Many have the misconception that the bigger the
boobs, the more milkilicious the mum. This is not necessarily true.
Don't worry, mums with small boobs! Mine were below average and I've already
exclusively fed S for 6 months and my boobs can still supply for as long as I
want.
Only a small percentage of mums can't produce milk so the willpower of the mum is actually the key here.
If you know me personally and have seen me breastfeeding on demand ever so readily, you would think that my milk supply has always been optimal and have never had problems with breastfeeding.
No! Try asking any mum who has breastfed before, milking cow or not, at the beginning it definitely wasn't a breeze. Those days were stressful...
"Can I have more milk, pleassse?" pleads
5-month-old S
I couldn't bring Little S home with me when I was discharged from the hospital as he had slight jaundice and had to stay in the nursery for an extra day. Being separated from Little S on the fourth day he was born was hard enough let alone risking the fact that my boobs would stop producing milk as my baby wasn't nursing to stimulate the milk glands in producing.
I had no choice but to pump to ensure that my boobs knew that there was still a need for them to work. I desperately assembled my Medela In-style Advanced pump for the first time and experienced short-circuit in our apartment which burned my pump. How lucky right? No baby, no pump. Boohoo. I was totally unaware that my pump needed an adaptor as it was a US model. Imagine how hopeless I was feeling then. *pulls hair* Due to these mishaps, my milk supply dropped significantly.
When Little S was back, he was so cranky as the supply was just not meeting his demand. Poor baby. It was really upsetting and stressful to see him that way so for the first few days, I just had to give him formula supplements 1-2/day while I napped and relaxed to increase milk supply.
To solve the problem of inadequate nursing, I resorted to pumping. I aimed to feed and pump about 10-12 times in every 24 hours each day. In desperation, i also asked my gynaecologist for a prescription to increase my milk supply. I was given domperidone and I just dutifully took it, although I'm very resistant to taking western medicine, until the production of milk was steady. I took frenugreek, both pills and capsules, too. See how desperate I was!
Holding the bottle before S turned 1-month-old
As for my diet, I ate oatmeal everyday for the
first 4 months. I've tested and it's proven that it increases milk supply. Lots
of fish, juices and soups helps too. Make sure you drink at least 3-4l of water a day. Opt for natural food sources as much
as you can to ensure good milk quality.
Breastfeeding mums
experience engorgement at the start and it is a phase which really tests our
endurance level of pain. It happens when the breasts
switch from colostrum to mature milk. I massaged my boobs so hard
to unclogged my milk ducts in order to ensure smooth flow of milk. I just did
anything possible to make sure Little S got the milk. I think I was close to
looking like a psycho during that period of time. My mind was focused on,
"milk, milk, milk! milk, milk and more milk!" day in day out. Of
course, I also engaged a Malay massage lady to help in
unclogging the ducts which was really painful but good.
When Little S was one-month-old, my milk supply was finally established and I
could pump enough to store so that I could carry on with normal life. Milk will
leak, but no worries, just get breastpads. Tollyjoy pads
are by far the most economical and effective.
2-month-old S in Milky Dreamland
I really had to take a breather to do some reality checks before I turned into a yellow-faced withering wife. Go ask Sheldad about it. But I'm pretty sure he will say I looked fantabulous then. You know, love is blind. Even more so when he had witnessed a little human being emerging from the slit on my tummy.
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