Little accomplishments

Oh how I miss blogging! At first I thought the long holiday break would give me time to tend my much neglected blog huhu, boy was I wrong. I wanted to do a lot during the vacation but I don't know how time just simply flew by. I guess that's really the case when it's spent with the ones you love, which I don't regret.

Nevertheless, I was able to squeeze in some to dos or should I say little accomplishments specially when the kids were asleep. Allow me to indulge you a bit if you don't mind. For memories' sake narin ;)

1) Replenish my freezer stash - because unli-latching kami ni JD during the holidays, my milk supply improved and I was able to replenish my depleting freezer stash upto 3 days (just enough for quick out-of-town assignments at work).

2) "Sort of" finished my playroom project - as I've mentioned in my home decorating/decluttering posts here and here, I plan to do a simple storage project for the kids' room. This was my mom's idea actually. We were window shopping in SM and saw these little easy to assemble tables (parang Ikea lang) in various colors. I wanted really a parang bench with drawer bins underneath to store toys. But she said it's more expensive to have that custom made. At least these tables cost Php500 each only (if you have an SM Advantage card). Then we just covered some used cardboard boxes with scrap fabric, and voila! I also placed the wall decals we bought at SM Baby company for only Php45. Just two more boxes/bins to go. Hope I get to find the time.

Before

After

3) Manage our finances - Daddy A and I were able to take short trips to the bank during our leave to manage our funds and investments. Also, I chanced upon this great buy from National Bookstore at Php115 only. I vow this year to complete this monthly bill organizer and keep track of our expenses. It really helps kasi nakakakonsensya when you see how much you have spent the past month, and you can point out which are really necessities and which ones you can do without.

4) Post some blog entries - okay, at least there are a couple of entries, but the list of backlogs is still looong (see post). If only our internet isn't acting up, there would have been more.

Anyway, like I said I'm quite happy with the little accomplishments along the way. What's important is that I get to spend more time with my loved ones, those that matter most.

My typical 24 hours

Here's a peek into what my typical day and night looks like:
4:30-5:30am : JD's first morning feed. I try to squeeze in a pump as well on the other breast. I usually blog around this time, pero most of the time weekends na.

5:30-6:30am: Prepare for work, which includes preparing my pumping gear, cooler, my clothes, banyo rituals, and squeeze in a few kisses and cuddles with these cutie pies:



6:30-7:30/8am: Drive to the office. I say my morning prayers, I put on my makeup, and manage to eat a sandwich, all because of the horrendous traffic.



8:00-8:20am: First pump. Check emails and to dos. I also eat my cup of oatmeal or a bagel. Here is my workstation a.k.a. battlefield. You could see my pumping paraphernalia to the right. Baka sabihin nyo area ng tamad ung cubicle ko dahil ang linis and walang files. I just strictly comply with our clear desk policy given the confidential nature of our work. And I really can't work well with clutter.



8:20-10am: Work mode

10:00-10:20am: Second pump pero multi-tasking parin with work. I have a double electric pump and my hands-free bra. Take note my area is hidden and I have a breastfeeding cover. Check out my pumping gear in this post.

10:20-11:20am: Work mode

11:20-12:15nn: Lunch then afterwards brush my teeth and clean my pump.

12:15-12:35pm: Third pump and surfing the net.

12:35-2:00pm: Work mode.

2:00-2:20pm: Fourth pump and I squeeze in a snack and work parin.

2:20-4:00pm: Work mode

4:00-4:20pm: Last pump while working parin.

4:20-5:00pm: Work and prepare to leave the office.

5:00-6/6:30/7pm: Drive back home. Ugh hello again horrendous traffic! Unpredictable talaga, it doesn't matter if I leave at 5pm, I still don't get home at the same time. I even experienced pumping in the car because of the terrible traffic (I know bad driver).



6:30-8:30pm: Breastfeed JD, catch up with R on how her day was, then dinner. If hindi overtime si Daddy A, complete ang family for dinner and we get some family cuddle and playtime as well.

9:00-10pm: Put the kids to bed. I do get to fall asleep as well. Daddy A and I get to catch up on our day's happenings.

10:00pm-2am: Uninterrupted sleep (fingers crossed). Sometimes JD wakes up 12mn for a short feed. If not 2 to 3am na.

2:00-5am: JD feeds, I try to squeeze in a pump as well to make up for lost pumping time during the day.I also do some work (if meron) and blogging time as well but it's usually early morning na. Sometimes I don't get to fall back asleep narin, derecho na until JD's next feed and preparation ko for work.



So that's my typical 24/7. Somedays aren't perfect and most of the time I don't get to strictly follow that schedule. Adjust adjust lang.

Every morning I just pray to God to make me work efficiently and to bless the traffic so I'll have more time with my family.

My Breastfeeding Gear

As I've mentioned in my last breastfeeding post, I'm going to share to you my breastfeeding gear. These are actually not naman essentials but nice to have lang. There are many practical ways to have a successful breastfeeding career which I will also share here.

When I breastfed R for over a year, here was my pumping gear for work and travel:

Clockwise: Shawl, Lock n Lock container, AVENT Isis single electronic pump and manual parts, AVENT Via cups, Ice bag, Fridge-to-Go, battery pack and adapter, liquid cleanser and brush, handwipes, tissues

Here are my breastfeeding gear/paraphernalia or "breastfriends":
1) Breastpump - With R, I used the AVENT ISIS single electronic pump (plug-in and/or battery pack, w/ manual pump parts) and it served me well. But now, having two kids, a stressful and fast paced job, I need a dual pump to cut expression time in half. Good thing I learned about Babymama.ph which sells affordable but hospital grade double breastpumps ranging from Php5K to Php9K. Even cheaper than my AVENT single electronic pump! I got myself the Spectra Cimilre M1 which is handy (size of a big Fuji apple), has a strong suction, silent (like a cellphone on vibra mode) and has a rechargeable battery.

Although buying a pump seems costly, weigh it against the benefits of having breastmilk for your baby (health wise and the cost of formula). But should you really have no budget for it, hand expression is also effective. I also think it is quite essential that all breastfeeding moms know this, as with what I experienced before, I left a valve of my pump at home and wasn't able to express milk at work =( say hello to boobs of steel. Here's a site on the marmet technique: http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/tips-and-solutions/130/how-to-manually-express-breastmilk---the-marmet-technique

2) Storage (cups, bottles, breastmilk bags) - My AVENT VIA storage cups also served me well, they can be used for baby food storage too. For breastmilk bags, I use Lansinoh or Ainon (which is cheaper).

3) Cooler/insulated bag and ice/gel packs - I use my trusty Fridge-to-Go bag. It keeps cool for 6-8 hours. I use an ice bag to tide in, just in case I can't go home on time and when traffic is bad. However, any insulated bag is ok to use, just put a ziploc bag with ice in it. For milk storage guidelines, you may check this out: http://www.llli.org/faq/milkstorage.html

4) Shawl/nursing cover - I use my Milksense breastfeeding bib. I like the "baby viewing" feature. But for practicality, any shawl or big scarf would do.

 
5) Microwave sterilizer or microwaveable container (e.g. Lock n Lock), teat brush, liquid cleanser - I use these for for cleaning and storing my pump parts. You may ask, do I have to wash the pump parts after every use? What I do is just store it in the ref too, and after 2 or 3 uses, wash and sterilize it at home. Or you could just rinse them in hot water. For my cleanser, I use Human Nature's Tough Love dishwashing liquid.

Make sure you have in your bag as well some tissue paper (for drying and spills) as well as alcohol/handwipes (to disinfect your hands and the pumping area/table). Also have a water bottle to keep you hydrated.

6) Nursing bras, hands-free pumping bra - Nursing bras don't have to be expensive, those from SOEN served me well. Actually any type of bra will do, nursing bras are just more convenient. For my hands-free pumping bra, I got my Simple Wishes from Babymama as well.

7) Nipple cream, breast pads - I use Pigeon's lanolin cream since it's half the price of AVENT, but actually you can also use your own breastmilk to heal those cracks and sores. For breastpads, I also use Pigeon (disposable) and those reusable pads from SM.

So there you have it, my breastfriends. It's not expensive to breastfeed and express breastmilk, there are practical ways too. Formula is more expensive.

What I learned from two breastfeeding experiences

Before August (which is Breastfeeding Month) ends, I would like to share my two breastfeeding experiences. Breastfeeding is something close to my heart since I've seen the benefits with my first child (even if she was only mixed fed - you'll know why in my story below) and now with my second. When I breastfeed, I could feel how much my babies need me and that I alone could give them all the love and nourishment that nothing and no one else can.

R's story

First of all, when I was pregnant with R, I vowed to try breastfeeding as it seemed practical (siyempre tipid) and I've heard a lot of benefits. Although I haven't researched much about it, I thought it would just come naturally and easily. But I guess I was wrong.

I haven't written about R's birth story yet (hopefully ASAP since it will be her 3rd birthday tomorrow). Anyway to cut the story short, she had to be kept in the NICU for the first five days and another 5 days in the level 2 Nursery since she contracted Neonatal Pneumonia. We couldn't latch because she was intubated (tube connected to a respirator was placed in her mouth and respiratory tract). I didn't have much breast stimulation except for my pump. Good thing it was enough for my breasts to be engorged on the third day. Unfortunately drops of thick colostrum just stuck to the pump so R was not able to get that. Milk flowed on the fourth day and what I pumped, I gave the nurses in the NICU. My breastmilk was passed through a tube to her navel. Unfortunately, when the tubes where taken out (I was already discharged then and just visited R daily), the hospital started on bottle feeding her my breastmilk. I was so disappointed. R thus developed nipple confusion. And because I wasn’t directly breastfeeding, I felt I didn’t produce enough milk. My maximum milk pumped per session (2-3 hours) was 2oz. That’s why we resulted to mixed feeding (alternating breastmilk and formula).

However, on October 13, 2010, I had a very wonderful experience. I tried to latch her again and she was able to feed from me directly without any trouble at all.

But, with the lack of knowledge and research, I still wasn't able to exclusively feed her. The most was a 60% BM and 40% formula ratio. Then starting 6 months, she again had nipple confusion and I exclusively pumped since then up until she was 1 year and 2 weeks old. Nevertheless my daughter was very healthy. She never had diarrhea, nor high grade fevers, and colds/cough would last 3 days max.

JD's story

Before I gave birth to JD, I really vowed that this time around I will exclusively breastfeed him. I told Daddy A to support me by not buying any formula, even if there comes a time I would beg him to (probably from sore nipples or lack of sleep). This time I researched a lot. I also prayed to God and Mama Mary for a successful breastfeeding this time around.

Thankfully, JD came out healthy (pending post too on his birth story). He was also roomed in that night. My nipples were sore from all the latching. But I tried to endure it and with the help of the nurses, we were able to correct his latch. Though admittedly there was a time I doubted myself and almost asked for formula. By the third day, my breasts were engorged and I already had colostrum which JD was able to have. Milk also flowed starting the fourth day. Being well-informed this time around and with our hospital being stricter now in terms of their breastfeeding policy contributed to my exclusive breastfeeding with JD. As of the moment, at 2 months and a half, JD is still exclusively breastfed.

Here are my key learnings:

1) It will be a painful start - Talagang masakit sa umpisa. You will battle with engorged breasts and sore/cracked nipples. But the only way to overcome them is to go through it all. No way out of that but to breastfeed and breastfeed continuously. For engorged breasts - use hot compress (can be a hot towel); for sore/cracked nipples - lanolin cream (I used Pigeon since it's much cheaper than Avent). Baby's latch should also be corrected - his mouth should be covering your areola, nose is not obstructed, his chin rests on your breasts and you could see his jaw working that suckling motion.

2) Size does not matter - Funny story, I was buying nursing bras sa mall and asked for new stocks from the sales lady, sabi ba naman "Maam nursing bra po ito" (at parang gusto ako ituro sa pre-teens section for beginner's bras). Sinabi ko nalang "oo alam ko, bagong panganak ako, nagpapasuso ako". It's true you can breastfeed kahit from negative A pa ang cupsize mo, o kahit ang tingin ng iba pantal lang yan. Ang masaya, when you breastfeed, para kang nagpa Belo! You can go 2 cup sizes higher.

3) Akala mo lang wala pero meron meron meron! - Same as above, some think when your boobs are small, walang makukuha si baby. Specially for the first few weeks, when baby is fussy (which is normal because they are establishing your supply), even well-meaning relatives will offer, "bigyan nalang yan ng formula, kawawa naman baka nagugutom". Be confident that he/she is getting enough. Your body is capable of producing enough milk for your baby, exactly what he/she only needs at the moment. To illustrate:

Image from http://www.ameda.com/breastfeeding/the-first-12-months

4) Bakit ako mahihiya - Most view breasts as sexual objects, when their primary duty is to nourish a human being. There will really be times you have no choice but to breastfeed in public. It's a noble duty and something to be proud of. I've even experienced expressing breastmilk (with a nursing cover naman) in the presence of my staff and other co-workers.

5) Invest in good equipment - The benefits will outweigh the costs, specially the cost of formula milk! My next post will be on my breastfeeding gear (see link here).

6) There will be a lot of challenges but they can be overcome - From wrong latch, low milk supply, thrush, rusty pipe syndrome (blood-tinged milk), no place to pump, storing breastmilk, relactating, nipple confusion etc. Get all the support you need (it's important that you seek advice only from those who have successfully breastfed) and do your research. Here are websites with a wealth of info on breastfeeding:

http://www.ameda.com/breastfeeding/the-first-12-months

http://kellymom.com/

http://workandpump.com/

http://www.chroniclesofanursingmom.com/

http://www.thealphaparent.com/search/label/Timeline%20of%20a%20Breastfed%20Baby


I hope these would be helpful to moms out there who would like to commit to a successful breastfeeding career.