HELP! I feel like I’m running low on breastmilk and need your advice. How did you increase (or maintain) your supply of breastmilk? I’ve been doing fine with my supply the past almost-four months now, but have noticed that my supply is slowly dwindling. Noooooooo. Not yet please.

To boost milk supply in the past, I’ve tried:

• Eating oatmeal. I’ve read that this helps with increasing milk production.
• Eating clams (tulya). I tried this for a few weeks only though because they gave me stomach aches, so I’m not sure if it really helped.
• Drinking Mother’s Milk Tea from Healthy Options. This one I drink a couple of times a week. It’s a bit pricey, but I like how it tastes. I also use the teabag several times (maybe around 3 cups) to make the most out of each serving. This is a herbal tea that contains fenugreek, an herb said to boost milk supply.
• Taking malunggay capsules. This really helped me in the early months, when I was new to breastfeeding and didn’t know whether I was giving my son enough milk. I took two capsules instead of one a day and woohoo, did the milk flow or what!
• Frequently feeding or pumping if I’m away from baby. I try to simulate Timmy’s feeding when I’m away from him, so that’s a breastpumping session every two hours.

What causes decreasing milk supply? There are many reasons, but I know what caused mine — stress. I missed out on several pumping sessions at work because of a long meeting I couldn’t excuse myself from. After the meeting, my breasts hurt so bad. It kinda went downhill from there.

Could you share tips on how to boost breastmilk supply? I’ve stopped taking malunggay capsules but am definitely going to take them again. I’m still taking the Mother’s Milk Tea and maybe should drink more of it. And I’ll definitely keep the pumping sessions up at work. Would you know where I can get malunggay juice? What other tips can you share?

Let’s learn from each other here. If you have questions about breastmilk supply as well, feel free to post it in the comments section.

First Giggles from Tickles

My baby is laughing! We were playing tickle games, then he suddenly burst into giggles! Aaaaah! I grabbed my cell phone and took a video right away. This is just a quick video as he became conscious of the camera (again).

I can’t wait for more giggling from this little bub! Baby laughs are so good for the heart!

Breastfeeding has been a phenomenal source of maternal fulfillment for me. Today, I’ve gotten comfortable enough to know the right way for the baby to latch well. I’ve become more secure with pumping when I’m away at work.

It wasn’t always a joy though. During the first two months, breastfeeding stressed me out. There were a lot of sources of breastfeeding stress for me. I’d like to share them with you, so that when you’re beginning your journey with breastfeeding, you’ll feel less alone. I also really hope that I can help you.

Source of Stress #1: Lack of Support
While I did read up a lot on breastfeeding, I still wanted needed support from others. Timmy is my firstborn, and so, I’ve never breastfed in my life. I planned on breastfeeding him exclusively and was eager to try that out.   It was surprising how comments like “Matutuyuan ka rin, mga two weeks.” (“You’ll dry up in two weeks.”) or “Are you sure you’re giving him enough milk? You should give him formula already” could be so demotivating. I felt like nobody believed I could breastfeed at all.

What worked for me: (1) Sticking to my guns. Thinking “If they don’t believe in me, well, I believe in what I’m capable of.” (2) Trying to understand where the comments were coming from – most of them came from mothers who breastfed their babies for a very short time, some who didn’t breastfeed at all. While their comments were rooted in their own experiences, I just felt they could’ve been more supportive, being aware of my breastfeeding plans and all. Other comments came from concern, as they saw how I was having difficulty dealing with the early morning feedings and I was turning into a huge grouch. Somehow they believed formula would help ease the burden.  (3) Declaring “Look, I want to try this out okay? This means a lot to me, and I would really appreciate if you could help me out. I won’t force it if it’s not meant for me, but I really would like to give it a whirl.” That got their attention, and more importantly, their support. (4) Turning more to friends who did support me, and their guidance was invaluable.

Source of Stress #2: The Pain, Oh, the Pain!
My first experience with engorged breasts came on the third day after I gave birth. Engorged breasts feel heavy, full, and hot, but definitely not in a sexy way! During the first month, I also experienced sore and cracked nipples. They hurt a lot and I dreaded taking a shower because they’d hurt even more. Cracked nipples hurt even more than engorgement.

What worked for me: (1) For engorged breasts: If my baby wasn’t hungry, I would go for a warm compress or better yet, a warm shower. This released  some of the milk, thereby making me feel more relieved. Using a breast pump also helped a lot. (2) For cracked nipples, I just let them be. Sometimes I’d dab some breastmilk on the cracks (I read that helps) or air them for a short while. I’m very wary of creams and oils so I didn’t use any of those. My natural way of dealing with cracked nipples worked anyway, and it lasted for only a couple of weeks. (3) Believing that all this pain is worth it — all for the baby’s good health!

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Dear 2009,

Thank you for the sleepless nights
… his conversations of goos and acoos carry on till the wee hours of the morning.

Thank you for the bags under my eyes
… his before-dawn feedings bring us even closer together.

Thank you for my aching arms
… it is a sign that he is growing bigger and still seeking solace in my embrace.

Thank you for the dribbles.
… his little discoveries amaze both himself and me.

Thank you for the breast pump scheduling worries
… it is a sign I can still nurse and be close to my son even with a day job.

Thank you for our feet hanging over the bed
… his presence in our bed is most comforting, even if Mommy & Daddy have to sleep crosswise.

Thank you for blurry photographs
… his bounciness, his energy is hard to contain though easy to capture on camera.

Thank you 2009 for the biggest blessing ever, my little boy.

*****

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