All About The Milk

It's been 4 months (4 months?! Where did the time go?!) and alhamdulillah I've been able to exclusively breastfeed Aahil to date. 4 months, and not a single documentation on this amazing journey I've gone through?! Hehe. Gosh, honestly, it's been such a roller coaster ride for me this time around - I've gone from making just-nice milk, to making too much milk, to making too-thick of milk, to making thin milk, everything, you name it, I've gone thru it. I was in fact at the verge of giving up because I was getting frustrated of many things!

You see, I started pumping for stock as early as 2 weeks after delivery. Just like with Adeena, I did the same thing - fed Aahil on one side, and pumped the other. At this time, I was getting the normal yield - about 1-2oz on one side. At this time, building stock started off quite slow. I could only get one full bottle per day. This is my stash at exactly 1 month postpartum.

Nothing to shout about, but still rizq, alhamdulillah. After a while, slowly but surely, my supply started building up on its own. I was beginning to get 3oz on one side. And then, 4 oz on one side. And this is when things got a little hard for me. The good thing about making good amount of milk is that, alhamdulillah Aahil was able to sleep contently for long hours, especially at night. In fact, at 1 1/2 months, he was able to sleep for 3-4 hours stretch at night. It was fun at first, but soon became a problem to me, because when he can go hours without feed at night, my breasts became engorged. When this happens, I'd end up getting blocked duct which is not only painful but also stressful at the same time. (More on my experience in a separate post later).

There are times when my breasts are so full, I could still get about 7oz, even after feeding Aahil. In the picture below, you can see that the left bottle is the amount I got after feeding Aahil, and right bottle is what I got after leaving the breast unexpressed/unfed after 2-3 hours)

Yes, at this time, I was already a milk-making machine. If I go more than 2-3 hours without pumping/feeding Aahil, I would get engorged and almost sure to get a blocked duct. So every night, I'd have to make sure I pump/feed Aahil just before I sleep, and then wake up again at least once every night to pump, just to make sure I don't get clogged duct. I don't know if Aahil was not drinking much at night or if it was just my breasts making a lot of milk at that point of time, but even if Aahil has just fed, I'd still have to pump just to really empty the breasts and would still get about 3-4oz combined.

But the thing is, the more I emptied my breasts, the more milk my body would be making. And the higher chances for me to get clogged duct! It's such a vicious cycle! And the tough part is, I didn't want to do anything to decrease the supply either, because I knew it wouldn't be easy to increase the supply once it drops, so I had no choice but to empty my breasts as often as I could, even if it means waking up at 2-3am in the morning, staring at the blank white wall for a good 15 minutes, occasionally nodding off with the pump hanging on to my boobs. Yes, laziness is not an option, unless of course, I don't mind getting a another clogged duct lah.

So yes, for a while, I experienced how it was like being an oversupply mom and finally understood why it was not fun - at all. It also didn't help that at this time, my body was making such thick-ish milk, which also contributed to the clogged duct. Lo and behold - my breastmilk at 2 months+ postpartum, that could easily be mistaken for a yogurt! (Just for the record, I do not take any supplements, I just eat normally)

Yeap, I could literally scoop the yummy milk fat out - with a spoon! While it was definitely a good thing for the baby, it was also the culprit of me getting the recurrent clogged duct! I was getting frustrated and overwhelmed with the recurrent clogged duct due to the oversupply/thickish milk, I was secretly wishing that God would slow down my production a bit (justttt a bit, not a lot!) and made me a just-enough mom. I stopped drinking a lot of water, and was even afraid of eating/taking anything that would boost my milk suppy! LOL. No kidding!

I kept praying to God, please don't test me with another episode of clogged duct, please please please, because I do not think I could take it anymore. I was going to take the lecithin to thin out the milk as recommended by the moms in the BF support group when my husband said, this is the rizq Allah wants to give me. It's Aahil's rizq, don't thin out the milk because that's the natural nutrients in my milk for him. He suggested that I put the lecithin on hold, and if the clogged duct happens again another time, then I could consider taking it. Alhamdulillah, it's been a few weeks since the last episode, and it has not happened again!

It's been truly an emotional rollercoaster for me, and I'm telling you, this breastfeeding business is no joke! It's either you commit yourself 100% or not at all. Alhamdulillah, I chose to commit, and by the end of my confinement period, I was able to stock about 88 packets of ebm (12 bottles shy from my target, but it's okay), making it a total of 440oz worth of ebm prepared for Aahil before I returned to work.

And now, it's been 2 months since I returned to work, and alhamdulillah, the stash has not only filled up the whole freezer compartment in the fridge upstairs, but also flourished to take up the first tray of the fridge's freezer downstairs, making it a total of about 120 packets together (about 600oz), for Aahil's consumption, alhamdulillah!

Please pray that I get to maintain the stock and fully breastfeed Aahil for 2 years, just as how I did with Adeena last time! Amin. :)

UMRA Hospital - Not a Place to Establish Good Breastfeeding

Recently, I saw a mom posted a status in a breastfeeding group asking how to reduce engorgement because her baby just won't latch, even after multiple tries. Apparently, she started bottle feeding her baby as early as day-3 due to jaundice. As a result, now her baby won't take directly from her, because the baby is too comfortable with the fast milk flow coming from the bottle teat.

This reminds me of my very own experience with Aahil, and why reading the post from that mom affected me so much. You see, after getting discharged from SJMC, Aahil's jaundice flared up to 262 on day-6. Considering the fact that SJMC was a little far from our home, we decided to do the treatment at UMRA Hospital, in Seksyen 13 Shah Alam. It was the biggest mistake we've made. For those of you who are expecting and planning to fully breastfeed your baby (successfully), please avoid this hospital at all cost. This post is going to be lengthy, as there were many events that happened (even for a 1 night stay!), so bare with me.

See, before getting admitted to the hospital, we were taken to see this so-called "paediatrician" to assess Aahil's condition. I will never forget her name - but I'll just use her initial for the sake of this post - it's Dr J. During the assessment, not only was she unfriendly, but quite incompetent as a "paediatrician". At first, she was asking us about the standard questions. Then, she asked if I was breastfeeding - I said yes. Then, she asked if I have ever expressed milk out, and what was the volume. I said, I pumped at day-2 and I got almost 2oz. But after weighing Aahil, she said, "See, baby's birth weight was 2.92kg. Now it has dropped to 2.8kg. It shows that your breastmilk is not enough,"

I was speechless. First of all, most of us breastfeeding moms know that 1-2oz is considered normal for the first week of a newborn's life. Secondly, I don't have to be a doctor to know that it is completely normal for newborns to lose 5-10% of his birth weight due to the fluid that he loses after delivery. But even at this point, I didn't really care because:

1) I was equipped with enough information about breastfeeding & breastmilk.
2) All I wanted was the phototherapy treatment for Aahil. The doctor's opinion was irrelevant to me for all I care.

Then, Aahil was sent for treatment. Before the admission, the nurses requested us to bring some pampers for Aahil. I was surprised - don't hospitals normally provide this? Not that it matters, so we supplied them with 10 pcs of pampers as per requested anyway.

I breastfed Aahil once more just before he started the treatment, then left. Before leaving however, I told the nurses that I would be back in 2 hours for the next round of feed. She made a face, but nodded anyway. I left.

After 2 hours, I came back to nurse Aahil and realized that they've bathed and changed Aahil. However, to my surprise, there was NO tag on Aahil other than what's labelled on his trolley. Didn't want to make a scene (because Aahil still needed the treatment), I asked my husband to get a marker, and marked an "A" at the bottom of Aahil's feet. After all the backpains and hardwork in the labor room, I wasn't going to take any chances and mistake my baby with someone elses!

After I was done nursing Aahil, I left and again told the nurse I will be back again in 2 hours, but this time, one of them told me that it wasn't necessary for this troublesome trips, and asked me to supply them with EBM instead. This is when everything started.

I asked them, what was their feeding method? They said "bottle". Immediately I was turned off by the idea, knowing very well a newborn that young shouldn't be introduced to teat bottle for feeding in order not to confuse him with breastfeeding. So I asked if it would be possible for them to feed the baby with a cup, spoon or syringe even - they said no (to all of the options), because they were afraid it would.. choke the baby. (????) I figured they were just lazy, but I kept quiet and told them gently that in that case, I will come to feed Aahil directly instead, because the baby is too young to take from a bottle and I didn't want him to get nipple confusion. Besides, I needed the stimulation + bonding. But no, they kept insisting anyway and told me that with just a few feeds, there won't be any nipple confusion. They were very pushy, but I put my feet down and insisted to come back anyway because my house really isn't far from the hospital. I left.

Then, when I came back for feeding again, the same thing happens. The nurses kept asking me to leave some EBM for Aahil. One of them even told me, there was a mom who left 5 bottles of EBM for her baby. In my heart, I questioned the motive of her saying that to me? Was it to annoy me? They went on and said they needed to see the amount of milk that goes in the baby to make sure the baby was getting "enough". I told them, I have no problem supplying them with EBM but I do not fancy their feeding method. Then they said, they cannot keep lifting the baby up (for me to feed) because it will disrupt the treatment process (???). (So how do they feed EBM to other babies then? While the babies lying down????) I was getting real annoyed by then but thinking that Aahil would be under their care for treatment, I kept calm and lied to them that I hadn't bought any pump yet, and that I would buy one the first thing in the morning. (At this point, I was adamant to get Aahil out the hospital first thing in the morning).

After I finished feeding, another one of them came to me and asked, "Susu ada ke? Banyak?" I was getting a bit impatient at this point, and snapped "Ya, tengok baju saya ni. Dah lencun," pointing at my milk-soaked shirt. That shut her up, and I knew it was very smug of me of saying that, but I was beginning to feel tired from all the trips, and to be honest, it actually felt good to finally let it out!

Before I left this time, I checked if they had any rooms left for me to room-in but they had none. But that's not the point - they simply didn't want me to come to feed my baby directly! I was wondering why the strange requests over and over again, until I came for feeding late that night again, where my question was finally answered. Believe it or not, I found out ALL 4 NURSES AT THE OUTSIDE COUNTER WERE HAPPILY SLEEPING! (Picture a little blurry because I was walking and trying to act as though I was texting someone)

The 2 nurses INSIDE the nursery were awake, but it doesn't matter - WHY were the rest sleeping? Were they paid to sleep at their job? What if something happened to the nurses inside, and the nurses outside don't realize it? Won't it cause danger to the babies lives??

You have no idea how hard I tried to control my emotion and how much I wanted to take Aahil out from the hospital. But it was 3am then, and Aahil still needed the treatment, so I persevered and waited for morning to come.

The next morning, we came again for feeding at 6am and then again at 9am, while waiting for Aahil's blood test result to come out, but the nurses said it wasn't ready, and that we needed to wait between 12pm-2pm for the result to be ready. We waited and waited and came again at 12pm for feeding, but when we hear no news by 2pm, we started to feel very agitated.

So we drove back to the hospital, and when we reached the nursery, my husband asked the nurse politely for the result, but the nurse simply told us no, the result wasn't out yet. She also asked if we had received any call, but when we said no, she then said "Kalau takde call, takde result lah". She then dismissed us by simply asking us to wait. SUPER RUDE. Husband was getting super agitated by the minute and asked how long more did we need to wait, because we've been waiting since morning! He told the nurse to follow up and check when exactly will the result be out because it was already past 2pm. She made a face but reluctantly went to the back of the nursery to check, anyway.

And what do you know? 5 minutes later, the chief nurse came out - WITH A RESULT IN HER HANDS! Apparently they've already had the results since 1pm but the freaking rude nurse earlier was too lazy to check! Husband got super, super angry at this point and asked to get Aahil out immediately. The chief nurse informed us that Aahil needed further treatment because his level was "still high". (Actually it wasn't, the reading has gone down from 262 to 203! At this time I wanted to shove the result into their faces to prove that you do NOT need to feed baby with EBM to ensure he is well fed). But as I said, we were adamant to take Aahil out the next day no matter what happens, so we ignored the request and demanded to be discharged immediately. We then brought Aahil back to SJMC, and with that much improvement, the Doctor confirmed that no further treatment was necessary.

Long story cut short, we made a complaint against the UMRA Hospital, spoke to the hospital manager and they apologized over and over again for their incompetency and unprofessionalism. But the damage has been done. It would be the last time for us there -- ever!

See, fortunately for us, we are experienced parents of 3 with (alhamdulillah) sufficient knowledge on areas not just on breastfeeding/breastmilk but also on our rights as patients. What if what happened to us happen to new parents who know nothing right from the start?

1) The doctor would have first discourage/confuse/worry the mom with her remarks on her EBM yield, when actually, she is doing fine!

2) The pressure from the nurses to provide them with EBM would have forced the mom to feed the baby from the bottle, which could possibly lead to nipple confusion!

To end the story, I urge all you parents out there to equip yourself with as much knowledge on breastfeeding as much as possible to save you from unnecessary stress such as this. Know your rights as a parent, and put your feet down when decision needs to be made.

For expecting and new parents out there - please try to avoid bottles and pacifiers until breastfeeding is well established (usually about 4 weeks) and be firm with the decision made! People can say whatever they want to say, but remember - it is YOUR baby, and at the end of the day, it is YOU who will be facing the music. When "noises" come and try to bring you down, remember to stay strong and PERSEVERE, as no one else has the rights to your baby other than you, and your husband, deservingly. That's it.

Other than that, just enjoy the time with your little one, and keep breastfeeding! Happy breastfeeding!

Hunt For Milkbooster

We're down to the last few days in Ramadhan, how are you guys holding up? It's my 2nd year fasting while breastfeeding in Ramadhan this year and as much as I hope things remain the same as it did last year, it didn't. :(

Firstly, my aunt flo decided to visit just a day before Ramadhan! A week before its return, I noticed a drop in my milk supply, there was even a day when I came back with just about 4oz of milk (after 3x of pumping!) That was the worst record in my entire breastfeeding journey.

It was also painful everytime I pump and direct feed Adeena that it got me thinking, "Adeena salah latch ke? Tapi takkan lah salah latch dah setahun lebih menyusu,". Turns out that nipple sensitivity is just one of the PMS signs, and true enough, a few days after aunt flo came to visit, the pain went off and my supply went back to normal, about 7-8oz per day. Well, not so normal lah compared to before, but I'll explain that later.

So, if last year I was able to fast the whole month without missing even a day, this year, I missed 8 days, thanks to aunt flo :(

Secondly, I wasn't able to yield as much milk as I did last year! You see, earlier on, I was able to get about 18-20oz a day. Those were the glory days - I was a milk factory!

Then, last year, it slowly dropped but I was still able to bring back 15oz consistently everyday, even during the fasting month. Shortly after Adeena turned one, my milk supply dropped a little more and I was only able to bring back 10oz everyday. At this time, I was worried but not too worried, coz the demand and supply were at par.

But now, it's getting even worse - I am only able to get about 7-8oz everyday; 2oz short of what Adeena takes everyday! This got me worried. Really worried.

My freezer that was once full to the brim with milk..

Is now only half full.. :(

I don't know how this happened because I rarely miss my pumping sessions. But I gotta admit, I no longer pay attention to what I eat (segala pantang dah langgar - kobis dah bantai, white carrot dah tak makan, alfalfa bagai dah tinggal, sayur hijau kurang, one time tu sebok berdiet lagi), and do not drink as much water as I did before. I also think it is also due to less stimulation 'cause now that Adeena is much older, she can go hours without milk, busy playing. 

So in my effort to boost my milk supply, I've tried avocado, coconut and soy, which none of them really showed significant result. I've also tried power pumping for 3 days, but it doesn't make much difference -- yet. Maybe the result would show if I had persevered and did it for a week or longer, but you know, it reallyyyy takes a lot of effort to do that! I know, I know, determination is key. And because of that, I will resume the sessions again soon after Raya, insyaallah. Let's hope to see some result then.

But what I want to share now is this milkbooster that I found recently. It's called Mom's breastfeeding chocolate!

It's a special chocolate made especially for breastfeeding moms to help boost their milk supply. What's different about this chocolate is that it has the little extra ingredients that are said to boost milk supply like - honey (madu), pennywort (pegaga), habatussauda, dates (kurma) and of course, chocolate. I thought it was brilliant! Finally, I would have the reason to chomp on chocolates without feeling guilty! Haha.

It has 8 pieces in a box, and you're supposed to take one each night before sleep. It tastes quite nice too. I was really excited and shared this on my social media accounts. Many have asked to make a review on it so after 5 days of consuming it, I am ready to make a review on it.

So did it really work for me? Well, unfortunately not 'coz I am still yielding 8oz daily.

Of course different people react differently on milkboosters, so this might work for you as it has worked for some! There's no harm trying, it's only RM29/box and available at PumpOnTheGo Facebook and Website. :)

I've always known that I was a picky person. And I guess my milk factory also decided to become one! Heh. Lucky for me, Adeena is turning 18 months soon. She doesn't need as much milk compared to before, but I still make it a point to make as much milk as I can, just in case!

Believe it or not, it has been 17 months, and I still haven't found my milk booster. So I guess the hunt continues..  Another 6 months+ to go to accomplish this mission, will I make it? We shall see.

Breastfeeding Guru

When it comes to breastfeeding, I'm sure we all have our own "guru" that motivates us to go that extra mile to complete our breastfeeding mission. It could be our mom, sister or even a friend. For me, it's Irin Putri, the very TV3 host who also happens to be my friend.

I must say, her breastfeeding journey stories that she shared on her blog does play a big role in my own journey of breastfeeding. Everyone can achieve the 2-year breastfeeding mission if you work the 8-5 job. But it's different with Irin, and this made me admire her even more. 

In case you didn't know, Irin is a TV host come producer whose nature of job requires her to leave her son for outstation assignments every now and then. Despite having hectic schedule to juggle with, she still managed to find time to pump wherever she goes, thus completing her mission to fully breastfeed her son, Raees for a little more than 2 years!

Her determination inspired me (and I'm sure a lot of her other readers!) and I thought to myself, if she, who had to travel overseas on assignments every now and then, could do it, why can't I? Again, it all comes back to determination. :)

Be inspired. Read on Irin's breastfeeding journey here (remember to click on Older Posts and dig up her olddd achives! :P)

So, who's you're breastfeeding guru? :D Happy breastfeeding, mommies! :)

Ps: Irin is now expecting her second one anytime soon! And looks like her breastfeeding mission is starting all over again for her eh! Hehe. But first, let's pray for her smooth delivery! <3 <3

A Letter To My Swing

Hey Swing,

How are you? I hope by now you've safely reached the hands of your new owner who will be taking care of you as how I've taken good care of you for the past 7 months.

I've grown emotionally attached to you these past 7 months, and believe it or not, I teared while wrapping you to your new owner a few days back. How can I not? My freezer is full with milk, and it's all thanks to you!

It was not my intention to let you go, Swing. But I had a hard time catching up with time and deadlines while needing to pump 3x daily at work. You know how long it takes for us to get adequate amount of milk for each session, right -- at least 30 mins! That's why I needed to turn to your sister, Swing Maxi, that comes with double pumps to cut 1/2 of the time we usually take per session.

Your sister has been great, but I sure miss your discreetness! Your sister is a bit noisier compared to you, I'm not sure I can bring her out to the cinemas like how I could with you! :(

Sometimes when I pump, I think of you. You've done well for me, Swing, and I just want you to know how much I love you. So much, that I left a note to your new owner and tell her to take good care of you.

I was also worried that you would get knocked on by other things, I even wrapped you up with bubble wrap for safety measure.

Call me paranoid, but I still think that wasn't enough, so I put you in another box as a protective measure and then, tied you up, so that you don't accidentally fall out.

Knowing how rough the post office guys could get, I also remembered to tell them to stick a "Fragile" sticker on you so they would be gentle when handling you. After that, you're on your own and I could only pray you reach your new owner safely. See how much I love you? :(

And then, off you went. :(

We've had our good times together, and I'm sure you'll do just as good with your new owner too. :) Did you know that she's my junior back in primary school and a very nice one, so if you're worried, don't be! :) Oh she'll be having twins soon, so make sure you help her out as much as you can, as how you've helped me kay? :)

They say mothers get emotionally attached to their pumps and I never really know how true that is until the day I sent you away. Maybe one day we'll meet again, but until then, do take care of yourself there and continue to get some milk out! Love you, babe! ;)

I Got My Diploma in Breastfeeding!

Note: Lengthy post. Go get yourself some cookies before you start reading! :P

Most people would usually get their diploma before degree, right? Not for me! I got my diploma after degree! Ladies and gentleman, please welcome your newest diploma graduate from the Nursing Faculty -- me! :D

Alhamdulillah, I've managed to achieve my first mission of fully breastfeeding Adeena for 6 months. I aimed to exclusively breastfeed her for the first 6 months though, but when I saw her growing interest in food, I decided to start her on solids earlier, at 5 1/2 months. She will turn 7 months in a few days time, and I am blessed that I am still given the chance and rizq to fully breastfeed her to date.

Many have asked me, how did I do it? How do I have so much milk? Honestly, I don't think it's got anything to do with my milk factory. But it's about one thing and one thing only -- determination.

If you've been a follower of this blog since 4 years back, you'd know that I didn't get to fully breastfeed my first son, Aydein, for as long as I'd hoped I would. In fact, I only managed to breastfeed him exclusively for 1 month. After that, I started supplementing him with formula. Why? Because I lacked determination.

I SAID I'd like to breastfeed Aydein for 2 years, but I did NOTHING to achieve just that. I didn't read, I lacked of knowledge, I didn't even get a pump. I hated the idea of Aydein hanging on to me like ALL THE FREAKING TIME. I thought breastfeeding was so troublesome. And there goes my "determination".

So one day, when my breasts stopped engorging, I thought my breasts were not making much milk. I read, and there were articles saying that it was normal because my body has regulated the amount of milk my baby needs, but I was stubborn. I thought, how come some women still get engorgement after years of breastfeeding? The info must be wrong. These "lactation consultants" are just simply saying it. I tried all the different natural milk boosters, still didn't help. So I turned to only one thing I knew would save all the trouble -- formula.

Someone told me before, if you want to successfully breastfeed your kid for 2 years, you need to place you niat. It's true. When you pasang your niat, Allah will make it easier for you. Allah will give you the determination. But the moment you said breastfeeding is troublesome, you lose your niat, you lose your determination. So yes, as cliche as it sounds, be careful what you wish for.

So what I did differently with my second breastfeeding journey was, I started off with a good niat, even while Adeena was still in my womb. I was determined to breastfeed her for at least 2 years. I equipped myself early - with the knowledge and the equipments needed to help make this mission a successful one.

As soon as I delivered, there were times when the nurses offered to give formula to Adeena because her sugar reading was slightly low, but I insisted to fully breastfeed Adeena. I knew my milk hasn't came in yet at that time, but I knew it was important for Adeena to get as much colostrum from me + nipple stimulation for milk production, so breastfeeding was the only way to go, no formula.

2 weeks after we got home, I started pumping milk out. One side direct-feeding Adeena, the other side pumping. The output was not as encouraging at first, but that's okay. All the negative thoughts pushed aside, I kept pumping. As long as there's demand, there's milk. The more milk that is expressed out, the more milk my body will make, I reminded myself. And alhamdulillah, from what seemed like a few drops, became one full bottle. Oh and then, my breasts stopped engorging this time too, ha, but I knew better this time. I kept breastfeeding + expressing milk out. Anddd guess what? Ada pun milk! So the lactation consultants were right. They didn't just simply say. :P Once I started working, I made sure I pump 3-4 times a day. And if there is a need for me to go anywhere without Adeena with me, the pump goes with me. And whenever I see Adeena sleeping, or simply any chance that I get to pump, I will pump.

So for those expecting moms out there who have placed your niat to fully your baby for at least 2 years, let me share with you some of the ABCs on breastfeeding.

1) There is no such thing as "not enough milk" because there is. Trust me, your milk is ALWAYS there. Take toilet tank for example. Once you flush, the tank will automatically refill right? That's exactly how our breasts work. Once you pump, your breast will automatically refill the milk. The milk flow may be a little slower, but it's there. So don't be afraid to breastfeed your baby even after you've pumped, because there will still be milk left for your baby. Most importantly, don't worry! As long as you pop on your baby for however long he wants, he'll be fine. (To be safe though, practice pumping + direct feeding at the same time each time. This way, you can be sure your baby is getting enough + you get to collect stock at the same time).

2) No breast engorgement does NOT mean no milk. Haha this one I say with 101% confidence. Seriously, it only means that you've efficiently emptied your breasts, which is good, because the more often your breasts are empty, the more milk your body will make! In fact, engorgement is no good in my opinion, because it only means that you don't express out/feed your baby often enough, signalling your body that your baby doesn't need much. Less demand = less milk production. Easy peasy.

3) Make full use of your confinement period. During this time, your body is a milk factory. It will make crazy amount of milk, especially during the second week on wards, because during this time your body doesn't know how much milk your baby needs, so it makes crazy amount of milk. Take this advantage and start pumping + stocking up early, it will be worth it. Because for most people, once they go back to work, their body would have regulated the amount of milk that their baby need, and make just enough for the baby's intake. It stops being a crazy milk factory, and start being an efficient one hehe. So take advantage of this time when your milk factory goes crazy, and feed + pump like crazy!

4) Trust your breasts, they will make enough milk for your baby. Really, the second you doubt yourself, just remember to have a little faith in your "twinnies". Allah has made the women's body so unique, she can breastfeed even more than just one baby. Remember those days when formula hasn't even been invented? How did the children thrive then? Solely on their moms' milk. Takde pulak cerita tak cukup susu bagai kan.

So there you have it. Determination is key. But of course, knowledge is also equally important. Because without knowledge, determination alone wouldn't help you get all these.

Remember, when there's determination, coupled with effort, knowledge, perseverance and good niat, insyaallah you will not only succeed in breastfeeding, but in every other things that you do. :)

Happy breastfeeding, mommies! :)

Ps: I'm now striving for a Degree (1 year), then Master (1 1/2 years) and then PhD (2 years). Please pray for me guys, and let's do this together! :)

30 Days Challenge

Eid Mubarak, everyone! While I'm sure all of you are happy celebrating the joys of Raya at this moment, I on the other hand, am still glowing with pride that I managed to fast for the whole 30 days last Ramadhan -- not a single day missed, alhamdulillah! :)

It was a challenging Ramadhan for me this year though. If previous years, not eating means weight loss. This year, not eating means milk loss -- something I cannot afford to let happen. But alhamdulillah, my milk supply sustained and I was able to bring back the same amount of milk (on average 15oz daily) just as how non-fasting month would. 

So.. how did I do it?

1. Read a lot.
Before Ramadhan starts, I already equipped myself with knowledge on breastfeeding during fasting month. I applied some of the tips and alhamdulillah it seems to work.

2. Drink a lot.
I keep myself hydrated as much as I could. During sahur, I would drink 2 glasses of plain water and 1 glass of Milo. Sometimes, I would add another glass of V-Soy Multigrain blended with dates. If time permits, I would drink yet another glass of plain water just before Subuh. During iftar, I would drink like there's no tomorrow and continuously take water whenever there's chance until right before I sleep.

3. Eat a lot.
Unlike previous years, this year I had to make sure I eat well during sahur & iftar. No skipping or skimping on meals. Rice and carbs are my new bestfriends. I didn't dare eating less because I didn't dare risking a drop in my milk. I take dates quite a bit too as sources said it is a natural milk booster + body energizer.

4. Pump a lot.
I would add extra sessions to my usual pumping time. If previously I don't get up in the wee hours in the morning to pump, during Ramadhan, I would get up to pump before/right after sahur. Then 2 to 3 more times at work, depending on my schedule.

5. Pray a lot.
Never have I missed asking from Allah since the first day I delivered Adeena to let me continue to breastfeed Adeena for at least 2 years, if not more. After all, this is all rizq from Him.

... And alhamdulillah, I did it. Was it all smooth and easy for me? No, not really. There were times especially at night when Adeena would fuss a bit during direct nursing, probably due to the slow milk flow. But I kept reminding myself, the milk is there, the milk is there. Worse come to worse, there's the EBM from work earlier on to supplement Adeena with. So I held on, and stayed strong. When Adeena fussed, I patted her gently, all the while convincing myself that the milk is there, and telling her to be patient. After a while, she would relax and go to sleep.

Oh, before I forget, I also applied this trick during this time -- As soon as I get home from work, I would pop Adeena on, making sure she's continuously getting milk from me. I won't wait till she gets hungry before feeding. I'll make sure she's latched on me as much as I can. After iftar, I would only direct feed on one side. That way, the other side would accumulate milk. By the time I get up for sahur, my other side would get engorged, and I would be able to yield 5oz pretty easily with just one side. I would pump and routine #4 as above continues.

So.. that's how I did it. I realize this entry came a bit too late, but I didn't want to blog this earlier on, afraid I couldn't achieve my aim. But alhamdulillah, with His grace, I did and was able to fully breastfeed while completing the 30 days of fasting, and I just knew I had to document this achievement for my (and other readers) reference in the future!

Kate Meets Autumnz

Hey Kate,

Thanks for being an awesome companion whenever I'm out and about. You're really something that I hold close to my heart.. literally!



I know you've been lonely just sitting there, watching me do my work while I'm at the office, so I got you a friend! Kate, meet Autumnz. Your new bestfriend.



Isn't she adorably chic? :) :) :) No I'm not saying that she's more chic than you, but I've always loved polka dots, you know that! :) :) :)

Just to let you know though, you and her will be spending a whole lot of time together after this! In the car, in the office, in the mall.., basically anywhere and everywhere I go without Adeena with me!



Kate, you must know by now that it is my routine to pump 4 times (3 times when time doesn't permit) at the office.




Since my office doesn't have a fridge, it is Autumnz's responsibility now to keep my milk cold & fresh until I get home. You know, just like how you keep my phone & purse safe from the naughty eyes.



It's a tough job since she'll have to carry 4 ice packs + 4 bottles full of milk and making sure she keeps all of them cold until I get home, so be sure to be nice to her, unless you want to lose all your 'chic-ness' and carry all those in you pulak lah. ;p

Anyway, she's going to be with us for another 2 years or so, so umm, unless you can miraculously turn into a cooler bag like she is, I think you're pretty much stuck with her, whether you like it or not lah. Hehehe. I love you, Kate. You know that! <3

The Milkmaid Mama

Darling Adeena,

Mama's going back to work tomorrow! I know neither you nor I are ready for this, but we both know it was going to happen sooner or later kan baby :( I'm sorry I will not be there to give you easy access to your fresh milk whenever you want them, but I hope the milk that I've stored for you for the past 2 months is enough to keep you filled whenever you need them!

You know sayang, you're a lucky baby. I was so determined to breastfeed you exclusively this time, I even started pumping & storing milk for you from as early as week 2 after I gave birth to you. Yeah really, no kidding! Tak percaya? Ok try looking at this photo carefully and see the difference.



See the milk on the right that's a little more yellowish? Well that my dear, is called the 'transitional milk'. From what mama read, this milk is high in protein because it's a mixture of mama's mature milk and colostrum, produced anywhere from about 2 to 5 days after birth until 10 to 14 days after birth -- that's the time when mama started pumping!

I told you I wasn't kidding! :P But before mama could get full bottles such as that, my milk storage actually began quite slow. Thanks to the tip shared by Auntie Irin who advised me to pump while direct feed, what started with 1 ounce..

.. has now flourished into a few hundred ounces!

Papa even had to get us a new fridge to store all the milk that was filling up the freezer space in our old fridge, after the breastmilk drama!

And from the looks of it, I think we may need to get a third fridge in our house eh! :P

Oh and you wouldn't believe the places I've lugged my trusty pump (and cooler bag!) to pump milk out for you -- in the malls, in the surau, in the car, even in the cinema!

Mak Long even thought I'm obsessed with pumping & breastmilk (I kinda think I am :P) because she sees me pumping almost all the time! Well, anything to keep my milk supply flowing and my baby happy & healthy lah! :)

Of course, I couldn't have done it without my brilliant Medela Swing pump though! It's small, portable and silent, I gotta thank the Medela engineers for it! It's truly a genius! :)))

And then it was time for me to get you used to the idea of drinking from the bottle for when I am not around to feed you directly. You didn't like it at first. You cried and cried, sayang. :( I guess you didn't like the strong smell & taste of the frozen milk eh baby? But after a while, you gave in and drank the milk anyway -- sampai habes! :D

Alhamdulillah, I was so happy! :) Can you imagine the waste if you wouldn't take the milk? I honestly would cry like a mad lady! Haha :P

Anyway, be a good girl and drink the milk I've stored for you from the bottles okay? I know you don't really fancy the taste as how you like the freshly squeezed/direct feed ones, but they'll keep you healthy, insyaallah! I promise, as soon as I get back from work, you'll have access to your fresh, tasty milk anytime you want ok? :)

I love you baby girl, and I pray to Allah that I get to breastfeed you for the next 22 months! :) Oh, I hear you crying. That's my cue, it's your feeding time! :) Until the next update from me again!

911, Breastmilk Emergency!

"911, whats your emergency?"

"My breastmilk! They need to be transferred to another freezer because the current freezer now needs to be shut down for 4 hours. And if that happens, my breastmilk will melt!"

Okay, so maybe I didn't exactly call the 911 hotline, but if I could, I would! It was such drama at home a few days back, I swear!

You see, I am not the type that makes abundant supply of milk easily like some moms do. In fact, with my first baby, I was forced to supplement him with formula because my milk production was low.

Knowing this, this time around, I made sure I prep myself with more reads on breastfeeding, more water intake, more tips from the "sifoos" in breastfeeding, and of course, more pumping!

I started pumping as early as week 2 after my delivery this time. Thanks to the tips shared by Irin Putri who adviced me to pump while direct feed, I've managed to collect 40+oz for my baby when the time the drama happened, alhamdulillah :) It may not be a lot to milk-factory moms like some of you, but they are the world to me! In fact, they're currently my obsession! ;p



So you can imagine my terror when I noticed one day that the freezer door at my in law's place is not as 'sticky' as it should be. We're guessing the 'stickiness' is wearing off, and that's something I can't risk! Quickly, I told my husband that we needed a new fridge or all the effort I've put in would go to waste. Immediately, my husband went out to buy a new one. The thing about new fridges is that, you'll need to allow 4 hours before you can switch on the power button. And that's when trouble strikes!

The moment I heard that the new fridge cant be used immediately, my blood rushed to my head as I panic-ly think of ways to save my 40oz of milk (then) from melting! Should I buy ice cubes? Should I get help from the neighbor and use her freezer space temporarily? Should I go back to my house with all the milk and store them there?

After some careful thinking, I decided to bring all 40oz of milk back to my own house in Bukit Jelutong. (In case you're wondering, I'm currently at my in law's place in Shah Alam until my confinement ends.)

Then, another thing occured to me. How do I bring all the milk without risking any of them melting? It was blazing hot then! Luckily, I remembered my good ol' Pureen cooler bag that I used for storing Aydein's milk then.



Quickly, I grabbed it and stuffed as many bottles as I could with a few ice cubes inside it.



As for the remaining bottles that couldn't fit? I placed them in Aydein's toy-bag with loads and loads of ice cubes in it :P



Together with my parents in law, we rushed out of the house and alhamdulillah, in just 15 mins, we arrived my house in Bukit Jelutong with the 40oz milk saved; frozen and fresh, alhamdulillah. :D



When all this ended, I realize I learned 3 things :

1. New fridges can never be used immediately. Don't let anyone tell u otherwise (because the SA told us it could!)
2. Get ice packs if you plan to stock up your milk. You will need them!
3. Invest in a good cooler bag that is at least medium sized, so when things like this happen, you don't have to use your son's McQueen's toy-bag! ;p

And alhamdulillah, from that day onwards, I have not stopped pumping and managed to stock up about 60+oz now for Adeena. It's true what they say, sikit-sikit lama-lama jadi bukit (slowly but surely). :)



1+ more month to go before mama goes back to work, baby. Let's just pray mama gets to stock up enough milk for you, in time! :)