breastfeeding – Page 4

Choosing Your Breast Pump

My first breast pump is an Avent manual pump. It was a gift from my Tito who is based in Guam. The pump came with bottles and breast pads. The bundle was a total savings as I found out that it costs about PhP7000 at that time. So the first time, I really did not choose my pump.

When I got pregnant with Maxyn, I asked hubby that we should invest in an electric pump because the manual one can be really tiring. So early this year, before I gave birth to Maxyn, I researched for an electric pump and the following were my considerations:

Price
Availability in the market
Availability of spare parts
Voltage input

Initially, I already made up my mind about Medela’s Freestyle pump. I asked hubby what he thinks and he reminded me of my considerations. In my research, this model did not pass my voltage criterion. Medela’s PISA passed all my criteria until hubby asked me why I need a double pump. I wanted a double pump because it’ll make every session faster, taking less time from my work schedule. But with the money we’ll invest, the ROI didn’t look proportionate. In the end, I bought an Avent ISIS Uno pump.

I got it from ebay at half the price if I get it from the mall. This pump passed all my criteria plus it complements the bottles I already have. I am still using this until now and I have no problems with it. I will post a separate review about it.

PS: When I was doing my research, Medela and Avent topped the reviews I read. I was not aware that I could get a double pump with the price we paid for my pump. Yes, there are such pumps. If you are not a brand-conscious mom, check out www.babymama.ph to know what I mean.

Breastfeed Your Baby Successfully

The other day, a colleague chatted with me about breastfeeding. She just gave birth and was worried she’s doing something wrong because when her baby latches, she still feels pain. I was flattered because of all the people, she asked me about breastfeeding. Of course I was very excited to answer her questions. Breastfeeding is one topic I can talk about over and over again.

I breastfed Ayex, my eldest girl, for 3 years, almost exclusively for the first two years. Now, I am breastfeeding Maxyn for 5 months already. While I was talking to this colleague of mine, I realized that I only have one content tagged for breastfeeding. Ang tapang ko pang ilagay na breastfeeding advocate ako! So I told myself I should populate my content based on my own experiences and this is the start of my breastfeeding posts.

I know I will never be successful in breastfeeding without these tips. I will be forever grateful to everyone involved because without them, I will never discover this miracle.

Hand yourself with information. Read everything you can and do your research.
The package I got from my Tito, who is based in Guam, contained a pamphlet about breastfeeding. I read over and over again until I feel I am already knowledgeable. I also read forums to get insights from other moms.
Have a support system.
Inform your husband, your parents, your helpers, and your colleagues about your decision to breastfeed. You will not be successful if there would be someone who will keep on insisting about feeding your baby with formula milk each time they will hear your baby cry during feeding because you can’t make him/her latch properly or he/she is not getting enough milk. When your colleagues are informed of your decision, it is easier to go back to work (if you work outside home) after your maternity leave and still continue breastfeeding your baby.
Gear up.
During Ayex’s time, there was a very few selection of pumps. I had a manual Avent pump then and I make my own ice to keep the milk cold until I get home. Now, we invested in a single electric pump (ISIS Uno) and I have gel packs that turn into ice when placed in the freezer. Also, instead of storing in milk bottles, I now use milk bags, which are great space saver, specially when you have limited freezer space. Having tools that suit your needs will definitely make your life easier and you will be able to feed your baby with the best milk available – your milk.
Live by your values.
Patience, perseverance and dedication, for me are the key values why I successfully breastfed Ayex. Also, I was not shy to ask for help if there’s anything I don’t know. I still live by these values in the hope that I can breastfeed Maxyn as long as she wants to.

How about you, are you a breastfeeding mom too or know someone who is? Why don’t you share with us your tips?

Storing Breast Milk

In a few weeks, my maternity leave will be over and it’s time for me to go back to work. It sucks I know but I don’t have so much choice right now. Unlike in Ayex’s time, I only expressed and stored milk a day before I went back to work. That time, we only have enough breast milk supply for a day.

Being a second-timer mom taught me that I should start early. Doing so will not only give adequate supply for Maxyn when I go to work, it also allowed me to have some me-time. Since I wanted to store milk earlier, I researched online what storage can I use. I have some bottles but using those requires too much space in the fridge. And so I thought of looking for an alternative. I found that most breastfeeding moms abroad use Lansinoh Milk Bags. I’m not sure if it was available in the malls so I checked ebay.ph and was glad there is a local seller there. I now have 50 bags on hand. As for the breast milk, I currently have 4 bottles of 4oz and 1 bag of 6oz. I still have a few weeks to store some more. And to make sure my hard work won’t go to waste, I also researched on how to properly store breast milk. I know this already since I breastfed Ayex for 3 years but I’m posting the information here just so I won’t forget. Who knows one of my visitors would like to know it too. 🙂

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