that happened to me when my boy was about 2-3m. "Feeding" took hours! and i was so tired and depressed that he still cries soon after i put him to bed after feed. On hindsight, he must have wanted to suckle for comfort..
 
mousy,
I second tingting's comments. During my son's first 2 months, sometimes I would 'feed' for 2 hours. He would feed, then fall asleep, then wake in a few minutes and cry for more, and I would keep changing breasts. It was tiring, so to take my mind off things, I would just sit in front of the TV while I did the 'feeding'. This will soon pass, and I think young babies at this age just need the comfort and knowledge that mummy is close to them.
 
yes yes, u gals are right. It is rather tiring and depressing. Hope this stage will pass soon.

They will outgrow this stage after 2 mths?

Thanks.
 
Mousy,
For me, I think my son outgrew this stage by around 2-3 months. But then, when they're having a growth spurt they will also tend to eat more, and you will then find yourself feeding non-stop.

The most important thing is still whenever they are wanting feed, is to just be patient and give it to them, then baby will be happy
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When your milk supply is more established, you may want to try expressing milk, if you find it too tiring to feed on the breast. For me, I'm still breast feeding on demand, at 7 1/2 months
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I am a new mother here. My baby just 10 days old. I have the same problem with mousy but with certain time in a day. Actually around 3pm to 7pm and 3am to 6am. When this happen, my confinement lady will say that my baby is not full and tends to give formula milk.
Now, my baby will struggle when I try to latch her on. I am now really afraid that my baby will refuse to let me breasfeed her if this continues.
Very stress here.
 
hi Yong,
Congratulations! I think most, if not all the mothers on this thread can sympathise with you and relate to your difficulties during this period. In hospital I had a very difficult time, due to a hard labour and lack of sleep, plus crying baby. The nurse then said to supplement with formula. I gave in, but then a nursing assistant secretly told me that if I wanted my breast milk supply to establish, then I have to persevere. I really appreciated her advice.

If you strongly feel that breastmilk is the best nutrition for your baby (and it is!), then I suggest that you really try not to give her the bottle, because this may cause nipple confusion, and result in the baby not wanting the human nipple anymore. So, maybe try to wean her off formula, or maybe can try expressing your milk into a bottle, to keep the stimulation going?

Good luck, and lots of encouragement
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hi yong,

i'm not sure what's the reason for the frequent feeding at particular times for your baby. but besides hunger, she may be just more easily awaken at these times, or she wants a cuddle, etc. if it's hunger, all the more u should latch her on. ur body will be able to match her demand soon. it's tiring, yes, but hope you'll be able to persevere.
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re breastfeeding in public
the most public places that i breastfed my boy was in church (sitting in the pews), on shopping ctr benches (coz dun hv nursing rm), in the baby changing rm of Compasspoint where other mummies were changing diapers coz the 2 nursing rms were occupied for a bleddy long time (i had to stand, no seat!), in Hans restaurant, and along the busy walkway of Singapore Expo, coz was there for some book fair and couldn't find nursing rm.. shared a bench with someone & latched baby on.. passers by didn't even give a second glance.

Baby's head blocked whatever i was exposing.. after a few tries i was quite adept at reaching in & unclasping nursing bra with 1 hand, while holding baby with the other. Thank God for nursing bras & nursing blouses.
 
ya...I have set my mind to do TBF for at least 2 months before I get back to work. But, with somebody always there and give negative feedback....it is kind of demoralising. And also feel extremely stress when she said the baby is still hungry.
 
hi mummies,

I've not delivered but I intend to do TBF, at least during the 3 months of maternity leave. Can i check with all of u if I still need to standby a breast pump and milk bottles/teats during this period? Would you need to pump out excess milk to prevent engorgement? How about first few days before the milk comes, do you need to standby a tin of formula milk? first time mummy so blur...
 
hi Yong,
Before I came back to Singapore, I was so apprehensive about breastfeeding in public, but I have to say that things seem to be moving on, and I haven't had a single negative remark so far. In fact, when people (strangers) see me breastfeeding, I've had very positive remarks, emphasizing how breastmilk was good for the baby. It surely is demoralising if your confinement lady suggests things steering you away from breast feeding. Do you think baby really is hungry, or can it also be tired, dirty nappy etc? Later on, you will learn how to differentiate between the different cries and also the baby's body language.....it all takes time
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And we're all here to give you moral support!
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Marble,
It depends if you are wanting to express your milk or not. In my case, I didn't bother, and let my baby relief my breasts naturally
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For a newborn, you don't want to go longer than 2-3 hours without a feed anyway, so it's easy to relieve engorgement
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I think if you supplement with formula milk, then you might risk nipple confusion for such a young baby. Also, having to work for his/her food by sucking helps the baby develop its mouth muscles, and also stimulates your breast to make milk. It is normal for a breastfed baby to lose up to about 10% of its body weight in the first 10-14 days while the milk supply comes in, but very soon they will put the weight back on, and they tend to be leaner anyway (but my boy is greedy and a hefty lump!)
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Do talk to the breastfeeding counsellor at the hospital, and they can give you all the tips on successful breastfeeding
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When is your EDD?
 
Mummies whom are on TBFG
hv ur menses arrived? tdy i was so shocked to find tt i am spotting, seems like a prelude to my usual menses. need to monitor if the real mense will come. my lochia has cleared and i alrdy did pap smear a few wks back. results came back ok. so i am v puzzled why my menses is coming since i noe tt it shldnt come as long as i am on tbfg. anyone in the same spot as me? i called the nurse in the clinic, she dismissed it, saying its normal. if my spotting continues, i will call again.
 
yong
juz b firm on ur stand and do not give in as long as u r confident on wat u r doing. there will always bound to b ppl saying discouraging things but as long as u & ur hb stand firm, u will succeed. dun give up!
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and most impt, do read up enuff to equip urself wif sufficient knowledge.
 
hi Baby zucchini, even TBF mummies get their menses. My menses returned one month after delivery and been coming every month without fail even though I am TBF-ing my baby till now (12+ mths). My gynae just said that I am one of those fertile types, haha!
 
Baby zucchini,

my menses came in my 3rd-4th month of TBFg. feeling a bit "cheated", cos i thought i can skip more periods.. hehe.. but it's normal. some people have it, some dont. dont worry.
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hi yong,
as a first time mummy we tend to get confused about things we hear. try to read up when u are free to form your own opinion, and once u've decided, seek out advice. then tune out unwanted ones! v useful skill to learn in years to come.
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Really great to hear some support from all mummy who breastfeed their baby.
I start to catch my baby signal. Just that, I still have some problem on night time feeding around 12 midnight before I put her to sleep. She seems very hungry even I nurse her with both sides. I am still figuring out how to improve the situation.
But, things seem progressing in positive direction. I am trying to do pumping after every feed to stimulate the flow. Hope my baby wont starve!
 


meizue & tingting
thks 4 ur reply.
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really felt much better aft realising tt i am normal to hv menses. heee, tingting, i had the same feeling as u! i felt cheated & disappointed tt i still had menses despite being on tbfg!
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mayb like wat meisue said, its juz being fertile!
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yong
ur baby will not starve! dun worry! hv more confidence in urself and u will see ur baby grow wif ur precious milk!
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