Breastfeeding Support Group

Hi butterworld

I am a first time mummy and my boy is 3 weeks old.

I also has stock up almost 20 over packets og milk in the freezer but now having probelm don't know the correct way to thaw it.

1) May I ask how do you thaw the forzen milk? My friend told me have to remove it from the frozen compartment one nite before and put into the chiller before I take it out and warm it. Is that true?

2)Some friends told me that I have to thaw it with running water first and then can warm it up with warm water. So I am a bit confuse now.

3) Is that true after thaw, the frozen milk taste a bit different from the EBM? is normal? I scared the milk is spoilt and until now me a bit hesitate to give to my boy to consume.

3) As for the EBM (not store in freezer), all the while I thaw it with the water from the flask. I should thaw it with warm water instead? but I tried that and always finds it a bit cold for my boy to drink.

Thanks in advance for sharing.
 


Blessed,
I'm trying to pump every 3 hours but nipples get very sore so I'm back to every 4 hrs sometimes. During the day 3 hrs, but night, 4 hrs. I totally know what you mean... it's like no time to sleep at all.... finish pumping, sleep a bit, must wake up again. I chose to pump instead of latch last time because my baby had jaundice and was very sleepy. Always fell asleep before getting a full feed. So to moniter how much he drank, I pump to feed him. Now it's become a habit. I want to latch baby instead of pumping but still worried that he doesnt get enough to eat. He's a very small baby (only 3 kg at 1 mth old) so I'm paranoid about how much he gets to feed.

Betterworld,
The situation still pretty much the same although the supply for both breasts have stablized a bit now. I usually get about 120-160 ml every 3-4 hours. But the blocked duct problem still there and I need to massage very hard still before each pump. So my boobs are constantly sore from either engorgement or the "bruised" feeling. It's been one month already. When do painful breasts go away?

Btw, where's the nursing room at Raffles City?

Happi,
There may be some truth in that statement. I was pumping instead of latching and became very prone to engorgement. I think if you can, latch rather than pump.
 
hi betterworld,

sometimes still impatient loh, so when he latch on and impatient, first 1 min, i will squeeze my breast for faster flow.. then he ok, i will stop.

sigh... these few days want to latch on soooo often, like every 1+hr.. like my #1... shiong. so tempted to just pump n feed thru bottle... but i feel long run, latch on is really easier, so i m telling myself to endure.
 
hi twiggy,

oh i get wat u mean. i pump during his stay in TMC for jaundice too! but i paranoid, ask the nurse to cup feed, coz i want to latch on when he ret home.. he being so impatient, if bottle feed, come home sure dont want latch on liao.

ooh ur bb is 3kg at 1mth.. hmm ya sounds small, i dont rem how big ur bb was at birth coz it was not recorded in the dec thread. i know how u feel exactly, coz when i brot my bb to PD review on the 5th day, the PD was "shock" he did not put on any wt vs his discharge wt so ask me see a LC (coz i say i got quite alot of milk leh, till i hv to express out to empty breast after his feed).

then he got admitted for jaundice on the same day n i had to express for him.. but his intake is little. the nurse say he can only take 50-60ml per 3hr. but after his discharge from jaundice, he put on 300g. n ever since i hv been latching him on dispite his impatience... nx week will b his 1 mth chk.. me also nervous abt his wt... his wet/solied diapers are normal.. but still cant help worrying. my #1 n #2, both put on 1.5kg each within the 1st month.
 
hi koala,

me kpo on ur qn on thawing, rule of thumb, do not use hot water to thaw frozen milk.. so it means u can put into chiller compartment to thaw, but takes a long time.. or use room temp water to thaw (put in a cup) this will b faster... after completely thawed, then warm it up.

i usually put room temp water into a cup n put the pack of EBM inside the cup.. then put the whole thing inside the chiller compartment... with water, it thaw faster then just the EBM in the chiller (w/o water)
 
I have less and less milk supply leh.

Once in the morning, the max I pumped out 180ml(30mins)... but seems like these 2 days the supply got lesser. Every 3-4 hours, I got to pump out 100ml(max) only. Today is my 17th day from labour.
 
Hi Blessed,
My baby was only 2.56kg when he was born. On his 5th day check up, he had lost more weight from when he was discharged. I finally only manage to get him to put on weight after his first week. I don't know how much he weighs now but on average has been 150 g per week. So by 1 mth old, he'll be about 3kg only I think.
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Milking cow,
Dont worry too much yet. I've read that the milk supply doesnt stablize till 6 weeks or so. My milk supply even now at 4 weeks is still quite irregular. Sometimes 160ml, sometimes only 100ml.
 
hi koala, i think no 2 is the correct way to thaw milk.

betterworld,
u started pumping since day 1? i think i gotta start EBM soon, scared supply will go down.
 
Hi Twiggy,

Well, you have perservered so far. Good job. My breasts stopped being so painful at about 6 weeks after delivery. For me, it was easier to cope with latching at night and pumping during the day. Just do what works for you the most, but do not be so concerned about how much baby is drinking, as long as baby is pooing and urinating regularly. Baby should be doing well if he has put on about 1 kg at 1st month old. By the weight, is your baby a premature baby, cos he is slightly small?

Blessed,
Well, just do what you deem best. Actually, if your pumping and feeding via bottle is what your baby prefers, why not? (But I agree it is a bit troublesome lah)

Happi,
Yes, I started pumping from day one, as I had an issue with over-supply. I know that LCs always recommend latching exclusively in the first month, I just had to do what is easier for me to cope. If I had just latched baby on, I still had to pump out the excess. Might as well just pump during the day and latch at night.
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Hi Betterworld,
Thanks for the encouraging note. My baby was born at 37 weeks at 2.56kg. Very small. Today just took him for his 1 mth check and he's now 3.65kg. So he's put on 1kg. I'm less worried now about how much he's drinking. I tried latching at night but he's too sleeping to drink much and I still have to pump my engorged breasts after that. So decided to pump at night. During the day, I'll latch him sometimes only. He doens't seem to be able to empty the breast. After he latches, I usually can still pump about 60 ml from each breast at least (without pumping is about 80ml).
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Looks like I got to continue pumping.

Btw, what's the best way to transport EBM when going out w baby?
 
hihi,

Can I join this thread?
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Am still latching my BB on. Haven't really started pumping. My gal's just turne 17 days. hehs...She's quite a sleepy head during the night and would not wake up much. I know I should be pumping to keep my supply up, but I'm also one lazy mum...got chance to sleep I'll just sleep right through...

My gal also doesn't seem to empty the breast. She just sucks still she's satisfied (but it still feels full) and then she'll release the breast. And that's just 1 side. When I try to latch her on the other side, she would refuse to open her mouth. End up, during the day, I'll have to latch her on almost every hour or so...Ended up supplementing with FM - coz HB see me so tired. Tried to give her EBM once, but she didn't take to it - not sure if it's the bottle or what. BF is really not easy manz...
 
HI Twiggy,

Great that your baby did put on slightly more than a kg. Mine also put on a 1.1 kg, I think. Being able to pump out 120 ml from both breasts after latching... is it that in the early morning? Cos I used to be able to pump out 240 ml in the morning upon waking up and after the baby has fed. Don't worry, I think we produce more milk when we sleep and rest.

Best way to transport EBM is to keep the milk cool in cooler bags and use hot warm to warm up after that. OR you can EBM outside and feed baby immediately after.

Hi CSI fan,

Congrats on being a mother. You remember me? I am Fleur. Ya, BF is not easy, but it definitely gets easier later. As for the baby not emptying the breast, the baby knows when she is full. You probably are producing more milk than she needs. I don't understand what you mean by having to latch on every hour or so. If you are latching on to empty breasts, you can pump during the day and store the excess. You will find the frozen breastmilk very useful in times of need, ie when you return to work, when you fall sick and need to non-bf safe medication etc.
 
Hi betterworld,

Of course I remember you...
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Thanks!
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Good to see you here. You're still so active, providing support and advice.
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That's nice...
oh, latching her on every hour or so...coz she tends to feed on 1 breast only (she wun open her mouth when I offer her the other breast - coz she's such a sleepy head). Then she'll wake up and cry (hungry) within 1 hour...then I'll have to latch her on the other breast. HB is not very keen to freeze BM leh, coz he says the composition of BM (for a few weeks old baby) may not meet requirements of a 1-mth old baby...kinda thing.
 
Hi Betterworld,

Good news, baby's feeding slightly more when I latch him. Can feel him almost empty the breast now when I latch him but I will still need to pump the balance out and pump the other breast. But I find that it doenst last him as long as when I bottlefeed him EBM. Bad thing is I still need to massage very hard before each pump. Hoping the pain will subside.

CSI_Fan,
I had a similar problem with my baby. He was a very sleepy and wouldnt feed for very long when he latches. As a result, he got hungry every hour. In the end, I pump and fed from the bottle instead. Although that is better in the sense that he lasted longer, I had the reverse problem of oversupply and ended up w engorgement. Had a vicious cycle of needing to pump every 4 hrs at least otherwise I will be engorged. So continuing to latch seems to be a better option. I"m not sure if you want to try this...how about alternate between latching and EBM? That way, after the EBM feeds, you can have a longer break from feeds? I'm not sure if this works and hope the more experience mummies here can help.

As for your hubby's worry about EBM not being suitable, I dont have that problem coz whatever I express is finished within 24 hrs. I havent frozen any milk. Just keep in fridge to feed within 24 hrs.
 
Hi CSI Fan,

glad to see you here too.
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I had so many problems breastfeeding my baby, so glad to be of help to other mothers.

By the way, about frozen EBM being different for babies when they are older, it might not be a 100% match, but it is still better than FM, right? If the baby has diarrhea, he/she can only take soy-based FM or BM, so stored EBM is definitely handy.

Hi Twiggy,
Did lecitin work for you?

Hi both,
I think that it is very common that babies want to be latched on all the time. If you think about it, it can be rather traumatic for a newborn, having to be a totally new environment and not being to see clearly at that age. I had an alert (and agressive haha!) baby who also wanted to be latched on all the time. Think it was because I had no epidural. Read somewhere that epidural makes the baby more sleepy. If the warmth of the mother's breasts could comfort them, why not?
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Hi Betterworld,
True...you have a point there. hehs...I'll go tell HB that. kekeke....EBM will come in handy esp if baby has stomach upset. hahaha...then he cannot say no to freezing liaoz.
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Hi Twiggy,
yah, me too...always engorged. I'm trying out the alternating between latching on and EBM. But I also worry abt nipple confusion. Guess gotta work out a "schedule" kinda thing to minimise any confusion...
 
hi mommies...

can i check with u all..when to introduce bottle to tbf baby? coz many people have told me that i have to intro bottle soon, if not baby will not want bottle and weaning will be very difficult...my baby is now 2 months and 1week old...
thanks
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RE: Latching
When I latch baby, he feeds for half an hour max and then stops and I can't get him to continue. In that time, he clears only 80% of one breast which means it is not a full feed for him. Then he will be hungry again within an hour. How do I get him to have a really full feed so he goes on longer? Right now, I'm pumping every four hours and feeding him EBM but I want to convert to latching.

CSI_Fan,
I was quite lucky that baby didnt get nipple confusion. But what I did was to make sure he gets both EBM and latch every day so he doenst "forget" how to take the bottle or nipple. How often do you have to pump in order not to feel too engorged? I'm trying to drag my pumping interval at night but the max I can wait is 5-6 hours, otherwise, it's really engorged and hard to express.

Betterworld,
I can't tell if the lecithin is working for me but I'm still taking it regularly. I still need to massage very hard before expressing. In fact, my pump does probably only 10% of the expressing. The rest is by massaging. Two night ago in fact, my pump broke down and I had to express by hand at night. It took the same time as using the pump!!!
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Had a really bad night last night. Left breasts was really sore and throbbing and sharp pain when I massaged before pumping. As a result, I couldn't massage but couldnt get the milk out by pumping alone. I was so frustrated and in despair as I stared at the engorged breast, helpless wondering what to do with it that I just screamed and burst out crying. Gave my hubby a fright of his life. It's like a dam of frustration just gave way. I really feel like giving up BFing nd I'm wondering if all the anguish and stress is even worth it. I know breastmilk is suppose to be really good and all that, but it seems feeding formula has so many benefits as well, like :

1)Baby lasts longer on formula milk than breast milk so less tiring feeding him all day. No need to feed as many times / wake up as many times.

2) Babies actually put on weight more quickly on formula than BM.

3) No problems with engorgement, sore nipples, bruised breasts, blocked ducts etc and as a result (I suspect), better temperament.

I was trying to recap the benefits of BFing to evaluate if it's really worthwhile struggling w BFing and here's what I concluded are the benefits of BF :

1) Antibodies and other substances in BM not found in FM.

2) More easily digested - but if that means babies get hungry more often, and yet put on less weight than FM-fed, then is that really an advantage?

3) BM evolves in content as baby grows. - Ok...but if I'm expressing and not latching direclty, this point is irrelevant. Anyways, so does FM, that's why there's FM for newborns vs 6 mths vs 1 yr old etc right?

4) Convenience of not having to bring bottle etc. - not relevant point if feeding EBM

5) BFing gives bonding - yeah, but if mummy is in pain and cranky all the time, I think a FM-fed baby will have better bonding w happy mum.

So as I can see, it's only point 1) that really is the real reason I'm still BFing despite all the problems. Can anyone enlighten me on any perspective I may have missed out? I really want to give the best to baby but not sure what that is right now.
 
hi twiggy,

point 1 is strong enough reason to cont to bf. i've been fb'g my baby for 6 mths now. i went through loads of problems initially and like u, wanted to give up. i'm so glad i didn't. after i est. my supply by week 6 of birth, i was able to go on TBF for my boy. up till today, my boy has never fallen sick - even in those time when i had flu virus and stomach flu, he was able to fight off the virus himself while i cont to bf him!

i've heard how tough it is for small babies when they have blocked nose cos they do not know how to breath thru' their mouths. this was 1 fact which kept my going in the early days despite my frustrations..

hope you will stick it out for your baby..

btw, my Totally BF baby was 97th percentile in body weight at 5 months!! i would never have imagined he could be this big during those 'dark times' when i was struggling with what i thot was insufficient milk supply..
 
Hi,

I am BF my girl paritally, I BF her during the day and at night I would give her FM (120ML each time), everday it would be 2 FM one at late night and the other is during early hour of the morning.

She is now 5 weeks old and I am trying to express out my milk, as I would be heading back to work in Feb. My milk supply seems to be never enough for my girl, she can latch on to me for about an hr for 1 breast but she will not be filled. Recently, after latching on for about almost 2hrs, I would need to give her another 60ML of FM to please her and stop her from crying.

I understand that other then frequent latching, in between feed and early morning is best time to express the milk, I tried expressing twice but it seems like I really lack of milk supply. I alternate each breast every ten min when expressing and after an hour of expressing I manage to collect only 30ML!!!!!! Which is like, some of you mummy here get to collect 100ML or more, this is really depressing for me upon reading it.

Can anyone tell me how I could increase my milk flow, as I wish to continue giving my girl BM when I am back at work. As I work as an outdoor sales, can anyone share how you managed to pump your milk when constantly on the go? I need to find out it is possible after each pump, I place the milk collected in the room and continue to add on to it within a certain lenght of time? If stored in the fridge, can I take it out to add on, or additional milk must added to new bottle?

Thanks in advance!
 
Hi Twiggy,

Pat.. pat... From what I read, your breast pump seems to be wrong for you. It is surprising that you still need to massage hard to get the milk. A good breast pump should be able to express faster than using hand and also you should not need to massage so hard. I am not saying that the Ameda is a bad pump, but it may not be the right one for your body. Also, you sound like you are starting to have mastritis, cos the pump is not clearly away the pump or that you are not pumping regularly enough. I suggest that you see a LC and/or gynae immediately cos if you have mastitis, you need antibiotics. Well, I developed mastitis at my 10th month of breastfeeding cos I was very stressed working overseas for two weeks and was not pumping regularly. So, you see, I had my fair share of problems.
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http://www.bflrc.com/newman/breastfeeding/mastitis.htm

And yes, Marble is right, the health benefits for the baby is really great. It is not true that TBF baby is smaller. Mine was top 10% percentile at 6 months. Also, FM only changes composition at 6 months and 1 year whereas composition BM is constantly evolving.

By the way, a good breastpump will really make your bf-ing career easier. A lot of mothers use Avent manual pump because it has soft petals to massage the area around the aerola. My hubby bought me the Avent DUo when he saw me struggling and it works great for me.
 
Hi Yip,

Actually, like you say, the best way to increase breastmilk is to latch and pump. Latch as long as you can first, then pump out to stimulate, while giving milk to the baby if she is still hungry. At night, try to rely on latching rather than giving FM. Take lots of papaya fish soup. Some mothers tried fernugeek and it seems to work for them.

Well, I can testify that pumping and latching regularly, (ie at least 3 hourly interval) does work. In the course of my bf-ing career, my expressed breastmilk had gone to a pathetic of 20 ml per pump before, once when I was very sick, and the second when I was very stressed working overseas and homesick. I managed to restore the level after pumping and latching regularly.

As for pumping outside, see if you could borrow a room (by being thick-skinned) or use a nursing room in any shopping malls. Plan your day schedule carefully and keep a cooler bag with you all the time. You should make sure that the ice bricks stay cool by ensuring that you have access to fridges. You should not keep milk at room temperature for too long. You can add on to milk stored in a fridge if they are within 12 hours of each other.
 
Hi Betterworld,

I have increase the no. of time of lathing and pumping, still the amount of milk collected is so little 1 hour at most 30ML so despressing.

As long as MIL is in, if baby cry she will quickly feed baby with FM, at times baby is not hungry but she will still give FM, it delay my BF time. At times, when I BF halfway baby unlatch on her own, my MIL will stop baby from BF which I do not even know is baby full esp. when she know baby have latch on me for very long.

I really need to increase the amount of milk being express out. If not, when I am back to work, think baby will need to be on FM .
 
Hi Yip,

I think you should tell your MIL to respect your decision to fully breastfeed the baby. Take care the baby yourself if you need to, since you are out of your confinement already anyway.

Also, how long you tried latching and pumping more freqruently? I think you should try doing so round the clock, ie including the night feeds.
 
Hi betterworld,

Is hard to tell my MIL that, I stay with her and even we have told her about it many times she would feel that baby cry is due to hunger and I truly understand that she love baby and thus worried that she is hungry. We have consulted our PD and found out that even if after BF and baby cry it could be just attention seeking and if we offer our baby a bottle, is normal that she will take it. For my PD he feel that so long as the baby can digest, then is ok.

Usually baby will latch on to me at least 5-6 times a day and each time can range from a min. of 1 hr to 2 hr. When she latch on, I would pump the other side, if she is on formula, I would pump and when she is sleeping in between feed I would also pump. But I only started pumping two days ago.

Like last night, I started BF my girl around 10 plus for an hour plus, she is still not contented so I give her the exress milk of 30ML which I pump out while BF her an after finishing it she still want more so my hubby made 90ML of FM, she finish everything, not long she didn't fall asleep and behaving upset, I offer her my breast and she starts fedding again!!! Is really scary as it seems like she have such huge stomach to contain all the milk!

So if I really want to BF her, I really need to have lots of milk supply and have it store. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to catch up with her demand. In fact in a usual day, at most we give her 3 FM feeding, other time is all BM.

I also believe that she latch on to me at time is for comfort but I am sure she does drink from my breast as her sucking is hard and she swallow.
 
hihi...I'm back. haha...was out of action over the weekend...coz on Friday night, I came down with high fever (at least 38-degrees). I suspect it was mastitis. Right side was very engorged and there were hard lumps that were SUPER PAINFUL to the touch. I couldn't even massage it. Hot compress didn't seem to work either. Hey Twiggy, seems like we were going through the same thing at the same time!

During the weekend, I so felt like giving up BF. I can totally understand why some mummies give up. The pain is just...aiyoh! And it's so frustrating, coz milk ducts are blocked, so milk flow is very slow. My gal got so frustrated while sucking on the right breast (plus I also dunno if there's any change in taste, given the fever and mastitis). She kept crying, I also get frustrated and nobody had any sleep (I couldn't sleep with the pain...). The first "trial" in BF for me...Hubby also got quite worried. Kept telling me to relax and not worry abt BF. He supplemented with FM and kept encouraging me to pump out. My goodness...the EBM from the right side was PATHETIC! Before that, both sides yielded almost the same amount of BM. That night, right side yielded 1/3 that of left side! After 20 mins! I was so stunned...and so sad. But I just kept pumping and latched on whenever my gal wanted to. Ignored the pain and her cries. She cried and "bounced" on and off the breast for 5 min, then we gave her FM. Quite poor thing...we had to subject her to such treatment. But I really wanted her to suck and to suck hard, to help get the milk flow going. Continued to pump...now right side is yielding 1/2 of left. Seems to be improving...

Till today, the lumps are still there (but smaller and less painful) and my gal is now happy to be sucking from that side.

It is so tough manz...
 
Hi Marble,
Ok, I'm convinced that the resistance to illness alone is reason enough to continue BF. Really hope I can continue on.

Betterworld,
Thanks for the encouragement. I'm thinking of trying out a different pump. Any idea where I can test out the Medela PIS or Avent Duo? I don't really wnat to spend $700 on a pump only to find that it doesnt make any difference and still give up BF. Also, what kind of doctor can I see to tell if I've got mastitis or any breast problems?

I was wondering if it is normal that all mothers have to massage their breasts so hard in order to get the milk to flow.

Btw, brought my baby to the doctor yesterday and was told he has thrush. Apparently I had thrush on my nipples to which is why latching is stinging and painful. Hoping that heals so I can latch him again. I find the most effective way for me to keep up the supply is to pump every 4-5 hours and latch at least once or twice a day.

Yip,
I experience the same thing sometimes and I'm really baffled by how much my baby seems to be able to feed. He sometimes latches for half an hour and judging from the softness of the breast after that, he should have had a bit. But right after that, he can drink another full feed!! I'm like "huh???" So did he not get anything from my breast? That's why I find it hard to tell how much I'm feeding him when he latches. Like your Dr say, babies seem to be able to feed more than they need.

CSI_Fan,
Oh no, sorry to hear you're having the same problems. It's quite awful isnt it? I am so terrified of getting engorged breasts and those lumps now because it really hurts to get rid of them. Betterworld recommended I try lecithin to reduce blocked ducts. You might want to try that too?
 
Yip,
On increasing milk supply, I got Motherlove More Milk Plus supplements from my gyne. I dont' know if it works but my supply has been ok so far. You might want to try that or ask a doctor for recommnedations?
 
Hi Twiggy,

For my case, is worst baby can latch on to me for more then an hour and after which if she fall asleep and unlatch, I would think she is full but within 10min she would start crying and would demand for feed.

Which I am not sure she is hungry or just want to suckle for comfort, and my MIL would quick come to the room and give her a bottle and she could actually finish a 90ML without any prob!

Now I am trying hard to pump and latch as much as I could. In fact I suspect she is having her growth spurt period now, she is 5weeks plus now coming 6 weeks and just this morning she is demanding to be feed almost every 1hour. Cant even rest non even find time to pump...

Hear of the Motherlove more milk plus, saw it online and can be purchase online, I now trying out nursing tea, if it doesn't work I would buy the Motherlove.
 
Hi Twiggy,

You can contact Avent office to rent the Avent Duo. They do rent out the pumps. Another place to rent pump would be Moms-in-mind. Try contacting Avent at 6882 3999
http://www.momsinmind.com.sg/isispump.html

Oh dear, you have thrust. Did you get antibiotics? I have just PMed you my lactation consulation, Doris Fok's contact. She is very good and should be able advise you greatly. The good thing is that she can get rid of engorgement in a less painful method, rather than using brute force.

Hi Yip,
Yes, baby likes to suckle for comfort. Really, they are not hungry all the time. Sometimes, they just want attention, want to sleep, want mother's warmth etc. ya, it is hard to tell your MIL, but perhaps you should really tell her your wishes truthfully and ask for her support.

Hi CSI fan,
Well, bf-ing is never easy, but I will say that it is worth it in the end.
 
Hi Betterworld

Can you pm me your lactation consulation, Doris Fok's contact as well. I have bf for 6 weeks and my right breast has very bad engorgement that make my right hand can't even lift up... Gosh... All the while I have been pumping regularly and let my boy to latch on, just that my right breast all the while can produce only half quantity of milk compare to my left one.

Now really super painful... Thanks.
 
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Hey, anyone using the Medela PIS? I have some silly questions to ask. hahaha. It's just some thoughts that came through my mind when I'm sterilizing my pump.

Do you ladies sterlize (using boiling or steam method) your pumps before each use?
After sterilization, there will be water droplets in the bottle, on the breastshields etc. What to do about the droplets? I tried to let it air dry, but those in the bottles dun dry out that quickly...
After sterilization, we use our hands to assemble the pump? Hmmm, does that defeat the purpose of sterilization? esp for the membranes...

Hope someone can answer my thoughts. heehee...

and I think I'm not using it correctly...coz everytime I pump, I have to sit in a particular way to ensure the bottles are upright. I'll end up with backache...
 
Hi Betterworld,
Thanks for the info on renting Avent pumps. I did not get your PM on Doris Fok's contact. Can you try emailing me at [email protected] pls? What method does Doris use to reduce engorgement?

I think my thrush has cleared. I didnt get antibiotics. I got a cream for my baby's cheeks and a cream for my nipples. Now less painful. But I got a new problem. Baby has now picked up the habit of using his gums to bite on nipples when he latches. So by the time he finished nursing, my nipple tip is flat. How do I get him to stop?

Koala,
Your engorgement is probably due to blocked ducts. I had the same problem and had to massage it away. Putting cabbage leaves in the meantime helps.
 
hi betterworld

I didn't received your pm on the contact. Can I trouble you to e-mail me at [email protected]

Thanks.

Twiggy

Ya, I agreed, just don't know y still get this problem although with pumping and latching regularly. Hb massage for me.. very very painful man.. I heard cabbage laves methods too, but also know that it will reduce the milk suplly thereafter so dare not try.. cos my supply is already not fantastic..
 
Hi Koala and Twiggy,

Strange that you did not get my PM. Anyway, I just did a google search on Doris and found her profile online. Her contact is 9-6387660. She uses the Marmet Hand expression method, so it is less painful.

http://www.momsinmind.com.sg/links.html

By the way, if you already have blocked ducts, cabbage leaves are not going to help. Cabbage leaves only reduce milk flow.

Twiggy, I read that you can pull the baby gently away each time he does that and tell him that he should stop doing that.

CSI fan,
Though I do not use the Medela PIS, I also do get water droplets on the pump. THey should be ok as the water were boiled. If you air dry, the pump may get contaminated again and beats the point of sterilising. To assemble the pump, make sure that you watch your hands clean, preferably with anti-bacterial soap.

As for your posture, I don't understand why you should have to sit in any certain way.bless Just sit normally, use a lumbar if you have to and place the funnels perpendicular to your breasts to make sure it is air tight.
 
hi betterworld, yah...that's what I thought too. If air dry, then what's the point of sterilizing? hehs. oh well...oh, I have to sort of lean fwd a bit coz I want to keep the bottles upright. But it could be my sofa also lah. I've been sitting there to pump. Will have to try a different chair. haha. One that is more upright. hehs.

Twiggy, think we have to communicate with our babies too. Tell your baby that you don't like the biting...who knows? baby might understand...heehee.
 
Hi Betterworld,
Thanks for sharing the info. Btw, do you mind sharing what the Marmet hand expression method like?

CSI_fan,
I will try to tell baby not to bite my nipple. Hope he listens. But so far, he's been a very stubborn baby.
happy.gif
MY god, imagine when he gets teeth!!!
 
hi

i hv jus given birth via csect yday. Would like to ask abt breastfeeding. nurses at tmc telling me to feed-on-demand..but tot i read somwhere that i shud feed every 2-3 hourly to establish milk supply regardless of bb asking/cryg for it or not. What shud i do...getting very upset cos PIL and even my own mom say bb crying due to hunger cos i no milk. Csect mommies milk really come slower? when ah? pls help..really feel like crying when baby cries until lips tremble...felt so helpless and useless...so tempted to give in to FM but i wan to perservere....
 
HI All

I have a small problem. My baby is 4 mths old and she is TBF.My baby has gained only abt 550gm since her 3rd month (550 gms in 5 weeks).
My Dr is really not pro BF and he has been telling me to give her formula right from start. He said she is in 25th percentile (During her 3rd month review she was in the 50th percentile. She was 2.85kg at birth and at 3 mths she was 5.58.Just 120gm short of doubling). When i told him she is still TBF he got angry. And i am feeling really guilty for being stubborn. I gave her formula once but still don't feel like giving it and hence stopped. I thought i will give myself another 15 days to see if things improve. My mom says its ok as BF babies sometimes take time and as long as she is active and healthy there is nothing for me to worry about. Initially when i had problems with establishing my flow she really helped me by getting my baby latch on hourly. I dont know if my mom is right.They never did all this monthly weight checks when we were small. Now my little one seems contended feeding once every 3 hrs.

I have a few que to all you lovely mummies out there.

1. Do u think i should opt the easy way out and just give formula or start semi solids?

2. I have a major let down problem. It is four months and i still vent been able to sort it out. I can only pump while tandem feeding and only as long as she is actively suckling. Without her i sometimes spend about 20-30 mts pumping and max get 5ml. Is there anything I can do to fix this? That way i can pump and store. I hardly tandem pump these days as she is getting heavier and really moves around so difficult to manage both at the same time. I have run out of EBM now.

3.My baby doesn't seem to cry or fret too much.Last week I tried to give her about 150 ml of EBM and she could finish only abt 100 and after that she was quite happy for the next 2-3 hrs. This happened a few times. Even when i gave her formula she could take only abt 90ml.Isnt that way too little for a 4 mth old? She should be drinking abt 150-180 ml right. About a month back when we used to give her EBM she used to take about 120-130 ml and even wanted little more. But she looks quite active and healthy and so far all the milestones are on time. My hus says eating little has shrunk her stomach. Is he right? Have i so underfed her that she decided that this is all mummy will give so let me be happy with it?

3.Since last friday, she sometimes frets a lot when i try to feed her. She will start suckling then pull out crying and then i try to put her back again and she will pull out again crying. At this point i either change side (sometimes it works) or I help by squeezing the breast for her (again sometimes it works). What is happening? Cos when i try to hand express, milk is squirting out. Then i carry her over the shoulders for a while she doesnt even ask for milk. After a while i try to nurse her lying down she will happily suckle. Why does this happen? It is really frustrating for both of us.

4. I started on fenugrek yesterday. How much should i take. I took 3 tablets thrice a day (whenever i remembered and not with food as was instructed in the bottle). Does it help and how long will it take to see results?

5. Every one says eat more, eat more (actually once EBM was fully established i went back to my nor diet as i thought it wont matter). If i eat more fatty stuff or more food, will it help? I am willing to do anything even if i become a big fat cow. But i really would like to BF her atleast till she is 6 mths.

I am feeling really guilty. My baby is actually quite an easy going child and she hardly cries or throws tantrums. So could it be that cos of her nature, though she is hungry she is able to suppress the hunger or make do with little bit. I am sorry this is long but hope i can get some answers.

Thanks
 
My life

I also had a C-section. From my personal experience, yes it takes a little longer for the BM to establish compared to normal delivery. But please dont give up. I went to 3 paeds within the first 10 days as my baby kept crying a lot. And all the Drs i went to were very pro formula. At home dh and my father were like 'give formula. Dont stress urself so much'. But my mom stood by me. She said if we dont fight it out now, then we can pretty much say good bye to BF. So I used to nurse my little one round the clock. She used to suckle for an hr, take a break for maybe 30mts -1 hr and then suckle again. It was worse cos my little one hardly slept and we didnt know whether it was hunger that kept her awake.I also did tandem pumping which really helped as i used to give her that milk in between (I used to get very little milk when i pumped but i will do it with every feed and then combine 2-3 sessions to make about 60ml that she needs for her one feed). Hang in there and dont give up. It took me about a month before things really settled down and she started nursing once every 3 hr. As u can see from my above post i ve different set of issues now.
 
Mylife,
I'm a new mum myself so I'm not sure if I can offer much help but I realized that it's true that we need to pump / feed every 2-3 hours to establish supply. At first, I listened to the nurses and only fed my baby when he cried but because he was jaundiced and a very sleepy baby, he didnt wake up much to feed. It took awhile for my BM supply to stablize. Later on, I read in some books that you need to feed baby every 3 hours, even wake him if he's asleep and that helped estalbish my supply. Hope this helps.

Sankan,
It's quite surprising your Dr is pro FM. I thot most of them after pro BM. I have read in a lot of books that BF babies are a bit smaller than FM fed babies. But if you're concerned about your baby's weight, I wonder if it's ok to do a combi of both FM and BM? That way, he can get the benefits of BM and still get the weight gain from FM. Most people thing BF or FM have to be mutually exclusive but I found what works quite well for me is to do a combi of both. And in order to keep my supply up, I have been pumping and freezing the excess. My problme however is in blocked ducts and engorgement. Not sure if my suggestion is right. Hope some of the other more expreience mummies can help.
 
Dear all,
May I know for a 2 wks+ baby, how long is per feeding session? I used to feed my baby for abt 5-10mins each time as he dozes off after that. Ends up he demands feed every hr. When i see a lactation consultant, i was advised we shd try to feed at least half an hr to 1 hr. Wonder if this true... cos i dont think i can keep my baby awake for so long.
 
Hi mylife,

I will try to answer some of your questions. Feed on demand if your bb is not a sleepyhead, else must wake up bb to feed. Interval is abt 2-3 hrs. Feed on demand in the middle of the night. Bb cry for many reasons, may not be for milk. Sometimes they r too cold, or too warm. Sometimes it's bec they pooped or diaper too wet, needs a change. Sometimes they just want a cuddle. Try to swaddle the bb tightly. They are used to being in a enclosed place inside you. For me, I will try to see if the bb is crying for the above reasons, if not, I'll just put bb to the breast
happy.gif
.

Hi Sankan,
I'm not sure which growth chart your doc is refering to, but there is actually a different growth chart for TBF bbs. Think it can be found in the WHO website.
Anyway, most bbs at 4th mth will experience a reduction in milk intake.
Re your pumping problem, I'm not sure which pump u r using. Maybe that pump is malfunctioning (e.g. valve/membrane torn) or not suitable for u. I've read that some people can never respond to any pump. If u r one of those people, then there's the hand expression method which u can learn to express milk.
Why do you think your bb shld be drinking 150-180ml? My bbs never drink more than 120ml through bottles
happy.gif
.
Abt your bb's freting, mayb she is teething.
Re eating, you need to eat well, not fatty food lah. And don't diet.
 
Hi eve,
Breastfeeding is an art, not a science...so no magic numbers abt how long a feeding session shld be. Deps on bbs. You shld try to feed your bb longer so that he will get the hindmilk. Hindmilk is more filling, so bb may not demand feeding so frequently. When you sense that your bb is falling asleep, you shld try to keep him awake by stroking his palms/soles/cheek/chin. If not, can compress your breast to increase milkflow. Btw, there's a growth spurt at the 3rd week, so bb may demand feeding more often.
 
Hi Sankan,
My gal fret quite a lot too (she's turning 1 month on Tuesday). Same thing, she will suckle then pull out and cry and I try to put her back on and the whole thing will repeat...I'm also quite frustrated and have not been able to find a reason for this behaviour...if you manage to find out why babies behave like that, do share with us also, yah? I'm still asking around and reading up...hoping to find out too...
happy.gif
 


my milkflow jus came in. But baby got jaundice and need to go foto therapy, end up need to feed water cos very dry.
sad.gif
Oh well, at least got milk flow liao.

thanks to all who have given their advices. Now worry wat's the "pattern" of my baby gonna be like in the next few weeks/months
 
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