Breastfeeding [Merged]

[doc_irene]

Originally posted by flavvvah



Doc_Irene: what brand of breastpump did you buy?

my husband bought me Evenflo Battery/Electric Breast Pump by Evenflo

it was around $40 at that time. not so cheap, not so expensive.tama lang sya. and it's so easy and comfortable to use.
you can control the pumping action by pressing a button.



here's how it looks like

[mytitagirl]

my sis-in-law said to me that you need to eat 3 cups of malunggay a day to get the right amount equivalent to 1 capsule of malunggay. kaya din i took malunggay capsules (called natalac and can be bought at mercury for P6.50/capsule (year 2000 prices), kasi i read that lisa macuja-elizalde took as much as 3 tablets a day when she was breasfeeding her child, so safe siguro at effective.

it worked for me, i didn't have to drink milk myself. PERO i quit on iced tea, coffee, softdrinks at fake juices (i.e. citric acid based). kasi nga may caffeine at super sugar loaded. up to now nadala ko ang no softdrinks, pati anak ko alam niya "bad" ang softdrinks kasi nakakabulok ng teeth...story ko sa kanya yan.

avent manual breastpump all the way ako. nadisassemble kasi parts at puwede ilagay sa isang kaldero to boil lahat when you feel na kailangan sanitized lahat, as in the entire pump parts and bottle collecting. yung binili ko pala dati yung bote nilalagyan ng collecting plastic for the milk at may clips. tapos nung maubos plastic, i used the food grade plastic (makapal siya) na ka-size nung original plastic, sa palengke ko lang nabili, kaso double bag it. meron din kami sealing machine for plastic (parang P520 ata bili sa Longlife sa San Juan). so i'd say na after expressing milk ay sanitary naman lahat, tapos diretso sa freezer.

small quantities per plastic lang ang nilalagay ko nun kasi sa newborn every 2-3 hours feeding at mga 2-3 oz lang per feeding dati ako.

fresh breastmilk when expressed ay may expiration din, tapos frozen breastmilk after thawing cannot be frozen again. hanapin ko pa notes ko on time and number of hours.

[orano]

fresh breastmilk when expressed ay may expiration din, tapos frozen breastmilk after thawing cannot be frozen again. hanapin ko pa notes ko on time and number of hours.

present! fresh from breastfeeding class (gave birth last week!)... breastmilk can be stored in the freezer and be used up to 2 months later. just be sure to label the milk para alam mo kung hanggang kelan pwedeng gamitin.

tapos yun nga, if you're to use it na, thaw it in the lower compartment of the ref and then "heat" it by putting it in a container with hot water - DO NOT MICROWAVE!

this milk must then be consumed within 24 hours.

hope this helps!

and regarding your question flavvah if it hurts, syempre sa una, oo pero when you get the hang of it - ok na especially when you see your baby's very contented face after each feeding!

[minnow]

hello flavvvah!
congratulations on your decision to breastfeed-it's really worth it!
i've breastfed all my 3 kids-stopped only because i got pregnant again! but with my last, there was this conscious effort na huwag magpabuntis, kaya ngayon, 2 years 4 month na yung little girl ko, nagbe-breastfeed pa din!!! in fact i'm nursing her right now as i type on the keyboard! dapat nga winea-wean ko na kaya lang ako ata ang nagkaka=separation anxiety kasi halos 6 years na akong nagbebreastfeed, parang ayaw ko to stop. lahat na nga ng bra ko, nursing bra... pero iwea-wean ko na talaga.

here are some tips in addition to the ones the other wonderful moms have posted:

1. huwag kang magtaka kung 2 days na hindi pa lumalabas ang gatas mo-talagang ganyan yan. 1st 2 daysang tigas tigas na ng breasts mo, pinapasuck mo si baby , pero walang lumalabas. so pag iyak ng iyak ang baby mo, baka gutom kasi wala siyang nakukuha. sa start lang yan. believe me, when it comes you'll know, kasi bubuhos talaga.
2. get ready with your nursing bra's. first baby, i took it for granted. wala akong nursing bra and para akong gripo.
3. then the nursing pads. sus, ito namang commercially available brands, parang filter paper. di naman nakakaabsorb. my husband's solution? nag-ala mac-gyver... he got those disposable diapers na pampers comfort (yung orange), cut it up into rectangles just enough to cover the breasts, sealed the open edges with micropore tape, and voila!!! sobrang efficient as in 100% no leaks-i used that technique for all 3 kids!
4. invest in a good breastpump. i use medela-very good. they say pigeon and avent are okay. the trumpet types are useless.
5. are you going to store milk? you would need those disposable bottles-plastic bags na ilalagay mo sa disposable bottle holders. kasi yung plastic puede mo istore dercho sa frezer, thaw as needed. okay na yung gerber or playtex.
6. the last thing na please do not forget: TAKE CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTS!!! yon ata yung naneglect ko. nagpabone scan ako recently (the ones na free sa nestle)- my levels are low. malakas makadrain ng calcium ang breastfeeding. and to think i'm a doctor, i should have been more vigilant...

good luck!

[flavvvah]

wow! i'm learning! i'm learning! sige sige, more tips pa ha.

pbrg: i was supposed to get one. kaso my mom said, "wag na. igagawa nalang kita." and she's actually making one! excited kasi sa baby yon eh. hehehe

doc_irene: sige, i'll check out na rin the evenflo brand.

mytitagirl: no iced tea??? i love iced tea. kawawa naman ako. how can i give that up? softdrinks, fine. pero iced tea. awww.. siguro i should start by giving it up now palang. i heard the occassional glass of wine is ok. is this true?

orano: congrats on ur new baby! how are you holding up? hows the baby? excited na rin ako magka-baby! i also took notes during my childbirth classes. and breastmilk nga daw can be stored in the ref for 8 days, in the freezer for 2 weeks. pero kung yung freezer may separate door, it can be stored for up to 4 mos! wow.

minnow: during those two days na di pa lumalabas milk ko, will my baby still be able to drink a little? i mean, meron bang lalabas na konti? eh whattabout the colostrum? ok na ba yung baby don for the first 2 days? i'm scared na my baby might get hungry kasi eh. i also didn't know that a nursing bra is really impt. must make a note to myself: buy nursing bra. hehehe. i thought kasi after i give birth ko pa yon kailangan.

once again, thanks you guys!

[flavvvah]

share ko lang:

i had my congenital scan yesterday...and we're having a baby boy!

[annielise]

hey flavvvah congratulations! We're having a boy too...

I have a question: When do pregnant women's breasts start to leak? I'm on my 8th month and I don't have milk leaking out yet. Does that mean I'm not going to have milk?

[mytitagirl]

annielise: different women have different experiences, i myself did not have leaks. wala din sa size ng breasts ang breastmilk...meron ako kasabay sa hospital manganak nun at size 38C ata siya pero wala siya milk kasi may problems sa nipples niya, pero ako size 32A may milk.

ON maternity BRAS, buy the next larger size than you normally are and get at least 2 pairs, 100% cotton kasi mainit yung polyester blend.

VANITY: ON GIRDLES, right after giving birth I wore one kasi my greatest fear was to have flabby abdomen like many women in their 30s pataas. I wore mine 6 months straight. Magti-tiis ka talaga and the tighter the better. Never took it off except sa ligo and cr. TIP: cut of the top part of a worn white t-shirt and put it underneath the girdle to absorb your sweat.

On Being A New Mother: extreme feelings. super saya na nakakafrustrate kasi ang dami mong hindi alam. lagi mong iniisip na tama kaya ginagawa ko at lahat gusto mo gawain para sa comfort ng baby mo. pero the love overflows and unconditional din ang return ng baby mo, isang ngiti lang nasuklian na pagod mo. Just remember not to be too hard on yourself and take each day at a time, okay lang din umiyak to express your emotions.

Good Luck sa inyong mga new mothers and mothers-to-be! May you be blessed with heaps and heaps of patience and good health!

[flavvvah]

annielise: when are you due? I read that not all women leak milk during pregnancy. Pero it doesn't mean na you won't have milk. My friend who just recently gave birth didn't leak any milk, pero when her baby came out, she was able to breastfeed. Eto, check mo yung nipples mo in the morning. Look if there's whitish dried ek-ek. My friend said di sha nag-l-leak, pero in the morning, she has this. Ako rin, I have this in the morning. Usually kasi you don't feel it leaking. Ako, I can't feel it. I only know I've leaked pag chi-neck ko.

mytitagirl: what's gonna happen if i don't wear a girdle? hindi ko yata kaya mag-girdle. parang ang init. and i'm not accustomed to things hindering me. bra nga, di ko sinusuot all the time. girdle pa kaya. is it ok not to wear one? also, what brand of nursing bra is good?

[season]

Hey, why don't you join us at Best Friends in Breastfeeding? It's a BF support group for pregnant women and moms...

Wednesday, September 10, 2003

5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Mary The Queen Parish Church, Madison Street, Greenhills (near Xavier School)

[minnow]

Originally posted by flavvvah

minnow: during those two days na di pa lumalabas milk ko, will my baby still be able to drink a little? i mean, meron bang lalabas na konti? eh whattabout the colostrum? ok na ba yung baby don for the first 2 days? i'm scared na my baby might get hungry kasi eh. i also didn't know that a nursing bra is really impt. must make a note to myself: buy nursing bra. hehehe. i thought kasi after i give birth ko pa yon kailangan.

kung wala ka pang milk, wala talagang makukuha ang baby mo. some opt to give kahit a little formula muna. you would have to ask your doctor about this, or your intended pedia. kasi in mother-baby friendly hospitals, bawal ang artficial nipples and bottles kasi nga they encourage breastfeeding. pero since kawawa naman ang baby pag gutom talaga, minsan pinapayagan. minsan, they use droppers lang para hindi magkanipple confusion ang bata (between artificial teats and your nipples).

yung colostrum matagal lumabas kasi color yellowish brown na
malapot ito.not like milk na white and malabnaw. the baby will have to suck vigorously to get it out. once it's all out at saka magfoflow yung milk. pero the amount of colustrum is small lang-a few tablespoonsfuls? not enough to "feed" the baby.

pag nagflow na-the best stimulus for milk production is regular full emptying of the breast. practically all women have the potential to produce adequate amounts of milk, pero pag di masyadong nagpapafeed, nagdwidwindle. also sa start, akala nila wala silang milk (di nila alam usually wala talaga sa umpisa0, so they give up agad and start bottle feeding.

mytitagirl is right-get the cotton bras and get 2-3 sizes/cups bigger. kung 32 ka baka you'll need at least a 34C. the ones i used before were the avon ones. good quality na reasonably priced. convenient yung opening-puwedeng one hand lang. i don't know kung gumagawa pa sila. i got them at the stand-alone avon stores in the sm malls. (actually, if you have time, mag register ka kaya as an avon "consultant" - usually free reg sila. hindi para magbenta ng avon products, but to get the products at a much lower price, yung walang patong, he he he) yung iba yatang MLM brands like playtex, sara lee might have also. not sure though. unless willing ka na maglaba ng maglaba, you might want to get at least 4-5. pero you can get 2 muna, tapos pag tantsa mo na yung "size" mo, get more. i got at least 5 at once kasi laging out of stock and ang tagal magkaroon ng new stock, at saka committed naman ako to long-term breastfeeding.

the girdle helps improve your muscle tone talaga kasi pagkapanganak mo, di mo feel mag-tummy in parati. mas mabilis talaga bumalik ang tone pagnakagirdle. may panty girdle, may tummy girdle lang.

[flavvvah]

season: i'd like to go sana. but it's too far from my place! i live in pque. i've heard about bestfriends in breastfeeding, and i heard may support group meetings sa st.lukes, tama ba ko? pero it's too far eh. wala ba kayo sa bandang south area?

minnow: what did you do during those first two days na wala ka pang milk? i hope talaga may milk nako sa start palang. i hope. if may milk ba ko ngayon, does it mean di ako mahihirapan when the baby comes out? what do i do pag tumigas na yung breasts ko? i heard mangyayari talaga yon. do i start massaging even before sha tumigas?

sige, i'll check out avon. i'm going out later eh.

hey guys, 50% off sale ng baby items sa robinsons! lahat yata ng robinsons. share ko lang.

also, i have a question for everyone? when i give birth, should i room-in the baby? or not? my mom says i should let the baby stay sa nursery. para daw i can rest and recover and prepare for everything i have to do when i get back home. and para daw hindi mahawa yung baby sa mga bibisitang tao. what do you guys think?

and can someone please give me a blow by blow account on what will actually happen when i go into labor? i don't mean the contractions. pero what will they do to me sa hospital? will they make me stay sa labor room khet phase 1 palang labor ko? will they ask me if i want anesthesia or will they administer it khet di ko pa hinihingi? can i do away with demerol? i wanna be awake when i push. please let me know what will happen. clueless ako.

[Wittygurl]

hello flavvvah, i just gave birth last june ganyan din ako dati, super dami ng questions.

My OB gave an Admission letter that I presented to the nurses na nag-assist pagdating namin sa hospital, nakalagay dun yung mga instruction nya and details like blood type, due date and to inform him immediately once na naglelabor na ko.

Based on my experience, its better if you'll ask your OB all the questions you have in mind.. like yung anesthesia, kelangan nadiscuss na nyo, kasi once na na-admit ka na sa hospital, everything happen so fast..My OB did not give me anesthesia, kulang na daw sa oras eh.. he just gave me shots of local pain killer.. dalwang inection yun sa magkabilang braso ko..groggy lang ako pero i felt the pain so much.. yung daw kasi nagpa-epidural.. yun yung tinuturok sa likod , yun ata tinatawag nilang painless labor..

On breastfeeding, wala din akong milk right after delivery.. but the nurses instructed me to breastfeed kahit walang milk flow para daw lumabas yung milk. My OB told me na ganun talaga, after two days magkakaroon. Hindi naman pedeng magutom si baby kaya daw binibigyan sila ng milk formula sa nursery.. My hospital prefer room-in para sa bonding ng Mommy and baby.. pero when you feel like resting, you can call the nurse and request them to bring your baby back sa nursery..

When I went back home, wala pa rin akong milk.. buti na lang pinadala nila yung formula milk ng baby ko galing sa hospital.. I think ganun naman sa lahat ng hospital.. thats why you have to prepare feeding bottles pa rin
After 3 days pa ko nagkaroon ng milk, kahit masakit na yung breasts ko wala pa rin milk flow.. buti na lang, my mom advised me to warm compress my breasts para daw mabuhay yung mga ugat .. after nun, bigla na lang nagflow yung milk ko

hay naku, sobrang saya maging mom!
Now, I'm mix feeding him kasi balik na ko sa office.. lakas kasi nyang mag-milk, kaya yung napump ko kulang sa kanya in 1 day..

good luck on your delivery!

[flavvvah]

Thanks for the advice wittygurl. I'll talk to my doctor sa next check-up ko.

by the way, where did you give birth? which hospital?

[Wittygurl]

flavvvah : I'm from Laguna, I gave birth in a hospital near us.

[doc_irene]

Originally posted by Wittygurl
flavvvah : I'm from Laguna, I gave birth in a hospital near us.

hey Wittygurl, where in Laguna?

Taga-Laguna din kasi ako eh, Santa Rosa to be exact.

[mytitagirl]

flavvvah: sana may little notepad ka na sulatan mo ng lahat ng questions mo, para kapag nasa ob-gyn ka ask mo lahat tapos take notes din on the answers. don't be shy, talk to your ob-gyn and ask if you can ask. most important: how much fees? naghanda ka na ng pambayad ng ob-gyn fees at anesthesiologist fees, hospital fees at pedia professional fees? if you work, sss at philhealth forms.

know all the contact numbers of your ob-gyn. celfone, home, clinic, hospital, pager, etc.

get ready na din sa information na ilalagay mo sa birth certificate, they usually let you fill it out the day after. nurse ang magbibigay sa iyo sa hospital, pero ikaw ang magpapasign sa doctor mo. look at your birth certificate then make a mock-up for your child para lahat information tama. take this seriously kasi meron ako kakilala nagkamali ng sulat sa spelling ng isang letter, e, they have to get a lawyer to change it now...

november isn't too far away ha, do everthing you need to prepare NOW, because once the baby comes siya na ang center mo at mahihirapan ka na gawain lahat ng gusto mo, unless may trusted tagabantay ka ng baby.

on labor day: i did not know i was in labor. basta feeling ko lang parang natatae ako pero walang lumalabas. tapos naninigas ang tummy ko, as in super tigas, yon pala contractions ko, e, di ko alam. so, madaling araw yon, tinawagan ng nanay ko ob-gyn ko kasi worried na siya. ako gusto ko lang sa bed at matulog. nagmind-over-matter lang ako kahit masakit. breathing din. praying a lot. don't remember much sa actual birthing kasi marami sila nilagay sa iv ko ( i had iv for almost 2 months kasi nga difficult pregnancy ko). sa spine ko din nilagay injection pero didn't feel it at all. i remember that they showed me my baby, pero can't focus and i just remember him being very small (3 lbs. 14 oz.). myself came around noon the next day na. i don't have experience sa rooming-in, pero i went to my baby at feeding time sa nicu (nasa incubator kasi siya).

tip ko lang, have the bags packed and do not forget the camera!

[Wittygurl]

Originally posted by Wittygurl
flavvvah : I'm from Laguna, I gave birth in a hospital near us.

Originally, I'm from San Pablo.. got married and now leaving in San Pedro I gave birth sa Pacita and I'm working in Sta. Rosa.. sa Technopark

Where exactly in Sta Rosa?

[annielise]

Flavvah: About your questions, go to www.babycenter.com and subscribe to its weekly email. If you tell them your due date, they will tell you what's happening to your baby and your body at that particular week. And of course they have lots of tips in breastfeeding and what to bring to the hospital, what to eat, what to look out for, what false labor is, etc. All that's free. But if you want more, for $12.00 you can actually watch more than 45 on-line videos about labor and delivery, complete with graphic shots of how a baby comes out of the birth canal! It's called their premium services. Truly eye-opening.

[doc_irene]

Originally posted by Wittygurl
Originally, I'm from San Pablo.. got married and now leaving in San Pedro I gave birth sa Pacita and I'm working in Sta. Rosa.. sa Technopark

Where exactly in Sta Rosa?

Sa bayan mismo...Perlas Village to be exact. we're from manila talaga but we moved there nung bata pa ko...dun na ko nag-aral hanggang highschool.

I used to work at Technopark also... sa Ayala Health Care. San ka?

Dito na ko ngayon sa US but my family is still there.