Breastfeeding Support Group

CSI_Fan,
My baby does that sometimes when I try to do breast compressions to make the milk flow faster.He doesnt seem to like it and will pull out. He prefers if I just leave him to suckle slowly. On the other hand, sometimes when my ducts are blocked and he sucks but doenst get any milk, he gets frustrated and pulls away too. Could yours be either?
 


Hi,

Can we wear wired nursing bra during breast feeding? Will it hinder our milk production? Cos i went to buy nursing bar the SA told me that daytime need to wear wired to prevent sagging and nite time Without wire as a support. Please advise....
 
Hi Twiggy,

Pls see below link for the Marmet Hand Exprssion method. http://www.lactationinstitute.org/MANUALEX.html

Hi Jacelyn,
It is more preferred to wear unwired ones. It will definitely hinder milk production and cause blocked ducts. If you are of a small size, there is no really need to wear wired ones during the daytime. If no, you can try wearing wired ones for some hours during the day
 
hi Twiggy,
thanks...I think I figured out what she means when my gal pulls out and cries. 1) milk flow is too fast suddenly (coz it usually happens when there's let down); 2) she really just doesn't want to suckle. She just wants other ways of soothing her...heehee...

haiz, so tired.
 
Hi Betterworld,
Thank you for recommending Doris to me. I went to see her two days ago and she taught me the Marmet method which is very helpful. Far less painful than my brute force method of massaging. I hope this can help me persevere with breastfeeding for longer.
 
Hi Twiggy,

You are most welcome. Glad that Doris was able to help you. She is rather chatty too, isn't it? Makes the whole process of getting the milk out less tolerable. I had to see her three times already, in the course of the whole year last year. So, how long are you targeting to breastfeed?
 
Hi Betterworld,

Yeah, she is very chatty.
happy.gif
Find that her chatting distracts me from the expression too. I plan to bf for as long as possible but hopefully for at least 3-6 months, since I wont be working till at least then.
 
Hi Twiggy,

Wow, you mean you don't have to go back to work till 6 months later? that's great for you. Baby is so cute these days, I sometimes wish I could be a SAHM.

Does that mean that after seeing Doris, you are having a better time breast-feeding already?
happy.gif
 
Hi Betterworld,

I'm currently a SAHM and decided I'll stay home till baby's at least 6 mths old. Yeah, it's nice being a SAHM as I get to spend a lot of time w baby. The downside you no independant income and less interaction with other people. Hnece, this forum is a livesaver for me.
happy.gif


After seeing Doris, the main help is that I can use her tips for Marmet hand expression which help to reduce the pain of expression a bit. But I still get constant pain and discomfort whenever breasts are starting to fill again. Doris says that's probably due to my thrush and has recommended I change my diet. To be honest, I really dont enjoy BFing, unlike some mothers, but just hanging in there for baby's sake.
 
Hi Twiggy,

Don't worry. I did not enjoy breastfeeding at all, particularly for the first three months. I think I only enjoy breastfeeding in the recent months when the baby (or now toddler) is able to response to my ramblings and we play silly games together.

Yes, since will be good for you bf baby for at least six months. Once you can get rid of your thrust, things will be much better. Will you be able to go back to your old job after the six months?

Sigh. If I am lucky, my next overseas trip will be March. Am so not looking forward to that, as the baby will cry for me during the night and I have to think of pumping logistics again.
 
Hi

I am new here. Just delivered three days ago. Till now, there isnt any milk when i latch on my son or try pumping. Any advice???
 
Hi pooh
3 days is still early for milk flow to come..some ppl milk flow only come around 1wk after delivery..just keep on latching ur son...

Re: thrush
does it mean that when its painful when bf is having thrush..recently i felt pain when i bf my 8mth old son..not sure becos he is teething..dat why he bite quite hard or wat
 
Hi Betterworld,
Bad news....finally given up.
sad.gif
Really had enough of the pain. I keep getting sharp shooting pain in my left breast, dunno if it's because of the thrush. Went to the Dr yesterday to get the anti-swelling med and the one to stop lactation. Now engorged and painful but hopefully will go away soon. Felt quite bad to give up BFing coz my supply was good, but I didnt want to always be in a bad mood because of my pain. Somedays I can't carry baby properly because it's too painful to hold him to my chest. Hoping he'll make the transition to FM smoothly coz I only have a bit of frozen EBM left.
sad.gif


It must be so hard being a BFing mum when you're working, especially since you travel too. Do you have to discard the milk you pump when you're overseas?

Hey, thanks for all the support and encouragement you gave me throughout the two months of my struggle w BFing.
happy.gif
 
Zhuzhu,
When you have thrush, chances are your baby will too. It will look like white milk curds on his cheeks and gums but wont' rub away, so you know it's not milk curd. And your nipples will be red, flaky, and sore with a burning pain. But quite hard to tell because it could also just be cracked nipples from latching. Best to see a Dr.
 
Hi ZhuZhu

I have been trying to pump out. After pumping 20 mins on both side, i can only collect 1oz. Breast has engorged, so painful. Try to massage with hot towel before pumping out, it doesnt help on the milk flow. Very depressed. So painful like carrying two big stone. HELP!!!!
 
hi mommies

question again..have asked around and realised there's 2 school of thots. One group telling me to latch and pump, latch and pump ie pumping after each latch feed to increase milk ss. But another group telling me as long as bb satisfy, poo and pee 6-8 times daily, shud be fine, DONT pump cos dont intro EBM/bottles to baby so soon. The pumping group say, those who jus latch, latch, latch, sooner or later milk ss will jus petered off. The latching group say, dont worry, jus latch and latch, milk ss will ALWAYS be there...

Am confused now. Dunno whether i shud pump after each latch....if i pump and my baby wakes up JUST AFTER i finished pumping, my breast would be all soft and less milk for her....how?COmments on your own experiences pls?? Thanks a lot!!!
 
Hi Twiggy,

Agree with CSI fan. Well, you have bf-ed for two months, despite the pain, so that's a great job. Still, I think it is good to find out the cause of your thrust problems, so that you can fully bf your next child.
happy.gif


As for pumping while travelling overseas, I do throw away the milk sometimes, if I could have easy access to the fridge (in the hotel rooms) or my schedule is hectic. Pumping and bring back the milk involves a lot of logistics considerations, but I am proud to say that I have done it several times.
happy.gif


Mylife, actually, it really depends on your personal preference. That's no need to really listen to either group. Just listen to your baby and your body's needs. I pump during the day and bottle-feed cos I had too much milk and after feeding the baby, I still have to pump else I will end up with major blocked ducts. At night, I totally latch on. During the day, my MIL helped me to bottle-feed and I am glad she did so cos she is now the baby's second favourite person (1st is mama, of course). I believe the bottle-feeding did help in the bonding. When I am not around, the MIL can take over easily. When the baby is young, I find that the suckling is not that strong, so the mother can end up with blocked ducts often. If you are planning to store up more milk, for use in future, you can pump and latch.
 
Hi mylife,

For me, in the earlier mths, I only feed my bb with 1 breast each time n he's full liao. So technically speaking, I could pump out the other side but I'm too lazy to pump. I'll only pump if I start to feel uncomfortable 'cos breast is too full. I only started pumping when my bb is abt 3mths old n I need to send my older child to school.
Re your question abt your bb waking up after you've finished pumping n u hv no more milk for her, you can try pumping just one breast n then leave the other side for her when she wakes up. But if you ask the diehards, they will tell u to just put the bb to the breasts n let the bb suck to stimulate more milk 'cos your breasts will never be really empty
happy.gif
.
 
Hi mylife,

I pump and latch on too. Abt intoducing bottle to baby so early...well, for me, it's useful, coz my gal can take to bottles and my nipple easily. She's used to either one, so no confusion etc there. Makes it easier for hb to do the night feeds or when I'm just too tired.
happy.gif
If baby wakes up after I pump, then I just offer her the EBM that I just pumped out lorh. heehee...
 
hi mommies
thanks for your feedback.

betterworld
i tried latching and pumping, but funnily enough, when i pump, the ss is so pathetic. My bb is waking up every 1-2 hours for feedings, so i usually only offer 1 breast and she seems to be satisfied with it. So i try emptying the other "unused" breast by pumping, but when i pump, now i only managed to get about 40-50ml. And i have no idea how much shud a bb her age drinks(she's currently 2 weeks old)

blueberries
dats exactly wat i hv been doing, latching one breast and pumping out the other. But when she wakes up say 1 hour later,i'm worried the breast i have jus pump will have minimal milk for her. She has a tendency of feeding and then going to sleep, so i have no idea if she had enuff or simply jus fallen asleep BEFORE drinking enough for her little stomach. But lots of pple advising me tat the ONLY way to increase ss is to latch and pump, latch and pump. Sometimes, after latching so tired liao, i admit abit lazy to pump...sigh...worried my ss will jus petered off if i dont latch and pump.

CSI Fan
thanks for your comments. U intor bottle to her right from the start?

Oh well, i am assuming all of u all are latch & pump...anyone jus latch solely and have good ss? I am so worried about my ss.
sad.gif
I dont wish to give up Bf too early.
 
Hi bf mommies,
Glad I came upon this tread. Need your advice. I'm currently still bf my 9mths+ boy. He moves a lot during bf, pulling my nipples and biting it at times. He now has 4 upper and 4 lower teeth! (ouch!) He also the suck to sleep type. Now, I develope a sore at the base of my nipple. Very painful when I nurse him, esp when he pulled...(double the ouch!!)
But bo pian, still has to nurse him as he refused fm flat. Got very angry when i use a nipple shield. Tried pumping but ss very pathetic plus need to coax alot for him to drink fr bottle. So how mommies?? Anyone can advice??
 
Betterworld, CSI fan,
Thanks for your nice words.
happy.gif
Ya, told myself not to feel too bad because I've managed 2 months despite all the pain. Wish I had seen a dr earlier instead of thinkign the pain is "normal". Anyways.... thanks again and all the best w your BFing.
 
hi mylife,
yah...I intro bottle to my gal right from the start. Not that I had a choice. hahaha. At the hospital, was too tired plus wasn't sure if she was latching on (coz she also tired...haha) so just told nurses to supplement. At home, also super tired, so ended up also supplement (no rest also no supply mah...). That's how she got introduced to the bottle right from the start lorh. But I continued to latch her on every other chance I got lah.
happy.gif
 
btw,
any idea where to buy nursing wear (other than MIM and Mothers En Vogue)? Am looking for suitable nursing wear for CNY....thanks!
 
Hi mylife,

Actually, actually pumping would yield lesser supply, so don't worry. Just do what is comfortable for you, be it latching exclusively or a mixture.

Agogo,
You just have to pull away from the baby when he bites and tell him gently that it hurts. Do it each time until he learns. As for coaxing the baby to drink from the bottle, try to get another person to feed him while you are not around and see if he accepts. Do it gradually more often until he can fully accept bottle-feed. I know it can be tough. My dd was fed bottle right from the start, but she suddenly refused to drink milk from the bottle one day and needs to be spoon-fed milk.

Is your supply pathetic because you pump right after feeding?

CSI fan,
You can try MomsRus. They have a shop at United Square, I believe.
 
Hi Betterworld

How do manage to store the milk when u r overseas? I'm afraid that the mini bar fridge in the hotel is not cold enuff. & how do u bring it back to s'pore

So far wat I did when i'm in overseas is to dispose the milk after pumping. (feel heartache when I pour the milk away ah)
 
Apple, drink it yourself lorh...afterall, it's our own milk...heehee...

Betterworld, MomsRUs? hmmm...okie. will go check it out. Thanks!
 
Juz wanna share my experience....

I actually latch on my gal during the 1st 2 mths as I was still on maternity leave. Introduce her to bottles 2 weeks before returning to work

I start off with not enuff milk for her. But the supply increases as she latch on more often.I end up having to feed her every 2 hrs. Every feed woud last for half an hour (15mins on each side). I should say it is really tough at the beginning but am proud to say I manage to survive.... So mylife you got to "Jia You Jia YOu"

And now she is 11 mths oreadi..... still on 100% EBM..... but i've not decided when to stop but tink will endure till she turn 12mths at least.
 
Hi CSI_Fan

Drink It??? !!!!!!! Hmmm have not try it before leh though but the thought of it put me off leh...

My neice (who is 14yrs old) tried it but told me tat it taste awful
 
Yucks, ya. Our own milk tastes horrible, actually. At least to me. I tried it once when I had to dump a lot away cos of medication.

Apple, good job on the feeding.
happy.gif

The minibar is definitely not cold enough if you store overnight. Can I ask where do you travel to? I travelled to HK freqruently last year and the hotels that I stayed in usually have a fridge. There is one that I specifically have to request and they were nice enough to provide me with the suite that comes with a fridge at the same cost. However, I have stored in the minibar before. What I did before was to keep my ice packs in the fridge in my HK office and transport it back to the hotel, keep the milk cool in the minibar with the cool packs, then transport back to the office's fridge etc. As for transferring back, you can pack in the luggage with enough ice packs or bringing it onboard and ask the stewardess to keep for you in the aircraft's fridge.

Ya, it is very heart-pain to throw the milk away. There is even one time that I seriously contemplated buying dry ice to transport the frozen milk as I was away for nearly 2 weeks.
 
CSIfan

Just get a nice nursing cover will do. Even if u ve nice nursing wear u still need some sort of cover (Atleast i needed a cover).In the end i brought few nice nursing covers and when i need to BF I just pop one on top of my dress. It really works for me.I feed my baby everywhere -Bus, train, restaurant. I don't go hunting for nursing rooms anymore.
 
Hi Betterworld
Thanks for your advice. Last few days was horrible. DS refused to drink even EBM from the bottle. Have to resort to spoon feeding but end up throwing away most of the milk. So bo pian, still let him suck on despite the sore.. So now the sore stilln not healing.
When i pump (b4 feeding) 3-4 hrly, i only collect abt 30-40mls. If i pump 5-6 hrly then only i can get abt 80 mls.
Thot of giving up BF also cannot cos baby refused FM and EBM. Worried he will not get enough nutrients and deyhydrated if he is not drinking enough
sad.gif
 
Hi Agogo,

Sorry to hear that. Is your baby teething or having diarrhae? If so, that can result in a lost of appetite. Was it a recent thing that he does not want to want FM or EBM? Does he not want to be spoon-fed too? Why do you have to throw away most of the milk?

Have you tried getting someone else to feed him with EBM, when you are not around? Babies are smart. They know that bf is not an option with someone else except the mother, so they may take to the bottle instead. Also trying applying nipple cream when not feeding, so as to heal faster.

Sankan,
Where did you buy your nursing covers from? I usually just use a shawl.
 
Hi Betterworld
My baby has cut 4 upper and 4 lower teeth. so i think it is not teething prob. He only takes a few spoon when spoon fed. Tried and tried for almost 1 hr then hv to throw away liao...
Guess he also suck for comfort.
Ya, I agreed, babies r very smart. Tried to get my maid to feed him but also cannot. However when i pull up my blouse to feed him, u can see he is smilling and kicking away. Appearred so happy to see my breast leh. Haiz! he is one tough nut to crack...
 
Betterworld

I used to use a shawl but once my baby learnt to use her hands, she will pull and kick and I end up exposing myself. If you have a sewing machines, you can just sew one end to make it into a poncho. I have a few. Couple of them are ponchos. I cant remember where i got them from , but was from carts in one of the shopping mall. I also have a nursing wrap from "first years" got that from Kiddy palace. Hope this helps.
 
Hi Betterworld

My last trip was to Sri Lanka. Hmmm guess a bit different for me cos I'm actually visiting my customer office & a bit pai seh to ask them to store my milk. Anyway I was there for only 3 days so guess still not tat bad.

Hi Agogo
Wat abt try changing the teats. My gal rejected EBM initially too but was ok after I change the teats. She simply refused to drink the EBM even though she's hungry. But den tat was whn she's abt 2mths+. Urs maybe more difficult to handle since he's older now
 
sob sob...me turning here to vent out a bit.

I'm having so much "problems" expressing BM in office...
1) no room available for me to express. - nvm, I go to the Yoga which is just above my office. I use their changing room. got socket mah.
2) since I've been away from my desk for about 30 min just to express, I dun wash my pump at Yoga. Instead, I comoe back to office to use the sink at the pantry to wash (at least I dun appear to be away for that long). BUT, the pantry lady always comment and make lots of noise each time I'm there. Always commenting about "wah, so much things to wash ah. Use hot water can already mah, why must rinse so many times?"

It's so demoralising. And I haven't even started asking her if I can use the fridge there (yeah, the HR & Admin told me to check with pantry lady if I can use the fridge. The firdge is hers meh?). Lucky thing I have small fridge that I can put on my desk.

But the episode with the pantry lady everyday is demoralising...always kena "yak yak yak, nag nag nag" by her...haiz.
 
CSI Fan,

dun be discouraged. I also dun have nursing or spare room. I dun care, just express at workstation (no room). Wear jacket to cover. Colleagues will get used to it. use fridge-to-go to store 8 hrs at office. I'm actually pumping as I'm typing now

wah! pantry lady so powerful. share with her the benefits of breastfeeding & show her ur baby's cute photo. auntie auntie all like that la
 
wan,
u brave leh....I dun dare to express at my workstation. Coz i'm the only female!! am seated in between 2 guys somemore. haiz.

Oh, another thing...

I have a biz trip to CHINA coming up (but I can choose to decline it...heehee...) in April. Baby will have just turned 4 mths then. I'm not sure how to handle the pumping. I look at the itenerary, and based on past experiences, such plant visits is usually like that:-

7am gather at hotel, leave hotel after breakfast, go visit the company, lunch etc...until dinner and after dinner activities (foot reflexology), then return to hotel. Possibly a full 12 hours out. Some hours would be spent on the road and train travelling.

I have no idea how I can pump in between. Worried it will affect my supply also.

Anybody has any experience with biz trips?

Thanks gals...
 
CSI Fan,

Not say brave la. bochup & thick skin. I am also sitting among male colleagues, but they are fathers themselves, so should understand la. Many people actually didn't know I was pumping milk, just come to my desk and discuss work with me. I have to hold on to my pump below my jacket and continue the conversation until they LEAVE my space.

can't help u much on the trip. never travel for very long, but I saw on many other threads how some 'flying mothers' survive. Good luck!
 
hello mummies, am here to get some advise how i shld continue giving my bb ebm. i am currently not latching bb on, just purely express, has anyone still hav experience whether does ss increase even though no direct latch? i am afraid my ss will drop..sigh..when direct latch,bb sucks very hard thus its painful,so i choose to express. i tried letting her latch,but i tink she not very keen cos not much milk,n the flow compared to bottle is slower i feel.
 
Hi CSI Fan,

Haha... It is me again... Am also going on a business trip to China soon. Anyway, I have stayed out from the hotel for more than 12 hours before. You can survive. What I do is to pack the Avent manual pump (very small and handy) and express while on the go. Just explain to the people at the company/hotel/vendor etc to see if they have a spare room to spare. Worst come to worse, just use the toilet. I have expressed at airports, exhibition halls, companies before.
 
Hi mummies, need some advice. DD is now 4 days old so milk is finally beginning to come in. Problem is, my breasts are slightly engorged so i can't empty them. Massaging with really hot towel seems to help little bit only and the ducts are still blocked. Right now i am only able to express about 35ml in total but my breasts still feel somewhat full after 20mins of pumping. I even secretly took a really hot bath last night and massaged my breasts in the bath but couldn't clear the ducts also.

I had engorged breasts in my 1st pregnancy as well but my confinement nanny was able to help me massage so i can express the milk out. This time i change nanny and she not able to help. Right now i am trying to pump every 1.5 to 2 hrs (3hrs max). I'm afraid that my supply will be affected if i dun clear the blocked ducts but how???
 
Hi all,

I need some advise, my 2 wk old baby has problem latching on to my right breast. It might be the nipple is too short. Anyone can advise which position is best for short nipple?
 
net, i had similiar prob. in the end i went to lact consultant who massaged and hand expressed for me out all the ducts. it is the most painful experience but it solved the prob lor.

another option is take lesithin, it helps too. http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/lecithin.html can but from ntuc.

zanna, i got short nips too. the lac consultant taught me to push the nips out by cupping with "C" (thumb and fingers) so as to guide bb to them.

hope above helps.
 

Hi net,

Use hand express to clear the ducts before you use breastpump. Start by massaging near the areola then slowly massage through the breast. After the ducts are cleared, then u use breast pump. My experience was if I did not clear the ducts and I pump, my breast felt engorged very quickly. You need to be very very patient with handexpress. It is very painful and irritating. Hang in there. You can do it.

Hope it helps u.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
Post Adoption support group - for moms and children.
Replies
0
Views
192
Menashan
M
G
Recommendation for Lactation Consultant IBCLC for first time mom
Replies
0
Views
335
Glitter_Wu
G
M
Adoption support group
Replies
0
Views
184
Menashan
M
H
Yan Jie Supernanny recommended
Replies
0
Views
411
hopeful2322
H
M
Baby Feeding / Reflux?
Replies
0
Views
689
MamaMin
M

Back
Top