Breastfeeding Support Group

helen of troy · Apr 13, 2004

All mummies who are interested in sharing about their breastfeeding experience are welcome to this thread..

Dutchess,
I am following what you have told me. That is to latch and latch when I am with him. I hope to increase my milk supply. I even invested in a few nursing wear so that I can latch him on when we are out.Which pump do you use? Which brand of milkbags are you using?

dutchess · Apr 13, 2004

hi helen,

good for you! so far, i haven't bought any nursing wear cos i didnt know how long i was going to bf. each time i think of buying i will think dunno fo rhow long more and whethr will waste the money...hehehe

anyway, if i'm out i will latch him in the car or in the shopping centres nursing rooms.

i'm using avent manual pump adn avent milkbags. used to use the pigeo milkbags but too expensive so switched to avent. pigeon one is like ziplock so more convenient but it's aout $1 per bag. avent one is cheaper so i just use maskign tape to tape up the ag and then freeze it.

berrywife · Apr 13, 2004

Hi ladies, hope some experienced mummies can help me out with my questions:

- How do I choose a breast pump (what do I choose according to)?
- What are the pros and cons of Electric and manual pump?
- If I plan to be a stay-at-home-mum who is only planning to BF for max 6 months, what sort of breast pump is ideal for me?

I read somewhere about a shop that rents breastpumps for mothers to try before you buy from them, anyone has any idea where this shop is located?

Thanks alot in advance!

su · Apr 13, 2004

Hi ladies,

Great idea about the support group. My boy will be four weeks old at the end of the week, and I've been on total breastfeeding all this time. It's been really tiring because for the first couple of weeks, it seemed like he wanted to nurse every hour. Now I'm getting a bit worried that the only way I know how to pacify him when he fusses is to nurse - can't seem to rock him to sleep otherwise. Any suggestions?

helen - I've invested in some nursing tops too, where do you get your tops from?

dutchess - Where can I get the Avent milkbags? Would like to store up some bm just in case.

Thanks!

dutchess · Apr 13, 2004

hi Berry,

i can't really comment on breast pumps as I've only used the avent manual one, which was recommended by my friend. she tried the medela electric pump but found it painful so she switched to the avent manual. but ome people feel the medela one is very good. i was told that if you plan to stay at home a manual one will suffice. although the elcetric one is said to be able to pump much faster. of course, elcetric one is ore expensive than the manual one. so it' really up to individual. maybe someone who has tried both types can also advise?

not sure about the shop which rents breastpumps. but you are able to get secondhand ones to try out though.

hi Su,

ya, i know how tiring it can be cos i went through it too. it's like my boy is forever stuck to my chest! but not to worry, i think it's just a phase and soon he will outgrow it. it just takes time, so have to be very patient. like nowaday, my boy wil take one last feed direct adn either fall asleep at the breast or i will rock him to sleep, it's become a routine now. btw, my boy is 8.5 months.

u can get avent milkbags at any department store that sells baby stuff. it's easily available anywhere. it costs about $7 for a box of 40. the pigeon one can only be foud at kiddy palace. so far, i didn't see it anywhere else. good to have some frozen milk for standby an in emergencies.

hi helen,

i think i might want to get one or two nursing tops. where so you get yours? how are they priced? cheap?

sarador · Apr 13, 2004

Hi! I have tried both Avent and Medela Mini Electric.

I used the Avent manual one when I had my first baby. It was rather tedious (my hands ached) and time-consuming. But for a manual pump, it is good.

For my second baby, I bought the Medela electric one. It is good. You can control the suction, so you can adjust it to a comfortable level.

In my opinion, the Medela electric one is better than the Avent manual one. It is more efficient and less tiring on the mother. I can express more milk in a shorter time.

Hope this helps!

hopeac · Apr 13, 2004

hi berry,
The breastfeeding association in singapore (http://www.bmsg.org.sg/sale.htm) do rental of the pumps, and you can also rent them from the hospital u give birth to. However, it may not be worthwhile to rent long term.

For manual, the best is avent. My personal preference is the manual, as you can control the suction much better.
For electric, I would go for ameda lactaline or the medela PIS. If you got the money, go for the PIS. I feel that this is the best electric pump. The resale value is higher, as there is a demand.

I would advise you to get the manual first. If your baby is able to latch on properly, I feel a manual is sufficient. But, if your baby is that kind that is not able to latch properly. The electric is less tiring. I have both manaul and electric at home.

Milkbags. Mothercare sells the cheapest at the average of 6.20 per box at normal periods. However, during the JL sales, the bags can retail at 4+, and if they have promo on avent products, they can sell them at 3 for 10 dollars. During 3 for 10 dollars sale, I bought quite a lot of boxes to stock up. The avent clips are expensive. Ikea sells similar clips at a much cheaper price.

hi dutchess,
I only own 1 nursing wear, but I seldom wear it. There quite a number of nursing rooms along orchard road. So usually, I will like U nurse him in the nursing rooms or the car.

hi su,
The first few weeks are the worse. I can understand the feeling of the bb permanently stuck at the breast. When I look back at the first few weeks, I wondered how I survived. It does get better.

sarador · Apr 13, 2004

Sorry, one more point to add.

The Avent manual pump has many parts. So I find washing, sterilsing and assembling the parts rather troublesome. With Medela Mini Electric, i only need to wash three parts. Assembling the parts is very easy.

blessed · Apr 13, 2004

hi berrywife,

agree w sarador that the avent manual pump has many parts, troublesome to wash n sterlize. but its a very good manual pump.

i'm using Medela PIS n Avent manual pump. PIS is really a good electric pump but i dont think its a need for SAHM.

Hi su,

My gal is going 4mths in abt 1 weeks' time n yes she used to be like ur boy, pratically stuck to my breast. Now not so bad but she still like bf'g n i hv to nurse her to sleep. but its also possible to rock her to sleep if she is in good mood.

jastan · Apr 13, 2004

dutchess
I use rubber bands to seal avent bag, should be okay also right?

berrywife
I used both avent manual pump and medela dual mini electric pump. both are equally good, but the manual pump can be tiring to your hands if you are pumping often. Now I am using the electrc pump coz I am doing exclusive expressing, didn't latch my boy on.

ran_mel · Apr 13, 2004

hi

i just gave birth one week ago and i am not producing enough milk. everytime i tried to pump out milk the most is 10ml. I am very worried that the milk has already dried up in me.

Is there any remedy or should i wait for a few more days and see if there is an increase of milk
?

sparks · Apr 13, 2004

Hi Mel,

I experience the same thing .... no milk came till abt 2 wks later but I was latching my boy direct. You shld try latching direct to stimulate more milk...

berrywife · Apr 13, 2004

Thanks ladies! Looks like the Medela electric pump is a good choice. Will go check it out. Really appreciative for the precious advise.

dutchess · Apr 13, 2004

hi Jas,

i think should be ok to use rubber bands as long as it's sealed tight and the milk doesn't leak. but when you use rubber band then the bag is more bulky right? not so easy to store like that right? when i use masking tape, each bag is flat is i can put into ziplocs and stack them up in the freezer.

hi mel,

don't give up!! just latch latch latch and pump pump pump! i was also like that. in the begining when i pumped i only got very little. even after massaging and squeezing like mad. but jsut have to keep going at it. it's really tiring but it's worth it in then end. maybe you could usign a hot towel to massage? it might help with the milk flow. that's what the nurse in the hospital told me cos after i gave birth, my milk flow was quite bad, squeeze also nothing come out. so it was massage massage massage, until i guess the ducts cleared and the milk flow regulated itself i guess.

jastan · Apr 13, 2004

dutchess
yes you are right, use rubber band the bag is bulky. I put them into a container box in the freezer.

su · Apr 13, 2004

thanks, dutchess and hopeac. it does feel right now that all i do is nurse my boy, so i'm looking forward to when he starts to space out his feeds. just wondering when this happened for your babies?

hi mel, i second what dutchess said - don't give up! it might be better for your milk supply if your baby latches on direct though, so let your baby nurse on you whenever he is hungry. make sure the latch-on position is correct though. eat well too, so that you have enough nutrition to produce the milk. fish is supposed to be good for bm supply.

ran_mel · Apr 13, 2004

hi sparks
I so glad to hear from you that 2nd week then you come milk, which means i still have chance! ya, i did latch her about 3 times a day. My mom told me mus latch more often.

hi dutchess
i also squeeze like mad when i pump but only manage to get the pathetic 10ml. How many days after your birth did your milk came? When I tried using hot towel for the first time, milk starts to drip from my breasts, I was so happy i quickly go and pump thinking i finally can produce milk, who knows pump out a few drops only. Haizzzzz

hi sparks dutchess su
my MIL is acting weird. She seems to be discouraing me to BF. The third day after i gave birth, she asked me about breastfeed and told me to BF 1 month enough. When she know I cant produce much milk she also didn't say anything or give any advice. Den after that , whenever i latch my baby, she will say I no milk latch for what. She is doing confinement for me, doing all the cooking. She told me today to choose between eating those tonic or BF my baby. Tonic as in those ginger, DOM, liver, sesame oil, herbal soup and stuff that should eat for confinement. She gave me the reason that BF canot eat all this stuff cos bad for BF. Will cause jaundice...

Did you gals eat all these stuff during confinement and BF the same time? What my MIL said is true or is she really discouraging me to BF??

sarador · Apr 13, 2004

hi Mel

dun be discouraged. latch baby on for every feed. as long as baby is latching well and feeding often, more milk will come in. it takes a while for your body/breasts to respond to the 'demand' and produce the 'supply'.

my baby did not latch on well during the first month. i expressed milk for her every feed. but at the end of 6 weeks, i found the supply very very low - 20 ml per pumping session! *panicked* so from then on, i let her suckle (she managed to latch on well subsequently). At 6 weeks, when the supply was very low, she was still hungry after i had let her suckle. i gave a little bit of formula to supplement the feed (cannot give too much formula or she will feed less often and not stimulate your breasts enough). few days later, my milk supply increased. from then on, no need to supplement with formula.

i have learned that our baby is the BEST 'pump'. so must let baby feed directly sometimes, if not all the time.

also, when baby drinks from you directly, she may be taking in more than 10 ml.

press on!

ran_mel · Apr 13, 2004

hi sarasor
i am bottlefeeding her now cos my 10ml of milk is not enough for her. Will this cause her to reject my milk in long term??

And did you take ginger and DOM during confinement?

sarador · Apr 13, 2004

hi Mel

i think different babies react differently. some get nipple confusion, some reject formula after having tasted mum's milk, some reject teats, some dun mind either as long as there's food.

as for my baby, she did not mind either.

at 6 weeks, when my supply was low, i let my baby suckle at both sides at every feed. after suckling, i offered some formula only if she was still hungry. however, i did that for only a few days. key thing is to latch her on often. i did that for every feed. so that few days were tiring. suck suck suck for 20 min, baby cry not enough, quick, make some formula, feed... 2+ hours later, suck suck suck, not enough, cry, give formula... but gradually, my supply increased. i was then able to breastfeed her till she was almost 8 months old.

i think one can take ginger and sesame oil in moderation. i dun like ginger. so i didnt eat it but it was used in the cooking. i didnt take DOM. ya, was concerned about alcohol getting into baby's system, knowing that baby's liver is not mature enough. but it is said that we can use it in the cooking, cos then the alcohol will have evaporated and so it is ok to take.

sharing this based on my experience... dun know what other mums have to say... hope this helps!

helen of troy · Apr 13, 2004

Dutchess and Su,
I bought my nursing tops online from momsinmind.com. They even deliver to you. The tops are affordable and some are so nice that they don't even look like nursing tops. You can even wear them when you have stopped nursing.

I nurse my son in nursing rooms when I go out and in the car. I use a shawl to cover when I nurse in the car. It has been ok so far.

Su,
Babies love to suckle. Like my son who is about six weeks old, he suckles for comfort sometimes. He also falls asleep at my breast in the midst of his feeding time. You can also try singing to your son. My son loves to listen to songs. I sing and rock him to sleep too.

Sarador,
I am doing what you have done. That is, to latch and suck frequently to increase my milk supply. I hope my supply will increase like yours...

How much can you girls usually pump out after a three hour interval of feeding/pumping ?

My lactation consultant told me that some green papaya soup can help boost milk supply. Anyone has the recipe? Pls share...

I use the avent manual pump. I think it is good. I store my milk in bottles and avent bags. I even bought the avent travel bottle.

dutchess · Apr 14, 2004

hi Jas!

if you put into containers, they will take up a lot of space in yr freezer right? or you got a very big freezer? hehhee...

hi Su,

dun worry.....i almost went crazy durign the first 2 months cos i seemed to be feeding him all the time! but after the first month it gets slightly better. after 2 months should be quite ok. that is when i already went back to work.

hi Mel,

if i remember correctly, my milk really came in about 3 or 4 days after birth. even then, it wasn't really a lot. sometimes you have to be patient when you pump. you have to keep pumping and pumping adn after a while you get the let down reflex then the milk really starts to flow. it might take some time.

ignore your MIL. do what you think is right for your baby. it's your baby after all. for me i dun believe in all the confinement stuff. i believe in eating healthily so i didnt bother with all the ginger and the DOM and whatnot. cos whatever you eat goes to your baby so it's better to avoid all this. even though people say things like little bit is ok or alcohol will evaporate after ookign etc, i still avoided. i also avoid all chinese herbs, whther or not people say it's harmless or what. it's not scientifically proven so i felt it's better to avoid. i normally dun believe in all this, all the more for bf.it's true too much ginger can cause jaundice. try to bf for as long as you can. set small targets and once you meet them set more targets. that's how i manage to keep on bf till now. i didn't eat any confinement food and i'm not any worse for it. i also didn't avoid bathing. i bathe and wahs my hair every day. it's impt to keep yourself clean if you are bf.

it's ok to bottle feed a bit to suppplement, but remember to keep latching on whenever possible. i also did that in the beginning and my son is ok with both breast and bottle so dun worry. but must remember to keep latching on.

don't give up!!! keep at it and you will see the fruit of your labour!

hi helen,

thought of buying from moms in mind too but i'm afraid i might not like it or it doesn't fit me from just seeing it on the web.

i think i have the recipe somewhere...got to look for it

desert · Apr 14, 2004

Helen
Quite easy, just boil the green papaya with fish or fish bone. Then up to u to add some salt to taste.

Mel
I also took ginger during my confinement, just dun take too much. As for wine, I dun drink direct, my mum used in cooking and making soup.
I also had very little when I did expressing then, so I stopped and just latch on. I think u should just latch on and pump out after latching on and not just do pumping direct, supply only establish between 6 to 8 wks. Latching on 3 times a day is not enuff, u shd be feeding on demand, will be every 1-2hrs.

hazel · Apr 14, 2004

ladies,
Came in to share my bf experience. My son of 7 months has been on total breastmilk till today. TO those new mummies who are struggling w bf now, pls perservere on, the merits of bf are many and it's the most rewarding experience for me. U'll soon get over the initial difficult phase, and will find bf easy and convenient, not to mention saving lotsa $$.

If u have supply prob, my advice to u is latch on more. During e initial stage, it's our bb's suckling action dat stimulates supply, most pump are not effective during the initial stage, like 1st 4-6weeks.

With regards to nursing wear, I have a few, all bot from www.iwantmilks.com, like their nursing tops a lot as they do not look like nursing wear at all, and I could even wear them to work.

As for pumps, I have personally tried 3 pumps, Manual Avent, Electric Ameda lactaline and Medela Electric Mini. My personal ratings for them are as follows:
1. Electric Ameda lactaline
Affordable dual pump that empties breasts well and fast. I use this at home.
Not as noisy as Medela Mini Electric and not as harsh. It has 2 ctrl dials for adjustin e cycle freq and 'strength'.
Can be used as a single or dual pump, battery operated or power socket.
Oni 4 parts to wash for a single pump, assembly is easy too.

2. Manual Avent, Single pump
Portable, lightweight pump, good for travelling. I use this for offc.
Many parts to the pump, everyday, I make sure I've assembled all 13 parts to bring to work.
Tiring for our hands, I won't recommend it during intial period when we are already so tired out with a newborn and all.
Empties breasts relatively well, but takes a longer time compared to Ameda. Esp since it's a single pump, u'll need twice the time spent to empty both breasts.
(Note: We can express more bm when we do tandem pumping or dual pumping since both letdown at the same time)

3. Medela Electric Mini
I rate this pump the worst of the 3, and personally won't recommend it to anyone.
Lousy is emptying the breasts, I ended up with lotsa block ducts in the initial stage. I can pump for abt. an hr, massaging, hot compress and all, there's not much milk pumped out though my breasts still feel extremely full of bm.
Noisy pump, sounds like cutting grass, won't recommend for anyone who wants to express discreetly.
Most painful among the 3 I have.

For new mummies who wanna buy a pump, u can call up a BMSG volunteer, I think they allow u to try the pumps before buying at their place.

When storing ebm in milk bags, remember to leave some space at the top before u fasten the ends. This is to allow for expansion when the bm freezes.

On confinement food, my bb was born w G6PD deficiency, not recommended to take ginger and sesame oil. I am one of those mum who did not take any traditional confinement food, no ginger, seasame oil or alcohol. I had a normal diet thru'out my whole confinement period.

hopeac · Apr 14, 2004

hi mel,
If you want to increase your supply.This is what you can do, taught by my LC. Breastfeed your baby first, then pump each side after your feed. If you have a electric pump, you can do tandem pumping. Meaning, feed your baby one breast, and pump the other side out. Over time, your milk will increase. If you want your supply to increase or maintain if your supply is not establish, my LC say you have to pump in the middle of night even your kid may not wake up for feed. She says that it is the time you produce the most. I find it is quite true, once I stop pumping in the middle of the night, the supply reduced. I used to wake up around 2 to 3 am, pump out first, then direct latch my son.

The green papaya soup.
Fish And Papaya Soup (Serves 1)

Ingredients

1 small or 1/4 large semi-ripe papaya
1 whole Fish (carp, snake head, sea-bream, pomfret or kurau fillet),
Few slices of gingers
Method

Scale and clean fish.
Simmer together with papaya pieces and ginger for half an hour or till soft.
Remove bones before serving.
This combination is believed to improve milk flow during lactation.

mom_to_be · Apr 14, 2004

Hi mothers, I pregnant and due to deliver in a month's time. I have been trying to decide whether to BF or not so that I can buy the BF supplies in advance and prepare myself. I have some questions tht I feel shy to ask my gynea, really hope the BF mothers here can answer them for me.

-Is it true that when you BF, your nipples will turn darker and bigger for good?

-Does it mean that if a woman is BF, there cannot be breastplay(like sucking, stimulating) during sex (the logic being that milk will flow?)?

-Is it true that BF lowers a woman's sex drive generally?

Sorry if these questions are too personal, but I really don't know where else to ask...

stylobb · Apr 14, 2004

hi helen/jas/dutchess and all
Relieved to see this thread cos I decided to bf my bb when he was born. I try all ways and means, even taking fenugreek, drinking papaya soup but my ss is just the same!
I use the Medela Pump in Style pump, it is in a travel bag form with a power plug all this while. Am lousy with the Avent manual, dun know how to use it.
My ss also so-so from day one, sometimes I do feel discouraged but I did not stop latching or feeding my bb bm. I guess the consolation is that my bb suckled direct from day one till now and he is growing well but I have given him formula too.
Lately I have this problem, one of my ducts tore and I could not latch him on my right br. I just went to see GP again, stopped applying the cream cos it seems to be healing, pumped the bm and keep, I feed him left side. Feel quite lousy. Anyway GP tells me the tear is called a 'granuloma, it's not serious but will take another 2 weeks to heal. Xian man... I have been lugging my travel bag pump since this week in order to express bm, just asked a friend to lend me her electric pump so I dun have to carry the bag to and fro.
Me lazy mum, dun wake up at 2-3am to pump cos too tired...
Someone mentioned tandem pumping, thanx for the tip...I should try that.

su · Apr 14, 2004

hi mel,
three times a day is not enough to up your milk supply, you have to latch him on whenever your baby is hungry. it's very tiring, but it's the best way to ensure that you have enough milk. it worked for me - sometimes the milk comes in such a flow that my son can choke and get angry at me!
as for confinement food, my mum did use ginger and DOM in her cooking, but i don't like ginger to begin with, so it was just for flavouring, i never eat the ginger pieces. DOM should be ok if it's used in cooking. i think during my antenatal class, the nurse said that the alcohol will evaporate so shouldn't be a problem. anyway, my mum doesn't usually use very much, maybe one or two chinese spoonfuls. and about nipple confusion, i was told not to give any other teat before 6 weeks, but i've already done it! have tried a pacifier (cos sometimes he cries so incessantly it was driving me crazy) - used the one that's supposed to resemble the nipple. for my boy, i think he knows that it's not the real thing, he usually tries to spit the pacifier out at first. try not to let your MIL discourage you - remember that breastfeeding is best for your baby!

hi babe, the clothes at iwantmilks look quite nice. just a bit worried about the sizing, since can't try them on! did you have any problems with the fitting of the clothes?

feeling a bit tired this morning - baby woke up almost every hour from three plus this morning to suckle, and sometimes only for a few minutes before dropping off to sleep again...

bubblebb · Apr 14, 2004

Hello mummies,
I have looking for a 2nd hand medela PIS. Any sellers please email me : [email protected]

helen of troy · Apr 14, 2004

Dutchess,
I am so far satisfied with momsinmind. Do visit the site for more information.

hopeac,
Thanks for the recipe. I will try out.

Anyone to give testimony to the papaya thingy as to whether it works?

helen of troy · Apr 14, 2004

Ladies,
Pls enlighten me. If babies start eating cereals and porridge from 4th month onwards, does that mean that they will need lesser milk and we can relax and the supply is gonna be sufficient even if it dips?

dutchess · Apr 14, 2004

hi helen,

yes, when they start on solids, they will drink less milk. that' why i suddenly had an oversupply in the freezer which i couldn't use fast enough when my boy started on solids. my frozen milk was goign to expire so i quickly used them and so pumped less. now that most of the frozen milk has been used up, i have to start increasing my pumping sessions again to increase the supply to start stockig up again. so i worry that in emergencies or bad days when i can't pump enough, at least there is frozen bm to fall back on. my supply now is not as high as last time.

i think WHO has receommended exclusive bf for 6 months so no need to rush to start baby on solids. after 6 months will do. bm has enough nutrients for baby up to 6 months. i only started my boy on solids after 6 months. and even then i took it slow, so that my boy can slowly adjust. so dun rush to trt on soilds cos you are going to face a whole new set of problem and challenges. enjoy bf your baby till 6 months!

jastan · Apr 14, 2004

dutchess
I don't have a big freezer, it's a normal fridge. It didn't take up lots of space coz I don't have much extra milk to freeze... sigh...

my ss is just enough for bb feeds. Wonder how will I able to supply milk for my boy when he gets older and his intake increase..

stylobb
what is tandem pumping?

mom_to_be · Apr 14, 2004

hey mummies, how come no one can answer my questions? You are all BF mothers, should be able to help, rite?

In case anyone is wondering, I am NOT trying to be funny here, just a MTB who is concered about her own sex life and wondering what implications BF has, that's all.

ran_mel · Apr 14, 2004

hi everyone
thx for all the precious advice and support. I felt so much more determine to breastfeed and not let my MIL discourage me! Btw confinement must avoid fan and air-con?

dutchess
i am taking bath now using those herb boiled water, but don't feel clean enough leh cause not using soap. And wasn't allow to wash my hair yet till the 12th day. So I have my hair tied up and pined all the time.
The weather nowadays is so warm! Do you believe in avoiding the fan and the air-con? Some of my cousins who have gave birth said they din listen and now end up have backaches.

hi babe
i am using the Medela Electric Mini pump. Really very noisy and I have to squeeze like crazy to help the milk out. Maybe like what you say the pump is not good thats why I only get 10ml of milk out.

may i know how much is the Electric Ameda lactaline pump?

hopeac
i told my mum to cook the fish soup for me yesterday. I think it really works! Cause not long after i finished the soup, i felt some milk dripping out and have to use breast pad. Best of all the soup taste yummy!

hi mom to be
it is not true nipple will turn dark if breast feed. I thought likewise at first, but i realised my nipple already starts to turn dark when pregnant.
As for sex life stuff, I don't know cause I am still doing my confinement. Sorry can't help you.

styloBB
what is tandem pumping?

hi su
Wah so envy, your milk so much until your BB can get choke, I wonder when will be my turn...Don't worry, with all the support here, i am not going to let my MIL discourage me!

stylobb · Apr 14, 2004

Jas/Mel
Read what hopeac wrote earlier.... tandem pumping, feed bb one side and pump out the other side..if I read her message correctly.

Su/Mel
Sad to say, none of the methods have worked for me.. my ss is still the same..

su · Apr 14, 2004

hi mel,
don't worry, just keep working at it and i'm sure your supply will increase. just have to be very determined and not get discouraged. even for me, i was wondering if i was doing something wrong when my boy kept wanting to feed every hour - thought maybe i wasn't producing enough milk so he wasn't getting satisfied. but decided to just go ahead with bfg anyway, just that it's a lot of hard work.

so hot nowadays, can't bear it with aircon and fan! anyway, my BB started to develop a heat rash in the first week so even the pediatrician advised me to keep him in an aircon room!

ran_mel · Apr 14, 2004

su
wah, so you are able to sleep in air con too for your confinement. Btw. how does heat rash look like?

styloBB
oh, i missed that part...I can't do tandem pumping cos using the meleda mini pump, very noisy leh.

hazel · Apr 15, 2004

Su,
I tried the nursing wear before buying during their open house sale. Most of the tops I got are not the fitted type, so quite ok. I haven't met u before, can't advise u wat size u can get.

Helen,
Yes, when bb start on solid, they may need lesser milk feeds. However, as our bb grow, they may need more milk per feed too.

JasTan, StyloBB, Mel, Su,
Are u gals new mummies? Juz to share how I managed to maintain my bm supply till today to sustain tbf:

For 1st 4-6weeks
It is critical to establish a good bm supply right from the beginning. To build up supply, do exclusive latching, don't bother to express out. bb's suckling actions will stimualate the most bm supply. Latch bb even for night feeds. Dun introduce pacifier, bottle, water or formula.

6-8 weeks
Start planning for work.
Express bm and let someone else feed your bb to get them adjusted to bottles. It's oso good for us to adjust to pumping and letting-down to the pump we use.
Stock up frozen ebm in the freezer, these will be useful if our supply dip due to increased stress from work.

To increase supply, u can do tandem pumping while latching ur bb, ie. latch one side, pump the other at e same time.
One other method I use is to empty both breasts with dual pumping, then proceed with tandem pumping. However, I oni tried these methods after the 1st 6 weeks.

If u want to increase ur supply, u have to signal to your body to produce more. For eg, u can add one more express session everyday to signal to your body that there is an increased demand. BM supply will not increase on it's own, I have never taken any special food to boost supply, e one and oni method dat I strongly believe in is to increase the demand 1st. Some mothers feel that they dun have enuff milk, so they supplement, but once they supplement, e demand for bm is lower, thus supply will remain low. Be confident abt bfing, and dat u can fulfill ur bb's needs.

mom_to_be,
I think ur concerns are 'unfounded'. Nipples darken during preg to prepare for bf, however, they dun stay dat way forever, not even for a bf mother. U can still engage in foreplay even if u r bfing. Some mothers experience milk leak if their breasts are kinda full, juz need to empty breasts before dat if it's a concern to u. I dun think bf will affect a woman's sex life, if anything, it should make her feel more sexy than ever.

BM is the best milk for your baby, and oni u, the mother can provide the best milk for your baby to give her the antibodies and all. No one else can take over this role for you. I strongly encourage u to bf your bb and read up more to prepare yourself for it.

Mel,
U can get e Ameda pump from BMSG at $290 or $265 (for members) Refer to their website for more details: http://www.breastfeeding.org.sg/shopping/nursingproducts.html.

desert · Apr 15, 2004

Stylobb
I've also tried all the lactation recipes given by TMC, then later tried brewer's yeast and fenugreek. But I dun see any increase in my ss. I think those stuff dun work for everybody lor.
Nvr mind, we just try to give whatever breast milk we hv.

Babe
Oh, I din know diff pumps can result in diff amt pump. I was using the medala mini electric, took me some time to pump out and really noisy. I tried the avent pump but found it tiring on my hands. Should hv gotten the ameda one.

hopeac · Apr 15, 2004

hi Jas,Mel,

I cut a paste a writeup on tandem pumping.

Tandem Pumping

To avoid stressing over pumping enough at work for your baby, trying tandem pumping. You will need to start doing it during your maternity leave to build up the supply because essentially, you are training your breasts to produce enough milk for twins, and supply takes time to build up.

Basically, this is what you do : every time you feed your baby on one breast, simultaneously pump on the other breast. Your baby's sucking will quickly give you a good let down and you will be able to express a good amount of milk easily.

Hence, if on the average you feed your baby 8 times a day and out of the 8 times, 4 are direct feeds, during the direct feeds, you would have expressed 4 extra feed to supply for the 4 indirect feeds. On top of that, you will still need to pump at work to keep up the supply and the amount of milk you pumped out at work can further top up the expressed breast milk supply. By doing this, you are taking away the stress over the need to express enough at work for your baby

Mel,
Don't be discouraged. Some people take a longer time to get their supply established. Mine only got established after I go back to work. My supply was so bad at first that my lactation consultant doubted that I could eventually total breastfeed. However, I tried to pump regularly every 3 hour interval even at work and in the middle of the night. It was really very tough in the beginning, but once it got established it got easier. Now my son is already 15 months, I am still breastfeeding him. He was on total breastmilk until 1 years old, then partial, as I want to stop pumping in office. Don't give up. U can do it.

stylobb · Apr 15, 2004

Babe, hopeac & all
Jas and I delivered in Jan.
Need your advice, I could not express out my bm today, first time it happened, left side only, now a bit engorged...tried twice w/o success... o dear...I tried massaging just now but no avail. Help. I will try again later. I think the engorgement started early this morn cos my bb suckled and seemed he wasn't successful in getting the milk and started crying.
Any advice is appreciated.

stylobb · Apr 15, 2004

desert
Looks like we are in the same boat. Sometimes I wonder why I try so hard when I get so limited, but I guess it's for the sake of our bbs. Actually this week feeling a bit lousy cos of my right side problem and working hard cos gotta latch one side and pump the other, and my ss dwindled too..

hazel · Apr 15, 2004

Stylobb,
How do u massage? must massage w a v vigorous movement wan, until u can move e whole breast 360degree, hope u get wat I mean.

Could it b prob w e pump u r using? U have 2 pumps rite? Try pumpin w a diff pump to rule out pump prob.

Are there any hard lumps in ur breast? Got block duct or fever or not? If it's serious, delay no more, seek help fast. Can try ur lactation consultant to help relieve e engorgement or blocked duct if u r unable to do it urself. If u have mastitis (fever is a sign), gotta see doc n take medication.

stylobb · Apr 15, 2004

Babe
As in rotating 360 degree?

hazel · Apr 15, 2004

yes, rotate 360 degree, not those gentle massage. When i kenna blocked ducts last time n need massage, tears will flow, cos' it's very painful. I normally can't massage it myself, cos' too painful for me to carry on with the 'self torture', so will get help from hubby to do it. R u doing e correct way to relieve ur engorgement?

stylobb · Apr 15, 2004

Babe
I tried...but maybe not so extreme as what you suggested.. I tried to express again just now but only a trickle of bm came..I will try again. Meanwhile left message for the LC to call me back. 1st time this has happened. At a loss..

stylobb · Apr 15, 2004

Babe
Will it really work by turning it 360 degrees? Must I keep doing it, for how long?

helen of troy · Apr 15, 2004

Dutchess,
to stimulate milk, I pump every 3 hrs regardless of whether my baby has been fed anot. Am I doing the right thing?

ran_mel · Apr 15, 2004

babe
u mention that the 4-6 week is very critical. how about the 1-3 week? my baby just a week old and i cant avoid giving her formula, cos my milk is not enough..and everytime she sucks, it is very weak, like sucking pacifier and sometimes she rejects left side of my breast. Don't know she getting anty milk anot or she is sucking for fun..i am worried she is getting used to the bottle and dun wan BF. How long should the latching be each time? and will u recomment the ameda pump or the avent manual pump??

hopeac
sorry for my ignorance..but what is a lactation consultant and what does it mean by blocked duct?

styloBB
may i know how much milk you are able to express out on the average? Don't worry, your LC will think of something to help you. How is the massage going? any help, think i will also tru doing it.

desert
I also thinking of getting the ameda pump, but seems a bit ex...but the medela mini electric really no good, really waste of $$.

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