Found this website - very good info here.
http://www.mobimotherhood.org/MM/article-lms.aspx
The more i read, the more comforted i become.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
What one should know about exclusive pumping.
Found this good article from mother-2-mother website, thought it's something worth sharing. Especially to all exclusive pumpers out there...
" There are occasions that arise which may prevent a mom from being able to nurse her baby. A mother may have a baby who cannot or will not latch, for whatever reason, may assume there is no choice but for her to use infant formula. There is another option however, and one that doesn't seem to get the support or acknowledgment it deserves - exclusively pumping, also known as "Eping".
In most cases, a mother who has made the decision to exclusively pump has not done so "lightly". She is aware of the irreplaceable benefits of her milk, and she wants her baby to have the best, so the most logical conclusion for her is to pump and provide her milk to baby by bottle.
Sadly, many (including health care providers) will tell mom that this is crazy idea, and "it'll never work"; "you'll run out of milk"; or will say"you simply will not be able to keep up". Without the support and information she needs, a mom may simply give up.
Those who don't give up often are faced with other issues to overcome. They often feel like they are in a class by themselves, excluded from the usual groups of moms who typically form into "support groups" either for breastfeeding mothers, or for formula feeding mothers.
They may feel they must explain "why" they are "bottle feeding" breastmilk - even to their health care providers who often ask.. "breast or bottle" assuming "bottle" is formula.
While everyone does agree that there are irreplaceable benefits to nursing baby directly from breast, everyone also must agree that breastmilk itself is irreplaceable. When faced with providing breastmilk, or not, then whenever possible it should be breastmilk regardless of the method of delivery.
There is no room or need for guilt here - the mother who has done all she can to bf "normally" isn't a failure - she is just doing the best she can in the situation she is in. Mothers who choose to exclusively pump are very dedicated mothers - determined to do the best they can for their precious babies, and they deserve respect and support."
HOW OFTEN TO PUMP & WHEN?:
First and foremost - one should have a good quality, double electric pump. Some mothers rent them, others buy pumps such as Medela's Pump In Style. The quality of the pump can make all the difference in the world!
A normal newborn baby nurses on average 8 to 12 times in a 24 hour period. Most experts suggest it is best if mom can come close to matching what the normal nursing baby would do at the breast, and recommend she pump about every two hours, not going longer than three hours between sessions. Understanding how milk production works can help moms in their efforts to establish good milk supply. The more frequently the breasts are emptied, the more milk mother should have.
Therefore, if she were to pump at least every 3 hours, for about 20 minutes, she should establish and maintain a good milk supply. In the first couple of weeks, she may also want to pump at least twice at night, but not all mothers do this.
"It's insanely hard in the beginning but you need to pump every 2 to 3 hours around the clock. Prolactin levels (the hormone that tells your body to make milk) are highest in the early morning hours so mom would want to make sure she is pumping then as well. This is like the 1am to 5am stretch of time. If mom can at least get one pump in during this time, it will really help.
PUMPING - HOW LONG?:
Most experts agree that whatever the reason for pumping, moms should pump for about 20 minutes. Most agree its best to pump at least 15 minutes, and to avoid going much longer than 20 minutes. Experts also encourage pumping about five minutes past when the milk stops flowing, often by doing so mom will elicit another letdown, and at the very least will maintain production as well as encouraging increase in supply if needed.
"The standard advice is to pump for 15-20 minutes. Even if you don't have milk flowing that entire time, you need to pump that long to get enough nipple stimulation. Also pumping at least 5 minutes after your milk stops flowing will tell your body that you need more milk; thus increasing your supply. 15 minutes should absolutely be the minimum pumping time. I've talked to women who only pumped for 10 minutes and eventually started losing their supply. They had to work really hard to rebuild it."
Pump Settings.
"More is not better" when it comes to the suction settings on the breast pump. Most experienced moms do not set the pump speed on high, but rather keep it on lower setting for comfort.
"This one was a BIGGIE for me and I want to definitely pass this one on! There should be a suction setting on your pump and a speed dial. This is very important, the higher the suction does NOT mean the more milk you make. Your pump will probably have a suction setting of minimum, medium, and maximum. I had mine set on medium when I developed a blister. Once it healed, I turned it down to minimum and have never had another blister or pain again. I keep the speed at 3 but if you feel like too much areola is being sucked into the horn, then turning down the speed will remedy that. If you are in a lot of pain and turn down the settings, you might actually get more milk because you are more relaxed!"
HOW MUCH MILK PER BOTTLE?
Moms may find it surprising that the breastfed baby often takes less milk in the bottle than formula babies take in. This is because breastmilk is so well utilized by the baby's body that less is needed. Since breastmilk is so easily and completely digested, the breastfed baby needs to eat more often, but they don't need as much per bottle.
When a baby is nursed from the breast, research shows us that baby will vary their intake of milk from feeding to feeding, and the length of time at the breast doesn't always correlate with the amount of milk taken from the breast. Overall, the average bf baby takes in between 19 and 30 oz (or 570 - 900 mL) per day (24 hrs), but the amount taken per bottle may vary somewhat from feeding to feeding, just as it does at the breast, depending on baby's need at the time.
" According to the most current breastfeeding research, exclusively breastfed babies take in an average of 25 oz (750 mL) per day between the ages of 1 month and 6 months. This may vary a little from baby to baby, but the average range of milk intake is 19-30 oz per day (570-900 mL per day).
To estimate the average amount of milk baby will need at a feeding:
Example: If baby usually nurses around 8 times per day, you can guess that baby might need around 3 ounces per feeding every 3 hours when mom is away. (25/8=3.1).
NOTE: Current breastfeeding research does not indicate that breastmilk intake changes with baby's age or weight between one and six months."
HOW TO BOTTLEFEED
It is important to remember that it is very easy to overfeed a baby using bottles. This is because the way a baby drinks from a bottle is very different than how a baby would nurse from the breast. A baby cannot control the flow of milk from a bottle thus experts recommend using slow flow or "newborn" type nipples, to reduce the risk of overfeeding.
The breastmilk should never be warmed in the microwave, since doing so not only creates hot spots that cannot fully be distributed evenly even when the milk is mixed (the heat adheres to the fats which "glob" together, and can result in scalding of a baby's mouth and throat), but it actually alters the composition of the breastmilk, damaging some of the nutrients. Shaking breastmilk is also not recommended.
Ideally bottlefeeding the baby should mimic how a mother breastfeeds her baby. The baby should be fed on cue, or demand, and not according to a rigid schedule. Breastmilk digests in about 90 minutes, so one would expect the feedings to be anywhere from 1.5 hrs to 3 hours apart. (younger babies often need to eat more frequently than older babies).
The bottle should be offered gently, in a non-stressful manner, with the baby drawing the nipple into the mouth. The type of bottle or nipple is not as important as the manner in which the bottle is offered. A typical nursing session lasts about 15 to 20 min, and care should be taken to allow baby to take his/her time to drink the bottle, not "rushing" through a feeding as quickly as possible. Changing position mid-way through a feeding is often recommended, as is holding baby is a more upright position. Propping a bottle is also not recommended.
INCREASING YOUR SUPPLY:
There are wonderful tips on increasing milk supply below - those that work for nursing mothers also work for mothers who exclusively pump, the biggest "difference" is that nursing mothers are encouraged to put baby to breast often, and pumping mothers are encouraged to pump often. Probably THE most important thing to remember is to pump often and pump long enough to soften (or "empty") the breast.
"Some little tips to help increase your supply if you really need it. It's nice to have these on hand just in case:
PUMPING TRICKS & More Tips For Eping Moms by Eping Moms:
"The refrigerator trick. This is where you rinse your horns and/or collection bottles after each pumping session. You put them in a ziplock bag (or not, this is optional), and put them in the refrigerator. The idea is that since breast milk is good in the fridge for 5-8 days, any residue left on the horns won't matter. Then you can wash the horns/bottles once at night. I throw mine into the dishwasher (all except the white membranes) and it's easy, easy, easy!"
"Storage bags. Many of us started out using the Gerber Seal-N-Go bag but they get very pricey quickly. They are like $5.50 for a box of 25 bags. After researching it online, I found many other women were using regular freezer bags for freezing the milk….MUCH cheaper! Everything I've read shows that they are safe to use. From what I have found, I only buy Glad and not Ziploc. Ziploc seems to have a much higher rate of leaks. I write the date and amount of ounces on the label with a sharpie and put the milk in and freeze flat. I then take several of them and put them into a gallon size freezer bag and write the dates that are enclosed on the gallon bag. This helps by double bagging and keeping them grouped. This way the corners on the bags won't get poked and possibly cause the bag to leak. Also, whenever I want to get a bag, I can just dig through gallon size bags instead of tons of little bags floating around! : I usually put one or two days worth in a gallon bag."
"Lube Up! It is perfectly safe to put the lansinoh on before pumping and still use the milk. Putting it on before and after pumping really helps to keep you from getting too sore. Purelan100 is also good (and cheaper). I've used this from the beginning. You can also rub Olive Oil on the horns and inside the nipple chamber to reduce friction. Olive Oil is antibacterial so it is helpful. This is also safe to use and pump milk with. I've done both of these and hadn't had a problem. There are times when I seem to get sorer than other times with no real explanation. But, it then goes away as quickly as it came! Who knows!"
"Taking Care of Baby When Pumping. Once I went hands free and had to do those early morning feedings by myself, I would sit on the floor and prop my baby up in her boppy pillow on the floor. I would get hooked up to the pump and start it and pump while I fed her. About the time she was done eating, I was done pumping and I would put her back in bed and go to sleep myself. This will cut down on your time tremendously! It also helps to do this if your pumping time happens to correspond to your baby's feeding time during the day. The bouncy seat is my best friend! I would put her in the bouncy seat and bounce it with my foot while surfing the net and pumping. It made time fly by and she was content. You may find other solutions if you have older children, or extra help."
"Taking Care of Older Children, and Pumping. You may not need a lot of tricks for this one depending on the age of the child, or children. They will probably understand if you just explain that while you are pumping, they can't get up and get things without help. Some tricks other moms had mentioned to keep their other child entertained and kind of reward them would be to go shopping and let your child pick out a special toy or video that she really wants. Then when ever it comes time for you to pump, she can play with it. But, she ONLY gets to play with it when you pump. This helps to make pumping time special for her as well and can help prevent any resentment she might begin to feel."
"Warnings:
Excessive caffeine may cause problems (like keeping the baby wired!). I avoid caffeine completely (except chocolate) but even if you have 1 drink a day, it won't hurt. Just don't go over board. (More on caffeine here.)
Medications that have Sudafed in them will dry you up! Avoid them! It says they are safe to take while nursing but that just means it won't hurt the baby. It will however, dry you up! Be careful!
Regular birth control pills will impact milk supply, and some women even have a problem with the mini pill. Breastfeeding (and yes that's what you are doing even if it's not from "the tap") is a good deterrent for ovulation but not 100% so be careful! However, you may find you get hot flashes and things like that. It is normal because your body is acting like it's going through menopause. This suppresses ovulation and allows you to make milk. I thought I was going crazy until I learned this! Ha! Sometimes if you get your period back while pumping, it can decrease your supply. This can be fixed by taking a calcium/magnesium supplement. (I don't have mine back yet and loving it!).
"WHEN DOES THIS GET EASIER?
Around 3 months your supply will probably be established. This is when you can begin to drop the number of times per day that you pump and not see too much of a decrease in total output (this is again, where the spreadsheet comes in handy). That's why if you do the hard work in the beginning, I promise it will pay off when this time comes! If you don't keep up the number of pumps per day in the beginning, you may continue to have to pump a high number of times per day just to maintain a small supply. Of course, this is all dependent on how each woman produces milk. So, you may have such a great supply and so much frozen that you can drop pumps earlier. I began dropping pumps at 10 weeks and by 3 months I was down to 4 pumps per day! I lost a little with each drop but am currently at 50 ounces per day.
There's no way my baby will ever eat that much so I see no reason to pump more. You will have to decide for yourself. Once you start dropping pumps, you will need to pump longer at each session (because you've gone longer in between pumps and need longer to empty your breasts). This is also dependent on the woman. I pump about 35-40 minutes per pump now on 4 times because I get another let down at about 36 minutes into it!"
"YOU CAN DO THIS!!! I firmly believe that pumping is 10% physical and 90% psychological. If you try to view this as positively as possible, I think you will have a better outcome. That's why going hands free and doing everything to minimize your stress about pumping is important.
A lot of people don't understand pumping. I still get stupid questions like, "Why don't you just nurse?" Well, DUH! She won't nurse! Ha! You should do whatever makes you comfortable. Sometimes strangers ask me if I'm breastfeeding and if I don't feel like dealing with anything, I just say yes. I am after all! She's just getting it "to go" instead of from "the tap"! Ha!
Mostly though, I do all I can to educate. I know many women who didn't know this option was even possible and wished they had when breastfeeding didn't work out. Don't listen to doctors or nurses who tell you this isn't possible. There just isn't enough wide spread info out there and unfortunately most health care professionals give really bad advice (like only pump for 10 minutes). So, when they hear back from their patients on how they had supply problems or dried up, they just assume it's not possible to pump long term. On my online group, there are women who have been pumping for a year or longer! It is DEFINITELY possible!
Most importantly, if for any reason you just don't want to do it anymore, it is perfectly fine! Remember, a happy mommy = a happy baby. You have to do whatever is right for your entire family. Pumping is hard and can take its toll on you. There is no right or wrong when it comes to how you feed your baby! Remember that! We all have days when we want to wean. That's why support is SOOO important!
There you go..one very long info sharing, but for serious pumping mommies, its worth reading!
" There are occasions that arise which may prevent a mom from being able to nurse her baby. A mother may have a baby who cannot or will not latch, for whatever reason, may assume there is no choice but for her to use infant formula. There is another option however, and one that doesn't seem to get the support or acknowledgment it deserves - exclusively pumping, also known as "Eping".
In most cases, a mother who has made the decision to exclusively pump has not done so "lightly". She is aware of the irreplaceable benefits of her milk, and she wants her baby to have the best, so the most logical conclusion for her is to pump and provide her milk to baby by bottle.
Sadly, many (including health care providers) will tell mom that this is crazy idea, and "it'll never work"; "you'll run out of milk"; or will say"you simply will not be able to keep up". Without the support and information she needs, a mom may simply give up.
Those who don't give up often are faced with other issues to overcome. They often feel like they are in a class by themselves, excluded from the usual groups of moms who typically form into "support groups" either for breastfeeding mothers, or for formula feeding mothers.
They may feel they must explain "why" they are "bottle feeding" breastmilk - even to their health care providers who often ask.. "breast or bottle" assuming "bottle" is formula.
While everyone does agree that there are irreplaceable benefits to nursing baby directly from breast, everyone also must agree that breastmilk itself is irreplaceable. When faced with providing breastmilk, or not, then whenever possible it should be breastmilk regardless of the method of delivery.
There is no room or need for guilt here - the mother who has done all she can to bf "normally" isn't a failure - she is just doing the best she can in the situation she is in. Mothers who choose to exclusively pump are very dedicated mothers - determined to do the best they can for their precious babies, and they deserve respect and support."
HOW OFTEN TO PUMP & WHEN?:
First and foremost - one should have a good quality, double electric pump. Some mothers rent them, others buy pumps such as Medela's Pump In Style. The quality of the pump can make all the difference in the world!
A normal newborn baby nurses on average 8 to 12 times in a 24 hour period. Most experts suggest it is best if mom can come close to matching what the normal nursing baby would do at the breast, and recommend she pump about every two hours, not going longer than three hours between sessions. Understanding how milk production works can help moms in their efforts to establish good milk supply. The more frequently the breasts are emptied, the more milk mother should have.
Therefore, if she were to pump at least every 3 hours, for about 20 minutes, she should establish and maintain a good milk supply. In the first couple of weeks, she may also want to pump at least twice at night, but not all mothers do this.
"It's insanely hard in the beginning but you need to pump every 2 to 3 hours around the clock. Prolactin levels (the hormone that tells your body to make milk) are highest in the early morning hours so mom would want to make sure she is pumping then as well. This is like the 1am to 5am stretch of time. If mom can at least get one pump in during this time, it will really help.
The main concern is to get enough pumps in per day - a minimum of 7 pumps per day. I will say from experience that when I pushed myself to get in 8 pumps per day, my supply REALLY increased. Most of the time, I just couldn't push myself and ended up with 7 times. And to create a little bit of sanity, it is the number of pumps per day that you get in and not necessarily the amount of time you wait in between pumps that counts. So, if I needed to run an errand or just wanted to get out of the house without dragging my pump along, I would pump every 2 hours in the morning and then have a window of about 4 or 5 hours in the afternoon to do everything and would then pump again every 2 hours in the evening to get my total of 7 pumps in for the day.
That being said, I did NOT get up to pump in the middle of the night if my baby wasn't awake. I thought that was cruel and couldn't do it! Ha! The sleep was more important to me (especially after the c-section). A lot of pumping is trial and error and this is why keeping info in a spreadsheet (or journal) is helpful. If you start sleeping through the night or going longer stretches and see a huge decline in your volume, you can always set you alarm to add another pump back in. I never had to but this can vary from mom to mom. I did the early morning pump as long as I was up feeding the baby, but if she slept 5 hours through the night, so did I! "
PUMPING - HOW LONG?:
Most experts agree that whatever the reason for pumping, moms should pump for about 20 minutes. Most agree its best to pump at least 15 minutes, and to avoid going much longer than 20 minutes. Experts also encourage pumping about five minutes past when the milk stops flowing, often by doing so mom will elicit another letdown, and at the very least will maintain production as well as encouraging increase in supply if needed.
"The standard advice is to pump for 15-20 minutes. Even if you don't have milk flowing that entire time, you need to pump that long to get enough nipple stimulation. Also pumping at least 5 minutes after your milk stops flowing will tell your body that you need more milk; thus increasing your supply. 15 minutes should absolutely be the minimum pumping time. I've talked to women who only pumped for 10 minutes and eventually started losing their supply. They had to work really hard to rebuild it."
Pump Settings.
"More is not better" when it comes to the suction settings on the breast pump. Most experienced moms do not set the pump speed on high, but rather keep it on lower setting for comfort.
"This one was a BIGGIE for me and I want to definitely pass this one on! There should be a suction setting on your pump and a speed dial. This is very important, the higher the suction does NOT mean the more milk you make. Your pump will probably have a suction setting of minimum, medium, and maximum. I had mine set on medium when I developed a blister. Once it healed, I turned it down to minimum and have never had another blister or pain again. I keep the speed at 3 but if you feel like too much areola is being sucked into the horn, then turning down the speed will remedy that. If you are in a lot of pain and turn down the settings, you might actually get more milk because you are more relaxed!"
HOW MUCH MILK PER BOTTLE?
Moms may find it surprising that the breastfed baby often takes less milk in the bottle than formula babies take in. This is because breastmilk is so well utilized by the baby's body that less is needed. Since breastmilk is so easily and completely digested, the breastfed baby needs to eat more often, but they don't need as much per bottle.
When a baby is nursed from the breast, research shows us that baby will vary their intake of milk from feeding to feeding, and the length of time at the breast doesn't always correlate with the amount of milk taken from the breast. Overall, the average bf baby takes in between 19 and 30 oz (or 570 - 900 mL) per day (24 hrs), but the amount taken per bottle may vary somewhat from feeding to feeding, just as it does at the breast, depending on baby's need at the time.
" According to the most current breastfeeding research, exclusively breastfed babies take in an average of 25 oz (750 mL) per day between the ages of 1 month and 6 months. This may vary a little from baby to baby, but the average range of milk intake is 19-30 oz per day (570-900 mL per day).
To estimate the average amount of milk baby will need at a feeding:
- Estimate the number of times that baby nurses per day (24 hours).
- Then divide 25 oz by the number of nursings.
Example: If baby usually nurses around 8 times per day, you can guess that baby might need around 3 ounces per feeding every 3 hours when mom is away. (25/8=3.1).
NOTE: Current breastfeeding research does not indicate that breastmilk intake changes with baby's age or weight between one and six months."
HOW TO BOTTLEFEED
It is important to remember that it is very easy to overfeed a baby using bottles. This is because the way a baby drinks from a bottle is very different than how a baby would nurse from the breast. A baby cannot control the flow of milk from a bottle thus experts recommend using slow flow or "newborn" type nipples, to reduce the risk of overfeeding.
The breastmilk should never be warmed in the microwave, since doing so not only creates hot spots that cannot fully be distributed evenly even when the milk is mixed (the heat adheres to the fats which "glob" together, and can result in scalding of a baby's mouth and throat), but it actually alters the composition of the breastmilk, damaging some of the nutrients. Shaking breastmilk is also not recommended.
Ideally bottlefeeding the baby should mimic how a mother breastfeeds her baby. The baby should be fed on cue, or demand, and not according to a rigid schedule. Breastmilk digests in about 90 minutes, so one would expect the feedings to be anywhere from 1.5 hrs to 3 hours apart. (younger babies often need to eat more frequently than older babies).
The bottle should be offered gently, in a non-stressful manner, with the baby drawing the nipple into the mouth. The type of bottle or nipple is not as important as the manner in which the bottle is offered. A typical nursing session lasts about 15 to 20 min, and care should be taken to allow baby to take his/her time to drink the bottle, not "rushing" through a feeding as quickly as possible. Changing position mid-way through a feeding is often recommended, as is holding baby is a more upright position. Propping a bottle is also not recommended.
INCREASING YOUR SUPPLY:
There are wonderful tips on increasing milk supply below - those that work for nursing mothers also work for mothers who exclusively pump, the biggest "difference" is that nursing mothers are encouraged to put baby to breast often, and pumping mothers are encouraged to pump often. Probably THE most important thing to remember is to pump often and pump long enough to soften (or "empty") the breast.
"Some little tips to help increase your supply if you really need it. It's nice to have these on hand just in case:
First drink plenty of water. I don't drink a ton but I make sure to stay hydrated. Check your pee when you go (I know, sounds funny!). If it is light yellow to clear, you are plenty hydrated.Most importantly, good pumping habits will keep your supply up and increase it!"
Make sure you eat! While you are pumping, you will keep the weight off, I promise! It makes you hungry as a horse and it does that for a reason. You need the extra calories because you are burning so much off! When I didn't eat enough, I would get really light headed and feel like I was going to drop my baby…not good! Eventually, your hunger should taper off (mine has).
Eat REAL oatmeal, not the instant. You can eat the quick oats (the ones that cook in 1 minute) or the old fashioned oats (that cook in 5 minutes). You can also make cookies that have oatmeal in them and get oatmeal that way (I prefer this way! Ha!). The way they process the instant oatmeal, it doesn't give you the same results. No one is sure how the oatmeal works but it does!
Get some rest (yeah, I know easier said than done!) If you are exhausted and have the opportunity to take a nap (even if it pushes your pump back) do it! You will actually get more milk that way! Even if you're not sleeping, rest by sitting down a lot. Conserving energy is important.
Don't stress too much. This all depends on how you personally handle stress. I tend to be a thinker, so I think things out a lot. It has to be some MAJOR stressful situation for it to hurt my supply.
There is a tea called Mothers Milk Tea and it is supposed to increase your supply if you drink it.
There are herbs like Fenugreek and also prescription medications that will increase your supply if you really need it. I would use these as a last resort but they can be effective and are available!
PUMPING TRICKS & More Tips For Eping Moms by Eping Moms:
"The refrigerator trick. This is where you rinse your horns and/or collection bottles after each pumping session. You put them in a ziplock bag (or not, this is optional), and put them in the refrigerator. The idea is that since breast milk is good in the fridge for 5-8 days, any residue left on the horns won't matter. Then you can wash the horns/bottles once at night. I throw mine into the dishwasher (all except the white membranes) and it's easy, easy, easy!"
"Storage bags. Many of us started out using the Gerber Seal-N-Go bag but they get very pricey quickly. They are like $5.50 for a box of 25 bags. After researching it online, I found many other women were using regular freezer bags for freezing the milk….MUCH cheaper! Everything I've read shows that they are safe to use. From what I have found, I only buy Glad and not Ziploc. Ziploc seems to have a much higher rate of leaks. I write the date and amount of ounces on the label with a sharpie and put the milk in and freeze flat. I then take several of them and put them into a gallon size freezer bag and write the dates that are enclosed on the gallon bag. This helps by double bagging and keeping them grouped. This way the corners on the bags won't get poked and possibly cause the bag to leak. Also, whenever I want to get a bag, I can just dig through gallon size bags instead of tons of little bags floating around! : I usually put one or two days worth in a gallon bag."
"Lube Up! It is perfectly safe to put the lansinoh on before pumping and still use the milk. Putting it on before and after pumping really helps to keep you from getting too sore. Purelan100 is also good (and cheaper). I've used this from the beginning. You can also rub Olive Oil on the horns and inside the nipple chamber to reduce friction. Olive Oil is antibacterial so it is helpful. This is also safe to use and pump milk with. I've done both of these and hadn't had a problem. There are times when I seem to get sorer than other times with no real explanation. But, it then goes away as quickly as it came! Who knows!"
"Taking Care of Baby When Pumping. Once I went hands free and had to do those early morning feedings by myself, I would sit on the floor and prop my baby up in her boppy pillow on the floor. I would get hooked up to the pump and start it and pump while I fed her. About the time she was done eating, I was done pumping and I would put her back in bed and go to sleep myself. This will cut down on your time tremendously! It also helps to do this if your pumping time happens to correspond to your baby's feeding time during the day. The bouncy seat is my best friend! I would put her in the bouncy seat and bounce it with my foot while surfing the net and pumping. It made time fly by and she was content. You may find other solutions if you have older children, or extra help."
"Taking Care of Older Children, and Pumping. You may not need a lot of tricks for this one depending on the age of the child, or children. They will probably understand if you just explain that while you are pumping, they can't get up and get things without help. Some tricks other moms had mentioned to keep their other child entertained and kind of reward them would be to go shopping and let your child pick out a special toy or video that she really wants. Then when ever it comes time for you to pump, she can play with it. But, she ONLY gets to play with it when you pump. This helps to make pumping time special for her as well and can help prevent any resentment she might begin to feel."
"Warnings:
Excessive caffeine may cause problems (like keeping the baby wired!). I avoid caffeine completely (except chocolate) but even if you have 1 drink a day, it won't hurt. Just don't go over board. (More on caffeine here.)
Medications that have Sudafed in them will dry you up! Avoid them! It says they are safe to take while nursing but that just means it won't hurt the baby. It will however, dry you up! Be careful!
Regular birth control pills will impact milk supply, and some women even have a problem with the mini pill. Breastfeeding (and yes that's what you are doing even if it's not from "the tap") is a good deterrent for ovulation but not 100% so be careful! However, you may find you get hot flashes and things like that. It is normal because your body is acting like it's going through menopause. This suppresses ovulation and allows you to make milk. I thought I was going crazy until I learned this! Ha! Sometimes if you get your period back while pumping, it can decrease your supply. This can be fixed by taking a calcium/magnesium supplement. (I don't have mine back yet and loving it!).
"WHEN DOES THIS GET EASIER?
Around 3 months your supply will probably be established. This is when you can begin to drop the number of times per day that you pump and not see too much of a decrease in total output (this is again, where the spreadsheet comes in handy). That's why if you do the hard work in the beginning, I promise it will pay off when this time comes! If you don't keep up the number of pumps per day in the beginning, you may continue to have to pump a high number of times per day just to maintain a small supply. Of course, this is all dependent on how each woman produces milk. So, you may have such a great supply and so much frozen that you can drop pumps earlier. I began dropping pumps at 10 weeks and by 3 months I was down to 4 pumps per day! I lost a little with each drop but am currently at 50 ounces per day.
There's no way my baby will ever eat that much so I see no reason to pump more. You will have to decide for yourself. Once you start dropping pumps, you will need to pump longer at each session (because you've gone longer in between pumps and need longer to empty your breasts). This is also dependent on the woman. I pump about 35-40 minutes per pump now on 4 times because I get another let down at about 36 minutes into it!"
"YOU CAN DO THIS!!! I firmly believe that pumping is 10% physical and 90% psychological. If you try to view this as positively as possible, I think you will have a better outcome. That's why going hands free and doing everything to minimize your stress about pumping is important.
A lot of people don't understand pumping. I still get stupid questions like, "Why don't you just nurse?" Well, DUH! She won't nurse! Ha! You should do whatever makes you comfortable. Sometimes strangers ask me if I'm breastfeeding and if I don't feel like dealing with anything, I just say yes. I am after all! She's just getting it "to go" instead of from "the tap"! Ha!
Mostly though, I do all I can to educate. I know many women who didn't know this option was even possible and wished they had when breastfeeding didn't work out. Don't listen to doctors or nurses who tell you this isn't possible. There just isn't enough wide spread info out there and unfortunately most health care professionals give really bad advice (like only pump for 10 minutes). So, when they hear back from their patients on how they had supply problems or dried up, they just assume it's not possible to pump long term. On my online group, there are women who have been pumping for a year or longer! It is DEFINITELY possible!
Most importantly, if for any reason you just don't want to do it anymore, it is perfectly fine! Remember, a happy mommy = a happy baby. You have to do whatever is right for your entire family. Pumping is hard and can take its toll on you. There is no right or wrong when it comes to how you feed your baby! Remember that! We all have days when we want to wean. That's why support is SOOO important!
There you go..one very long info sharing, but for serious pumping mommies, its worth reading!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Once in a while, you should count your blessings!
Despite everything and my struggle with breastfeeding, i am thankful to Allah for my beautiful little family and my home. I feel so blessed.
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| My beautiful twins |
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| My family (Iris is not in pic tho') |
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| Happy Ayra |
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| Mummy's boy |
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| Iris (in white) with cousins |
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Why i became an EP mom?
Everyone has their own reasons, medical or not and i have mine. In the earlier months, they would scream and cry after most direct feed and i had to gave in to topping up with formula. I was struggling with confidence issues, even when i had Iris back then. And now with twins, the lack of confidence just got worse and i felt defeated. I felt useless for not being able to satisfy my babies' hunger.
So i thought that if i regularly pump, my milk supply with increase and i will know how much my babies have taken at each session, so no more confidence issue. 2 months plus now since i started, i'm still having to top up with formula, though i'd like to think at much less frequency than during the earlier months.
If my milk supply hasn't tremendously improved, i only have myself to blame. Through this journey and experience, i have learned 3 things....hardwork (usaha), pray to Allah (doa & tawakkal) and acceptance of whatever He gives to you (redha). But perhaps i haven't given 100% to all 3 and that's why i'm still supplementing with formula.
What keeps me going is the will to give whatever breastmilk i still have to my babies....some breastmilk is better than no breastmilk at all, right? I want to keep going...keep pumping. Yeah its tough, like for the past 2-3 weeks, in laws were around, long distance trips etc has made my pumping routine gone haywire. And as a result, i could see my supply dwindling. Yet i can't give up....i still have a long way to go.
I wonder how other EP moms out there manage their routine when they go out??
So i thought that if i regularly pump, my milk supply with increase and i will know how much my babies have taken at each session, so no more confidence issue. 2 months plus now since i started, i'm still having to top up with formula, though i'd like to think at much less frequency than during the earlier months.
If my milk supply hasn't tremendously improved, i only have myself to blame. Through this journey and experience, i have learned 3 things....hardwork (usaha), pray to Allah (doa & tawakkal) and acceptance of whatever He gives to you (redha). But perhaps i haven't given 100% to all 3 and that's why i'm still supplementing with formula.
What keeps me going is the will to give whatever breastmilk i still have to my babies....some breastmilk is better than no breastmilk at all, right? I want to keep going...keep pumping. Yeah its tough, like for the past 2-3 weeks, in laws were around, long distance trips etc has made my pumping routine gone haywire. And as a result, i could see my supply dwindling. Yet i can't give up....i still have a long way to go.
I wonder how other EP moms out there manage their routine when they go out??
Monday, November 14, 2011
The challenges of an exclusively pumping mum
We just got back from a week long trip and boy, am i exhausted! Pity the twins coz they are still not well and there i was, dragging them all the way to Langkawi. But one thing i realised on the trip was how difficult it was to stick with my pumping routine, especially when we were travelling with a bunch of other people,who might or might not understand why i disappear every now and again for 15-20 minutes or so. You know la...you feel like you don't want to make anyone wait for you all the time.
And so, because of that, i ended up skipping a few sessions, for which now am paying a hefty price. My milk supply has dropped. Susah la kan...when you have other people involved..other people here i mean in laws. If its just Mr. Hubby, i can just make him wait...heheheh. Besides he has grown accustomed to my pumping routine.
Sikit sikit rushing...bila dah malam, badan dah penat..langsung tak bangun. Hmmm......its crazy how i "thought" i was bored with the same old routine everyday, but when i was actually away from those routine, i actually missed them. Especially when those routine made sure that i'm able to give EBM to my babies. I AM A SELF-CONFESSED ROUTINE FREAK! Am so glad to get back into them :o)
Some pics from the trip....
And so, because of that, i ended up skipping a few sessions, for which now am paying a hefty price. My milk supply has dropped. Susah la kan...when you have other people involved..other people here i mean in laws. If its just Mr. Hubby, i can just make him wait...heheheh. Besides he has grown accustomed to my pumping routine.
Sikit sikit rushing...bila dah malam, badan dah penat..langsung tak bangun. Hmmm......its crazy how i "thought" i was bored with the same old routine everyday, but when i was actually away from those routine, i actually missed them. Especially when those routine made sure that i'm able to give EBM to my babies. I AM A SELF-CONFESSED ROUTINE FREAK! Am so glad to get back into them :o)
Some pics from the trip....
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| Lama tak tengok sawah padi |
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| Driving thru kampung road |
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| Taman tasik Taiping |
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Baby Arslan jatuh!
Last Sunday night was a night that i can never forget and Alhamdulillah, Arslan is ok. We just came back from pasar malam and was going up to our unit. I was holding Ayra and MIL was holding Arslan, and other things she bought at the pasar malam.
As we got out of the lift, Iris...being Iris decided to play footsie with her grandma (actually i don't know if she was playing or it was also by accident), then suddenly all i remember was seeing my MIL tripped and the next second, Arslan was lying on the floor, face down. Ya Allah!!!!!! I couldn't say anything....i just froze right there. My MIL was close to tears and Iris was already crying.
She picked up Arslan..who was already wailing. We quickly when to DSH for check up and did an xray to make sure that there's no wrong.
Poor baby! Alhamdulillah...he is ok. The last few days i've been monitoring to see if he's vomitting, or overly sleepy...signs to watch out for. But takde.
Words cannot describe my feelings when i saw him on the floor...my heart just fell.
As we got out of the lift, Iris...being Iris decided to play footsie with her grandma (actually i don't know if she was playing or it was also by accident), then suddenly all i remember was seeing my MIL tripped and the next second, Arslan was lying on the floor, face down. Ya Allah!!!!!! I couldn't say anything....i just froze right there. My MIL was close to tears and Iris was already crying.
She picked up Arslan..who was already wailing. We quickly when to DSH for check up and did an xray to make sure that there's no wrong.
Poor baby! Alhamdulillah...he is ok. The last few days i've been monitoring to see if he's vomitting, or overly sleepy...signs to watch out for. But takde.
Words cannot describe my feelings when i saw him on the floor...my heart just fell.
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| My poor baby..after the xray |
Saturday, October 29, 2011
My pumping so far......
Amidst the daily chaos of taking care of the twins, i've managed to pump according to plan, although sometimes, things don't actually go as planned. I try to pump every 2.5 to 3 hours from around 7am to about 11pm every day, which means i usually pump between 5-6 times a day. Of course i was told that an exclusive pumper (is there even such a term?) should be pumping AT LEAST 8 times a day. Well, as usual, that means i'm still short. But hey, what's new huh?
I've been telling myself to wake up at 3am and 5am to make up for the 2 additional pumping sessions but it seems that once i put my head on the pillow, i'm gone. Can't hear a thing...and the fact that the twins now wake up for feeds, on most nights, only once around 4am-5am, makes it even difficult for me to wake up. Am i giving myself excuses???
Really need to do something about my energy level and stamina. After a whole day of taking care of the twins and doing house chores, i can barely open my eyes at the end of the day. The last pumping session at around 11pm is the hardest...especially when everyone else is already in bed but i'm still up pumping away.
I've started taking Shaklee's OsteMatrix to help boost my milk production for about 1 week now..so far, can see some improvement, sometimes.....there are good days and bad days. The difference now is that on a good day, previously i get only around 3oz but now i can get 4oz. I know i know.....still nothing to shout about, but i'll take every additional oz i can get, you know what i mean???
And so the journey continues.....
I've been telling myself to wake up at 3am and 5am to make up for the 2 additional pumping sessions but it seems that once i put my head on the pillow, i'm gone. Can't hear a thing...and the fact that the twins now wake up for feeds, on most nights, only once around 4am-5am, makes it even difficult for me to wake up. Am i giving myself excuses???
Really need to do something about my energy level and stamina. After a whole day of taking care of the twins and doing house chores, i can barely open my eyes at the end of the day. The last pumping session at around 11pm is the hardest...especially when everyone else is already in bed but i'm still up pumping away.
I've started taking Shaklee's OsteMatrix to help boost my milk production for about 1 week now..so far, can see some improvement, sometimes.....there are good days and bad days. The difference now is that on a good day, previously i get only around 3oz but now i can get 4oz. I know i know.....still nothing to shout about, but i'll take every additional oz i can get, you know what i mean???
And so the journey continues.....
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Some quality time with Iris
Ever since we had the twins, i must admit that i haven't spend as much time as i used to with Iris. Ye lah...mana nak melayan twins tu 24/7, kerenah Iris lagi. I know that she has been craving for attention, pulling all sorts of stunts just to piss me off. Budak2 sekarang ni pandai...they'll do whatever they can to get your attention, even if kena marah. Kena marah tu means getting attention la kan?
Some times, lepas dah marah marah tu, i fikir2 balik...sedih and guilty la pulak. She's only 3..she doesn't deserve to get that kind of scolding, not to mention smacks. Tapi bila badan dah penat, cepatla short fius.
Yesterday there was a mini concert at her school. I took the chance to spend some quality time with her...just us. It was nice....despite all the scoldings and smacks she's been getting, i hope she knows that mummy loves her to bits!
I pray that Allah gives me the patience and tolerance in raising her......must remember that anak tu amanah dari Allah.
Some times, lepas dah marah marah tu, i fikir2 balik...sedih and guilty la pulak. She's only 3..she doesn't deserve to get that kind of scolding, not to mention smacks. Tapi bila badan dah penat, cepatla short fius.
Yesterday there was a mini concert at her school. I took the chance to spend some quality time with her...just us. It was nice....despite all the scoldings and smacks she's been getting, i hope she knows that mummy loves her to bits!
I pray that Allah gives me the patience and tolerance in raising her......must remember that anak tu amanah dari Allah.
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| At my friend's daughter's birthday party |
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| Sedapnya McD...... |
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| Kakak Iris |
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| Mummy's little sunshine - after the mini concert |
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| Classroom visit |
Bila penat melanda
Fuuhh...dua tiga hari lepas ni, badan terasa penat sangat sangat. Bila badan dah penat, nak mengepam pun malas..ish ish. Dapat 4 pack je instead of 5-6 normally. Stok dah semakin merudum.
Esok Monday...takleh nak Monday blues ok..kena semangat balik!
Esok Monday...takleh nak Monday blues ok..kena semangat balik!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Macam mana ni?
Hmm..after a few days of "trying" to pump according to my new schedule, i'm still short in coming up with sufficient stocks, ie. i'm still in "deficit". Right now, i'm only able to produce 5-6 packs of 4oz each, whereas my target was 8 packs.
How la?? Penatnya badan Tuhan saja yang tahu.......
How la?? Penatnya badan Tuhan saja yang tahu.......
Monday, October 17, 2011
Exclusively pumping
Just until a couple months ago, i never thought that i will be an "exclusively pumping" mum. But that changed when i realised that i will have to take care of my twins on my own. Taking care of them alone during the day meant that i don't have the luxury of directly breastfeeding them especially when:
(1) both are screaming for feed at the same time; and
(2) there are tonnes of house chores (ok...i might be exaggerating a bit here..) that needs to be done.
Previously i thought that that skin to skin contact is vital especially for bonding, but hey, when its not so practical, i had to be a little bit more flexible. I have to..if not, i'll go nuts..trying to do the best of everything. And i must admit, eventhough i may not enjoy that skin to skin contact anymore, it does helped me a lot in terms of getting through day to day. And there are other ways of having that kind of bonding, for example, now i really take my time with them when its bath time, giving them massages. And they love it.
Besides, this is not so different if i was still working. During the day when i'm at work, they would be given the bottle anyway. So i learned that as a mother, we have to see what works for us...some ways may work for other mums but not for you. So we need to test things out and see if it will work for us. And the most important thing is to be flexible, to learn to let some things go and not trying to be a supermum all the time.
Being at home or at work, and managing your kids and home at the same time...doing all that, and you already are a supermum! Believe me :o)
(1) both are screaming for feed at the same time; and
(2) there are tonnes of house chores (ok...i might be exaggerating a bit here..) that needs to be done.
Previously i thought that that skin to skin contact is vital especially for bonding, but hey, when its not so practical, i had to be a little bit more flexible. I have to..if not, i'll go nuts..trying to do the best of everything. And i must admit, eventhough i may not enjoy that skin to skin contact anymore, it does helped me a lot in terms of getting through day to day. And there are other ways of having that kind of bonding, for example, now i really take my time with them when its bath time, giving them massages. And they love it.
Besides, this is not so different if i was still working. During the day when i'm at work, they would be given the bottle anyway. So i learned that as a mother, we have to see what works for us...some ways may work for other mums but not for you. So we need to test things out and see if it will work for us. And the most important thing is to be flexible, to learn to let some things go and not trying to be a supermum all the time.
Being at home or at work, and managing your kids and home at the same time...doing all that, and you already are a supermum! Believe me :o)
Thursday, October 13, 2011
My new pumping schedule
2 nights ago, i finally figured out why my stock was always running low when i "thought" i have made enough stock to go around..duh! That's because i'm always in a what i call a "3 pack deficit". Basically, my twins feed between 7-10 times a day each (depending) and at the moment, i'm only able to provide them BM for 3 feeds and the rest is supplemented with FM. That's because based on my current pumping schedule which every 3-4 hours with 3-4oz per session, i only get 3-4 packs of 4oz a day.
Obviously not enough to top up the stocks which were used up during the day huh? Not rocket science right...but i wonder why i took this long to figure it out!
I've realised that by providing 8 packs total to them (about 4 feeds each), i can pretty much provide BM them from 8am to 7pm each day and the rest of the day can be supplemented with FM. Not bad i thought...especially for someone like me who don't have the luxury of BM overflowing!
So my new schedule will basically look like this...i will pump every 2 hours at 7-8am, 9-10am, 11am-12pm, 1-2pm, 3-4pm, 5-6pm, 7-8pm, 9-10pm, 11pm-12am, 1-2am, 3-4am...pheww!!!! That's a total of 11 times a day!! That's because each session, i only get 2-3oz..kesian kan????? Nak buat camne...dah nasib badan....
But today is only my first day of trying this new schedule....InsyaAllah with hard work and perseverance, soon my milk supply will increase..Ya Allah, give me the strength and patience to do this..and god health,of course. Kalau dah sakit macam mana nak bangun pumping, ye tak? Amin.....
Obviously not enough to top up the stocks which were used up during the day huh? Not rocket science right...but i wonder why i took this long to figure it out!
I've realised that by providing 8 packs total to them (about 4 feeds each), i can pretty much provide BM them from 8am to 7pm each day and the rest of the day can be supplemented with FM. Not bad i thought...especially for someone like me who don't have the luxury of BM overflowing!
So my new schedule will basically look like this...i will pump every 2 hours at 7-8am, 9-10am, 11am-12pm, 1-2pm, 3-4pm, 5-6pm, 7-8pm, 9-10pm, 11pm-12am, 1-2am, 3-4am...pheww!!!! That's a total of 11 times a day!! That's because each session, i only get 2-3oz..kesian kan????? Nak buat camne...dah nasib badan....
But today is only my first day of trying this new schedule....InsyaAllah with hard work and perseverance, soon my milk supply will increase..Ya Allah, give me the strength and patience to do this..and god health,of course. Kalau dah sakit macam mana nak bangun pumping, ye tak? Amin.....
Monday, October 10, 2011
I might have to do a complete u-turn??
Had a short and "sweet" conversation with hubs today about our financials and i have never been so down. I guess i am still in denial mode, about being able to stay at home and look after the kids full time.
Maybe its time i wake up and face the music?? Time to end this "maternity leave" early and do a complete 180 deg instead?? Should i go back to work and provide, so that i can give my kids better lives?
Hurrmmph...what a day!
Maybe its time i wake up and face the music?? Time to end this "maternity leave" early and do a complete 180 deg instead?? Should i go back to work and provide, so that i can give my kids better lives?
Hurrmmph...what a day!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Since we had the twins.....
Since i've quit working to take care of the twins, there was a lot of adjustments we had to do as a family and one of it was how much money we could save. Of course this time it was different, compared to when we had Iris, our firstborn. We spent on her like there's no tomorrow...maklumla, first child and we were overexcited to become parents.
But now, with the 2 new additions and us living on a single income, all that is distant memories. We hardly buy any clothes for the twins, except some boy clothes for AY and some new sleepsuits for them. No carseats cause we had 3 from Iris's. We only bought the twin stroller and a few small items like towels, bottles etc.
And one other major difference this time around is we decided to use cloth diapers. I used to toy with the idea when we had Iris, but i was too lazy to commit to the washing etc. But now, do i have a choice? Anything, as long as it means us saving some $$, i'll do it....
So far ok...the washing is not so bad. We still buy disposables, but just for when we are travelling, emergency etc. But still, we have saved a lot. Masa time beli tu memang la rasa pening jugak cause kena bayar banyak sekali gus, tapi bila kira kira balik, memang worth it and jimat.
Of course, there's the breastfeeding too, but that one, as everyone know, is still WIP....hummmph!
But now, with the 2 new additions and us living on a single income, all that is distant memories. We hardly buy any clothes for the twins, except some boy clothes for AY and some new sleepsuits for them. No carseats cause we had 3 from Iris's. We only bought the twin stroller and a few small items like towels, bottles etc.
And one other major difference this time around is we decided to use cloth diapers. I used to toy with the idea when we had Iris, but i was too lazy to commit to the washing etc. But now, do i have a choice? Anything, as long as it means us saving some $$, i'll do it....
So far ok...the washing is not so bad. We still buy disposables, but just for when we are travelling, emergency etc. But still, we have saved a lot. Masa time beli tu memang la rasa pening jugak cause kena bayar banyak sekali gus, tapi bila kira kira balik, memang worth it and jimat.
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| My "little" collection... |
Thursday, October 6, 2011
My babies.....
Just wanna share some pics of the twins and their big sister, Iris. Love them to bits!!!!
When i look at them, i feel so blessed and thankfully to Allah to be given such a beautiful family!
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| Iris getting a haircut |
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| Iris and i sharing some mummy-daughter moments |
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| My girls!!!! |
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| 3 going on to 4 mths!!!! |
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| Dynamic duo.... |
When i look at them, i feel so blessed and thankfully to Allah to be given such a beautiful family!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
One day at a time.....
Right now, i don't have any help looking after the twins. My help ari tu dah balik sebab nak kahwin. Tu yang berzaman nak update blog tu.....
Its been 3 days already, so far so good. I do whatever i can, in terms of housework. Mana mana yang sempat, in between their nap time, i buat la.
Gambar gambar pun tak sempat lagi nak upload. Will try to do it over the weekend. Now, am heading to bed....demam. :o(
Its been 3 days already, so far so good. I do whatever i can, in terms of housework. Mana mana yang sempat, in between their nap time, i buat la.
Gambar gambar pun tak sempat lagi nak upload. Will try to do it over the weekend. Now, am heading to bed....demam. :o(
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Ya Allah..please give me the strength to push on.....
Hmm...today, memang down sangat. I looked into the freezer compartment and counted my EBM stock....it looks like it will only last until tomorrow and by the weekend, i have to start supplementing with FM again :o(
Here's the maths...from 7am to 9pm daily, i need to have at least 10-12 packs for my twins. Each day, i can only get 3 packs of 120ml each. So i need 3-4 days just to build up enough stock for ONE DAY. Memang depressing when i think about it. But everyday i pray that Allah give me the strength and determination to push on. Keep on pumping eventhough i don't get that much.
Persevere, persevere, persevere...........
Here's the maths...from 7am to 9pm daily, i need to have at least 10-12 packs for my twins. Each day, i can only get 3 packs of 120ml each. So i need 3-4 days just to build up enough stock for ONE DAY. Memang depressing when i think about it. But everyday i pray that Allah give me the strength and determination to push on. Keep on pumping eventhough i don't get that much.
Persevere, persevere, persevere...........
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Sikit sikit lama lama jadi bukit???
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| Stok susu yg tak seberapa. Jgn tertipu..tak penuh pun compartment tu, ada benda lain kat bawah heheh |
Haa..ni la dia stok yang i sedang berhempas pulas nak build up....berpeluh peluh. Ye la, kita bukan jenis yang meriah susu. Tapi takpe...perseverance..and the hope that my babies will get the best from me, eventhough i have to make a few sacrifices along the way. At least they will get some breastmilk if not exclusively.
Am continuing with my Shaklee supplements. For me, after taking the supplements, takde la my milk supply melimpah ruah, but it does wonders to my energy level. Plus with twins and lack of complete nutritional meal 3x day, i can't afford to get sick. So the supplements are keeping me going. And it seems to be working, Alhamdulillah. Memang worth it! Memang highly recommended for breastfeeding mothers, whether to boost the milk supply, or simply to make sure that your body is getting enough nutritions to keep going.
Yesterday was one of those "days"..where everything seems not to be going as well...pump pun dapat sikit je, twins asyik meragam, badan penat semacam, banyak kerja rumah tak sempat buat..bla bla bla. Tapi Alhamdulillah, gagahkan juga badan dan kuatkan semangat. Nasib baik i still have someone to help watch over the twins. Bole la buat kerja lain......
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Here we are!!!!
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| Ayra on the swing |
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| Mummy's handsome boy! |
Back to the same old routine......
The long Malaysia Day weekend is over and here i am, back to the same old routine. Hmmm dah tak kerja pun ada Monday blues jugak???? Ni monday blues yang lain.....still better than monday blues kalau kerja hehee.
We went to Kuantan for a quick weekend getaway..memang quick. Mana taknya...sampai sampai dah petang, boss decided to take a nap instead of taking poor Iris to the pool/beach. Tau tau dah malam, went out for dinner, balik hotel tidur and the next morning, breakfast, check out and back to KL. Nak ambik gambar pun tak sempat! Tu dia....i can sum up our itinerary all in a sentence! But ok la...can't complain. At least we did went somewhere over the weekend.
Today, i'm continuing with my "plan". Entahla kalau menjadi....but i'm still pressing on. Hopefully adala rezeki my twins ni. Supplement pun lupa nak ambik over the weekend, hmmm...
Actually its good that the old routine is back...at least i don't "mengelat" too long....
We went to Kuantan for a quick weekend getaway..memang quick. Mana taknya...sampai sampai dah petang, boss decided to take a nap instead of taking poor Iris to the pool/beach. Tau tau dah malam, went out for dinner, balik hotel tidur and the next morning, breakfast, check out and back to KL. Nak ambik gambar pun tak sempat! Tu dia....i can sum up our itinerary all in a sentence! But ok la...can't complain. At least we did went somewhere over the weekend.
Today, i'm continuing with my "plan". Entahla kalau menjadi....but i'm still pressing on. Hopefully adala rezeki my twins ni. Supplement pun lupa nak ambik over the weekend, hmmm...
Actually its good that the old routine is back...at least i don't "mengelat" too long....
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
My love-hate relationship with breastfeeding
I've had this since i had Iris 3 years ago. And now with the twins, i'm going through that whole experience again. I know, i know, people said that its supposed to get easier with your second one because of experience bla bla bla...but not me. It a whole new experience for me this time...what with the twins. If 3 years ago i didn't manage to exclusively breastfeed because i was working and my milk supply has always been "ngam ngam", this time though i'm no longer working, but i'm having 2 mouths to feed and with my milk supply...its an uphill battle.
Unfortunately i'm not one of those with "success stories " with "i managed to get 10oz in one pumping session" person. In a "good" session (that is if i haven't emptied my B for 4-5 hours straight), i'll be lucky to get 4-5oz. But if i religiously pump every 3 hrs, as per the breastfeeding bible, i'll only get 3ish oz per session. How la?????
Early this morning, i had a eureka moment and have devised a plan. I won't tell what is the plan yet though...let me test it out for this one week and shall see if it works. Kalau success baru i will divulge the details k!
Besides that, have also been taking Shaklee supplements for the last 1 month. Dah jadi member dah pun......itu pun because i think it'll be worth it. Ye la, ambik supplement ni kena la for the long run, baru la nampak effectnya. Ye tak?
I will talk a little bit more about my breastfeeding struggle and Shaklee supplements in my next entry ok!
Unfortunately i'm not one of those with "success stories " with "i managed to get 10oz in one pumping session" person. In a "good" session (that is if i haven't emptied my B for 4-5 hours straight), i'll be lucky to get 4-5oz. But if i religiously pump every 3 hrs, as per the breastfeeding bible, i'll only get 3ish oz per session. How la?????
Early this morning, i had a eureka moment and have devised a plan. I won't tell what is the plan yet though...let me test it out for this one week and shall see if it works. Kalau success baru i will divulge the details k!
Besides that, have also been taking Shaklee supplements for the last 1 month. Dah jadi member dah pun......itu pun because i think it'll be worth it. Ye la, ambik supplement ni kena la for the long run, baru la nampak effectnya. Ye tak?
I will talk a little bit more about my breastfeeding struggle and Shaklee supplements in my next entry ok!
Saturday, September 10, 2011
A new chapter begins....
It feels strange...after 14 years working in the fast paced corporate world, rushing to the office every morning, countless deadlines to meet and bosses to please, late nights and weekends, being confined to the walls of home seemed strange. Every now and then, whenever i can, i will catch a glimpse out of the bedroom window (overlooking the SPRINT highway), watching rush hour traffic, office workers making their way to work....exactly what i was still doing up until 3 months ago.
My days now revolve around the twins....bath them, feed them, change them, feed them again and again and again. For the next 1 month, i'm lucky to have a relative staying over to help. After that, it'll just be the twins and yours truly. Am bracing myself for that....i will be taking care of the twins ALONE 24/7, 365 days (well, not exactly...except evenings and weekends when hubs is around). Oh well, i am their MOTHER kan?
Hence, a new chapter in my life begins. As a full time stay at home mum, taking care of the twins, with no fixed income. That's another scary aspect of my life which comes with this new chapter....living in KL on a single income. Hmmm.....will just try it out for a few months and will see if i need to go back to work due to financial commitments. Only time will tell........
Alamak, AJ dah bangun....feeding time folks!
My days now revolve around the twins....bath them, feed them, change them, feed them again and again and again. For the next 1 month, i'm lucky to have a relative staying over to help. After that, it'll just be the twins and yours truly. Am bracing myself for that....i will be taking care of the twins ALONE 24/7, 365 days (well, not exactly...except evenings and weekends when hubs is around). Oh well, i am their MOTHER kan?
Hence, a new chapter in my life begins. As a full time stay at home mum, taking care of the twins, with no fixed income. That's another scary aspect of my life which comes with this new chapter....living in KL on a single income. Hmmm.....will just try it out for a few months and will see if i need to go back to work due to financial commitments. Only time will tell........
Alamak, AJ dah bangun....feeding time folks!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
I better get started with this!
OMG...it takes forever for an IT illiterate person like me to start blogging. Until now, i still can't figure out how to change my blog template, so i'm just gonna use the current one temporarily until i finally manage to figure this damn thing out.
Pathetic!
Pathetic!
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