All About Your Child

Mummy must have enough rest. I understand that there are bound to be alot of visitors for happy occasions like these, especially if this is your first baby. However, it would be better to limit visitors to allow more nursing opportunities.

Mothers and babies should learn how to sleep in the same rhythm. Thus, when the baby starts waking for a feed, the mother will also start to wake up naturally. The baby would normally shows signs before he starts crying that he is ready to feed.

His breathing may change or he may start to stretch. The mother, being in light sleep, will wake up, her milk will start to flow and the calm baby will be content to nurse. The amount of rest you have do affect the supply of your milk.

I remember there were a few days when Keatkeat was sick and I had to take extra time to take care of him. Binbin did not feed as well as he usually does, he would want to feed more often then usual and my breast gets emptied faster. Yet this was just a matter of a few days of less rest.

A baby who has been crying for some time before being tried on the breast may refuse to take the breast even if he is super hungry. Mothers and babies should be encouraged to sleep side by side in hospital. This is a great way for mothers to rest while the baby nurses, especially when you are nursing using the ‘lying down’ position. Breastfeeding should be relaxing and enjoyable, not tiring and frustrating.

Please, leave the household chores to your husband, get him to play his part to show his support in your duty to breastfeed. At this moment, really want the world to know how blessed I am to have Allan as my husband.

So did you have enough rest?

Review : Breastfeed with confidence tip 1-Timing, tip 2-Comfort, tip 3-Latching, tip 4-Milk Supply 1, tip 4-Milk Supply 2, tip 4-Milk Supply 3

There are no specific foods to eat that will stimulate production of breast milk, but there are things that can help with milk production. More important than what you eat is how your baby eats. When a baby is properly positioned, well-attached and sucking effectively, the longer a baby nurses at your breast the more milk will be produced. This is the single most important way to increase your milk production.

There are two important factors critical to producing milk. The first is drinking enough fluid. It doesn’t have to be milk; water or juice is fine. But I did drink 2 cups of milk that are meant for breastfeeding mothers, once in the morning and another at night.

You may be producing from 20 to 40 ounces of fluid a day, and that’s quite a lot. So when do you know you need to drink? I normally drink a glass of water after every feed or whenever I feel thirsty. It is also a good habit to fill a glass of water for yourself to drink while your baby is nursing. Drinking sufficient fluids won’t make you produce more milk, but is important in replenishing lost fluids.

Nursing requires about an extra 500 calories per day. Women that go on restricted diets in an attempt to lose weight while they are nursing may be eating too few calories, which leaves them fatigued and without the energy necessary for optimal milk production. In fact by breastfeeding, mothers WILL lose weight gain during pregancy, my cousin and I are the best proof. *wink* So please do not cut down on the things you eat when you choose to breastfeed.

Beer has been touted for years as being a stimulus to milk production. However, research shows that babies don’t like alcoholic breastmilk, and actually drink less of it, resulting in less stimulation to the breast. Ultimately, this means a decrease in milk production.

Stress can negatively affect milk production. Find an alternative way to rest and de-stress. Have a sitter come in so you can nap. Always sleep in the same momentum of the baby, meaning, when baby sleeps, you sleep too. Get your spouse to do the household chores. The better you rest, the better the supply.

Caffeine stimulates milk production, but it also stimulates your baby. Caffeine finds its way into breast milk and large amounts can act on your baby as it does on you, that is keeping your baby awake longer than he should. Caffeine stays in baby’s system longer than in an adult’s, which will prolong its effect. Also, caffeine can make your baby irritable, as well as interfere with his sleep. One cup of coffee or a soda will not be a problem, but in large quantities (five or more cups of a caffeinated beverage a day), this level of caffeine in breast milk can reach amounts that affect your baby.

The best prescription for maximum milk production is effective and frequent breastfeeding, plenty of fluids, adequate calories and rest. If you feel your supply is low, ask yourself, have you been doing this?

Review : Breastfeed with confidence tip 1-Timing, tip 2-Comfort, tip 3-Latching, tip 4-Milk Supply 1, tip 4-Milk Supply 2

If you decide to give formula and breastmilk to your baby, you may face a serious problem which I did for my elder boy.

Firstly, by doing that, you cut down on the frequency of your baby sucking from your breast directly and that will eventually cut down on the supply of the breastmilk. Remember, feed more = more breastmilk supply.

Then the softness of the teat from the bottle and your nipple is very different, so you will be confusing the baby especially in the first few days. Then this will lead to ‘incooperation’ from your baby when you attempt to breastfeed.

Moreover, the flow milk from the teat and the flow from you nipple is also different. If either one gives him a better flow (because now he have comparison), he will want that and for the 1st few days, the flow from your breast may ‘lose out’ to the teat.

For my case, my elder boy was so attached to the bottle teat because droplets of milk trickle down from the teat even though he was not sucking; yes he was a ‘lazy’ baby, so he refused to ‘work hard’ to suck during nursing.

Many says that in order to keep up with the supply, mummies can pump out the breastmilk when the baby ‘overslept’ his feeding time. This did not work out for my cousin, who successfully breastfed her boy for 12months. And this definitely did not work out for me either. Our milk supply is lower when we expressed it out. The worst part was, we, the mummies, ended up drinking our expressed milk because our babies did not like it expressed out at all! They simply refused to drink.

Luckily in Singapore, the government give all mothers 3 months of maternity leave. When your baby is 3 months old already, it will be easier to get him to adapt to the formula feeding and breastmilk feeding combination.

So i strongly recommend all mothers should breastfeed completely for at least 3 months. Do not need to buy any bottles till you are ready to get back to work. Remember? You do not even need to feed the baby water, so there is no need for bottle.

By fully breastfeeding, you are actually saving hundreds and hundreds of dollars spent on formula, wouldn’t that be nice to use these money to buy toys and beautiful clothes for your baby?

Review : Breastfeed with confidence tip 1-Timing, tip 2-Comfort, tip 3-Latching, tip 4-Milk Supply 1

The most common questions that kept ranging in my head when I first decided to breastfeed was MILK SUPPLY.

I am not even a B cup, so I thought my supply will be very low or may not be able to meet my baby needs.

But the good news was, irregardless of the size of our breast, our milk supply WILL meet the requirements of our baby. Yeah! Lucky me. *wink*

Breast-milk starts to produce in our breast when we are in our 5th and 6th months of pregnancy. Meaning, breast-milk is present even before your baby is born! So you never need to worry that you do not have milk in your breasts for the baby.

Colostrum is the early milk made by your breasts. Once the baby is born, it is present in small amounts for the first 3 days to match the small size of the baby’s stomach.

Colostrum is designed to meet the special needs of a newborn. Colostrum has a yellow color, is thick in consistency, is high in protein, and low in fat and sugar. The protein content is three times higher than mature milk because it is rich in the immunities being passed from the mother to protect the baby. It also acts as a natural laxative, helping the baby pass the first stools called meconium, which is black in colour.

No matter how much rejections you face, insist on breastfeeding as soon as possible after giving birth and every 1 to 3 hours per 24 hours (8-12 times per 24 hours) to allow your baby to receive this valuable milk.

After the 3 days, your milk will change and increase in quantity. It may take longer depending on when breastfeeding was initiated and breastfeeding frequency. The change in milk occurs a little earlier if you have breastfed before.

So for the 1st 3 days, I was practically feeding all the time to increase my milk supply even faster. The more you feed, the faster your breast is filled up. Yes, it may be tiring for the first few days, but its all worth it, ‘cos it gets so much easier as the days go by.

Every-time when you start to breastfeed, the first milk the baby receives is called fore-milk, which appears thin and watery with a light blue tinge. Fore-milk is composed largely of water and is necessary to satisfy your baby’s thirst. So please you do not need to feed your baby with water from the bottle at all!

Hind-milk has the highest concentration of fat and is released after several minutes of nursing. It is similar in consistency to cream and will have a soporific (sleepy) effect on your baby. Hind-milk is important for your baby to feel satisfied and to gain adequate weight. Feed your baby until you see a sleepy, satisfied look on his/her face.

Did it ever cross your mind that you may have “Weak breast milk”? I did! Luckily all the breastfeeding support groups I called said there is no such thing. Your body will combine the exact ingredients necessary to meet your baby’s requirements.

Review : Breastfeed with confidence tip 1-Timing, tip 2-Comfort, tip 3-Latching

Matin was breastfed for 1 full year. I wanted to do that for Binbin too, but because of the nature of my work, I had to stop when he was 6 months old. From my failure in breastfeeding Keatkeat, I am already very pleased that I breastfed Binbin completely for 6 months without any formula.

Latching on correctly. A baby who drinks well will not be on the breast for hours at a time. Thus, if he seems frustrated during nursing, one of the reason may be he is not getting little or no milk, this is usually because he is not latching on well.

You can see the video showing how to latch on correctly. Bear this in mind, never bring your breast to the baby, always bring the baby to your breast. Make sure the baby’s mouth is opened wide before you ‘press’ him to your breast.

Don’t worry that you may pull him too close and cause suffocation, he will signal you if you really did, bringing him in, as close as possible helps to ensure that he gets the nipple and all or most of the areola into his mouth. When the baby is latched on properly, your nipple should not be painful.

Try to get some professional help, such as a lactation specialist. In the hospital, you can ask if a lactation consultant or a nurse who is knowledgeable about breastfeeding can observe your technique. Keep practising, don’t give up. It took me 4 weeks before I was confident in it.

I was quite a pain in the butt during my 3 days stay in the hospital *guilt*, I made sure that the nurse watch my position, my technique at every feed. For such thing, its harder to get it right by just reading words and looking at pictures.

If you leave the hospital before receiving any guidance, make sure that someone with breastfeeding expertise evaluates your technique. I was also extremely lucky to have an experience cousin, Matin’s mummy, to fall back on whenever I face problem.

For most Chinese, they find it embarrassing to ask about such thing because we consider our breast as a private part too. But I have come to the point whereby I know that no-question-ask = no-solution-to-the problem. So why bother so much about the Chinese culture, just ask!

There are lots of breastfeeding organisations out there ever ready to answer all the questions pertaining to breastfeeding. If you are really so phone shy, then email me at angeline@allaboutyourchild.com I will be extremely happy to help.

Review : Breastfeed with confidence tip 1-Timing, tip 2-Comfort

How often do we enjoy an air-conditioned place to dine in more than having a meal outdoor where we are at the mercy of the weather?

Its the same for babies, they need to be comfortable when they are being fed.

Being comfortable. Breastmilk does not only fill him when he is hungry, it quench his thirst too. So simply logic, when baby wakes up without crying, check and change his diapers if necessary, always make sure he is comfortable during feeding. Make sure the place that you are nursing is airy. Baby doesn’t feed well when he is feeling warm and sticky.

The nursing place or corner should be a relatively quiet area. Babies’ senses are very strong, hence they get distracted easily. When they do get interuppted by sound, they usually need a little more time to get back on the breast to continue where they left off.

Most importantly, you must be comfortable. Your baby can sense your lack of confidence or your discomfort; and that will make him uneasy. Believe it!

Hey mummy, afterall, isn’t your baby, your flesh and blood, how you feel, he feels. *wink*

Review : Breastfeed with confidence tip 1-Timing

If you are a first time mummy, or have never tried breastfeed before for your previous baby, or you may had a difficult time breastfeeding your previous baby and hence lose confidence, I hope I can build up your confidence in giving breastfeeding a chance (again) to prove its worth for the effort put in, in the beginning.

Because of my mother-in-law’s objections I failed terribly in my first attempt at breast feeding. When I had my second baby, I was determined to get it right no matter what comes! I had lesser objection this time, although my second child is still a grandson, from my in-law, because it was not the first grandson. Secondly, I discussed with Allan that he must help me to prevent his mother from interferring and this time he did a great job!

Getting the timing right. Try to place baby at the breast as soon as possible after birth. Ideally, this will happen right in the delivery room. This skin-to-skin contact is extremely comforting to the baby and will also help to keep the child warm.

Thereafter, always nurse on demand. This will keep your baby happy and will increase your milk supply to meet the demand as it grows. Also, don’t let your baby sleep through a feeding.

If it’s been three hours since your newborn last fed, then it’s time to wake him or her up. For the 1st month, its just feed and sleep basically. Whenever he cries, feed. Breastfeeding does not only supply nutrients to your baby, the sucking effect calms the baby down.

Nurse for as long as the baby wants. Most newborns require ten to forty-five minutes to complete a feeding.

Please, never have the thought of my mother-in-law, you will never over feed your baby when you breastfeed. Your baby knows when to stop. So do not need to go through the hassle of counting the hours and looking at the clock anymore.

Don’t you just love the simplicity of this?

Its really tough when you don’t have the support of your family on breastfeeding. It definitely didn’t come easy for me.

My in-laws are the typical traditional Chinese who loves boys more than girls, as the boys will carry the surname of the family and hence producing more offspring for the ‘Loh’ (their surname) generation.

So lucky them, my in-law have 3 sons. So no child was neglected. My 2 sis-in-law gave birth to girls before I gave birth to my 1st child, A BOY. So naturally my in-law, especially my mum-in-law was over the moon. She wanted to make sure that this boy, the very 1st grandson of the ‘Loh’ Family, is well taken care off; and she is a woman of strong character who believes in no one else except herself.

She strongly refuse to let me breastfeed him. I spent my confinement days at her house, it was really chaotic. There were several reasons:

1) She wanted more time with the child. For breastfeeding, its really easy, whenever the child cries, just feed. If he refuses, then go check on his diapers. After feed he’ll just sleep. And the routine goes on like that for the 1st month or 2. So its feed and sleep, feed and sleep…. I love those days, don’t need to crack my brain for new ideas to entertain him, unlike now and by doing so, she do not have time with the child, ‘cos the child is either in my arms, nursing or asleep on the bed.

2) She refused to let me feed him unless it was 2 hours from my previous feed. Allan and I tried to explain to her that what works for formula feeding does not work for breastfeeding. She insisted because she thinks that I will burst the baby’s tummy by over feeding! You will never over feed your baby, your baby will stop when he is full or will refuse to be fed if he is not hungry. Hey, he has sensations too! He knows what he wants even as a baby, his human after-all! So my poor baby cried and cried till the time was up for feeding. She kept holding him until the time was up!

3) And because my poor child cried so much, he lost his voice when he was 1 week old and developed colic. My mum-in-law thinks that I pampered him too much by breast feeding him the moment he cries. She did not like the idea that there is no hard and fast rule in breast feeding.

4) She believes that breast-milk is more diluted so its not filling at all. At this point, don’t you think she is contradicting herself?! First she say I will over feed and burst the baby’s tummy, now she thinks that its not filling to the stomach. Can you imagine how unstable emotionally I was? And yes, I had postnatal blues. It was horrible!

5) Because we are Chinese, so during our confinement days, we had to drink ‘D.O.M’ or ‘Yomeishu’ which contains some liquor to build up our body stamina. She thinks that its a MUST to drink this and hence a ‘reason’ to stop me from breastfeeding, ‘cos the liquor will go to the baby through breast milk. Allan and I told her that I did not want to drink that, I want to breastfeed, but she finds that by breast feeding, it breaks all the tradition there is during confinement days.

6) Then there was the ‘Ginger’ problem. Ginger is believed to ‘remove air or wind’ in the stomach so its another MUST to eat things cooked with ginger. Since the baby is out of the tummy, there is nothing left except for air, so ginger will do the trick to get the air out and reduce the tummy. She refused to believe that breast feeding can flattened the tummy much better and faster through calories burnt. The main reason was she strongly believe that eating food cooked with ginger WILL cause the baby to have jaundice. Allan and I explained that I just need to avoid ginger food for the 1st 10 days and after that I will be able to take it, but again she finds that by not doing that, it breaks the tradition.

7) Due to reason 2, the whole family will be woken up by the crying more often in the night, instead of the 2 hourly cry. I was thinking, “Oh please, this is a life, a baby and babies cry at night, even though they are formula fed, it may not be a 2 hourly cry.” Allan and I explained to her that, won’t it wake up the whole family even more, if we still need to switch on the lights just to prepare the milk, its a faster way and easier way to quietened down the baby when all I need to do is unbutton and feed. Isn’t it more straight forward that way? She ignored. “Ahhhhhhh”

If you have read this, you would have remembered that during confinement, I was not allowed to bathe or have any skin contact with water. For hygiene purpose, I need to keep my breast and nipple clean, so I will wipe with a warm towel before and after each feed. She hated the idea! Firstly, I had to feed on demand which may turn out to be more than 12 feeds a day; Secondly, I had to come in contact with water so often. She went “No, no, no…” all the way.

We were quarrelling almost every other hour, it was so bad that Allan gave in after the 1st week and said “Forget about the breastfeeding for this confinement period. When this 30 days is over, you can breastfeed as much as you want when we are back at our house.”

And so, my mother-in-law won. For the next 3 weeks, MY BABY slept in her room in the night!Ahhhh…it was nightmare for me, I just could not sleep well. I am still boiling as I type this now.

I continued to pumped regularly to keep the supply, but its just not the same! The supply did not keep up with the growing baby needs, it was never enough; on top of that, my boy preferred the taste of the formula after being fed for 3 whole weeks on formula only. What a failure!