Javi's Breastfeeding Journey (The Start of the End)

I haven't been blogging recently due to many reasons I guess. One of these was I just don't have the energy to blog anymore. I'm always tired, I'm swamped with work, I'm emotionally drained haha! So many things are happening, I'm not sure where to begin. But I guess you pretty much had an inkling on what's going on with my last post. In connection to that, let me blog about Javi's breastfeeding journey. Promise, I will blog about my pregnancy soon - I think my stories on Javi and my current pregnancy are so intertwined!

One of the signs I had that I'm pregnant back when I didn't know I was pregnant (gulo ba?), was my milk supply significantly decreased. I think I lost about 1 ounce per pumping session. I used to get around 4oz per session, so then it came down to 3oz. I stopped pumping milk in the office altogether last week. Before I stopped I'd only get around 0.5oz of milk to take home everyday. That's in one pumping session. From 3oz, it went down to 2oz and then 1 oz and then finally only half an ounce of milk per session. That was when I knew it was time to give up. And Javi was already a year old by then. Atleast I reached my goal of not giving him any other milk aside from breastmilk up until he was one year old.

Javi nursing on his first birthday

After his birthday, he was given soymilk to replace one milk bottle a day of breastmilk. That was what happened until all of my frozen breastmilk stash was used up. I think he finished everything during the first week of October. We're still breastfeeding when we're together although not as much. At night, he still wakes up to feed but not as long and as often. We usually give him one bottle of milk before going up to our bedroom. Last Saturday was heartbreaking for me because it was the first time I had to give him the bottle myself. At night when he wakes up, sometimes I had to tell him to stop because my sensitive nipples can no longer take it. Sometimes it's okay with him, he nurses for a while and then turns his back on me (faces his other side) and goes back to sleep, but sometimes he really wants to nurse for a long time, he wails if I don't give him the boob. Haaay! I'm so sad I had to do this to him. I don't want to start comparing Miya and Javi in terms of our breastfeeding journey because I will really get sad. I now know how other mothers feel when they want to breastfeed their kids but their bodies are no longer willing. Javi, anak, please know that Mommy loves you very much! I would breastfeed you as long as my body can take it. I pray my body can still take it to breastfeed you both with your little sibling when the time comes. I love you so much!

Javi and Breastfeeding

I realize I haven’t blogged about in detail my breastfeeding journey with Javi. This is really for me to go back to on how he’s breastfeeding was and for my reference for the next kid (naks!). I found my blogposts about Miya’s breastfeeding to be very helpful with Javi this time around.

I mentioned in my birth story that we didn’t have a problem with latching. We were able to experience Unang Yakap when Javi was born.

Unang Yakap when Javi was born

A lactation consultant went to my room at the hospital during our stay.

Lactation consultant checks if the latch is correct

On our nights at the hospital, I didn’t put Javi at the bassinet provided. He immediately co-slept with me. I had him sleeping beside me the moment he was born.

Still at the hospial

What I noticed with Javi (in comparison to Miya) is that he doesn’t feed regularly. During his early months, I would feed him for a few minutes and then he will throw up most of the milk (sometimes milk will come out of his mouth). So the pedia advised me to feed him in small amounts instead. Problem with this kid is he doesn’t know when to stop, he will nurse and nurse and nurse and then throw up. So I learned to nurse him only for a few minutes say 5 minutes at a time. I don’t know if this is the reason why I think he doesn’t drink too much milk or what he gets is really enough for him. In comparison, I think mas matakaw si Miya sa milk before. That’s why I started pumping milk when Javi was only a week old. I had so much milk and he wasn’t drinking all of it. I had to pump and store earlier than I did with Miya. I was also praning of getting a mastitis because of story I heard about it hehe.  Although when I started working, Javi can consume around 3 to 4 bottles of 3 oz milk (that’s from 7am-7pm). That increase a few months back to 5 bottles. But now that he eats three times a day, he’s down to 4 bottles again (this is very recent like this week recent). When I had the measles and he had to be away from me, that’s when I realized that he doesn’t sleep through the night yet. When we sleep at the same house, he usually sleeps around 6pm and then wakes up again around 8pm. So we get to play with him until he sleeps again around 9 or 10, I nurse him to sleep. And then I thought his next feeding was around 5am already although there are days when he wakes up during the night to feed, I thought he was going through a growth spurt. Turned out he does nurse during the night. When he was away, I told my mother and the yaya to prepare 3 bottles for the night. For his 10pm feeding, and then around 1-3am feeding and then when he wakes up at around 5am. Turned out my estimates were correct. So while we weren’t together he drank 8 bottles of 3oz milk. But before I got sick, I usually leave him 5 bottles of 4oz of milk already. We had to lower the measurement of milk because my frozen milk was bagged at 3oz each. I didn’t want my yaya to stress out about transferring the milk and measuring each one. So I told her to just pour each bag to one bottle. But now, we’re back to feeding him 4oz of milk per bottle. I ask my yaya to list down his schedule, time he sleeps and the time he drinks his milk. So that I know if he’s had enough nap times and if he’s had enough feeding.

Breastfeeding on his 4th month birthday

Breastfeeding while out in Baguio

When Javi and I are together, say on weekends, he doesn’t really feed as much. He usually nurses as much as he wants when it’s time for him to sleep. I nurse him to sleep. But during the day, he won’t feed as much. I always joke that it’s because he’s such a chismoso. When he feeds and he hears someone talk he will turn his head and smile at the person talking hehehe. He needs complete silence for him to focus on his feeding. So when we’re out, there are times that I don’t even have to feed him because he can’t concentrate on feeding and end up not nursing at all until we’re back at the car on the ride home. Unlike with Miya before who really feeds anytime and anywhere.

Breastfeeding at my cousin's wedding last February

Breastfeeding really is amazing in keeping babies healthy. Both Joema and I had measles and we co-sleep with both kids but until now none of them are showing symptoms of getting it from us. Well, Miya has measles vaccine and booster shot, but Javi hasn’t had his measles vaccine yet. Although we’re not yet in the clear, we’re a few days short of the three week mark. Now, Javi has cough but he’s active so we’re still monitoring him.  

As for pumping milk, I'm now catching up to pump for my frozen stash of milk because I'm going on a business trip in a week. My frozen stash was used up by Javi when I had the measles. He used up all of them, he drank up the milk I pumped while I was sick and Javi's godmother gave us breastmilk too. It was depleted. Good thing, the last few bags I pumped while I was sick was not touched and as of last count last night, I have enough milk for him for 5 days (assuming 8 bottles a day). One of the breastfeeding moms in my office, also generously gave me her extra stash for Javi. I'm super duper grateful to my breastfeeding mommy friends for giving their milk to Javi. I'm so terrified of having to buy milk for Javi. I can't fathom the idea of Javi drinking other milk aside from breastmilk before his first birthday! Before I got sick, I dropped pumping milk before going to the office. But now to catch up for our frozen stash, I have to pump milk before leaving for the office. And then I pump 4 times at the office: 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 6:30pm (if I'm still at the office). I also pump now during weekends. My goal is for my weekend pump to supply for Javi's Monday milk so that's 4 bottles. Last weekend I was able to do it. Hopefully, I can do it again this weekend. I'll be gone for 6 nights, but I'm preparing atleast 8 days of supply for Javi. Because I'm not sure if I can pump regularly while on the business trip. And I don't want to stress out on how to bring home my milk. I think I'll pump and dump while I'm away. I plan to store my milk on the second leg of my trip, but I'm not sure how much I can bring home. So the two extra days is for when I'm back and have no extra milk for Javi. Hopefully, everything will turn out okay. I'm not worried about Javi having problems latching when I get back because we didn't have that problem when we were separated when I got sick and that was longer than my business trip.

Quick Update

And when I was so good blogging I suddenly disappeared again. Well, I have good excuse this time. Joema got sick - measles! And then after two weeks it was my turn! It was hell! When Joema got sick, me and the kids went to my parents' home and stayed there for the duration of his illness so that we won't get ill. But measles is contagious even before the rashes came out, so yeah I caught the bug from him and was sick after two weeks (incubation period is 2-3 weeks). When I got sick, the kids were then sent again to my parents' home. It was torture for me to be away from the kids, from Javi specifically because we're breastfeeding. They told me there were nights when he didn't have a good night sleep and he wanted to be carried the whole time. I couldn't leave him a shirt or piece of clothing so that he'll smell me while we're not together because my clothes might be carrying my germs. My stash of frozen breastmilk was gone in a few days. I had to pump milk continuously even if I was feverish or itchy from the rashes. No worries, I did all that for my son and I missed him and his Ate terribly. I had a few breakdowns while they were away because of home sickness. I guess it was God's way of preparing me for my upcoming business travel. I should have been gone this last week but because of my measles the trip was postponed to second week of June. I guess the only difference when I was sick was I didn't know when I'll get well, unlike for a business trip I know when the trip will end. Haaay! While I was tortured to be away from the kids, my little girl was having a blast hahaha! She thoroughly enjoyed her "summer vacation" at her Lolo and Lola's place. Javi on the other hand really missed me. The day I got my doctor's clearance I went to see them. Javi was crying from his rocker when he saw me, apparently he wanted me to carry him. And when I did, he hugged me and he propped his head on my shoulders. It's the sweetest thing I tell you! I felt like crying while we're hugging me. I didn't expect for him to miss me that much. And then these days, he's always "naghahabol". He doesn't want me leaving his sight. I think he hasn't recovered yet. Poor kid! He turned 8 months, by the way. I hope to blog more in the coming days. I don't know how because I'm swamped with work because I was gone for two weeks! But I think I'll manage to post a few things. See you around!

Javi at 6 Months

Javi turned 6 months old last March and he's turning 7 on Thursday. I can't believe he's now half a year old! I want to slow down time to savor his being a baby. It's as if I blinked because the past 6 months flew by.

I feel guilty as I think we didn't celebrate some of his firsts like how we did it with Miya. Like when he first rolled over or when he first laughed heartily (when I chanced upon this post I made). I noted in IG the first time he rolled over. The first time he laughed heartily, I'm not really sure when because he was laughing as early as 2 months I think. He's a very happy baby, very easy to take care of. I thank God He gave me an easy second baby as he balances the personality of his feisty Ate. I don't have a hard time making him fall asleep or nursing him. I love my darling little boy so much!

He can now reach his toes while lying down.

At first he can't put his feet inside his mouth. So he cheats and puts his thumb (from the hand holding his foot) inside his mouth. I haven't seen him do that while he's lying flat on his back. But his dad claims he can do it already. I see him doing it when his sitting down on his rocker or his carseat.

He is our little drool machine or sometimes our little taho maker (he easily spits up his milk sometimes milk that already looks like taho hence the name). His first tooth erupted first week of April.

Now, his second tooth has already erupted.

We've also started him on solids. To date, he's only tried eating lugaw. But tonight, I'll buy him bananas for tomorrow. Here are photos of his first solid and first taste of water!

He gobbled up the lugaw like it's no one's business. Ngumunguya pa akala mo naman may ipin hehehe. He's now eating around 4 spoonfuls of lugaw, twice a day (of course, he's given small bites).

Here are more updates in bullets:

1. I'm still breastfeeding him. And I'm happy to report that his milk consumption hasn't gone down even though we started him on solids. But let's wait and see for a couple more weeks because at the moment he's eating (solid food) 2 times a day only.
2. He's at the stage that he prefers to be carried standing up and doesn't want to be left lying down for long periods of time.
3. He's a loud baby, we think like his Ate. Because he can blabber on for minutes and sometimes at the point of screaming hehehe.
4. He likes to watch people singing. That's his thing with his Ate. Miya sings and then he listens.
5. He knows how to kiss us although open mouthed hahaha
6. He makes pa-cute. He crunches his nose and squints his eyes while smiling. Oh I love his beautiful smile. I haven't caught that pa-cute smile of his on camera yet. 

Going Back to Work

It's my second day back to work today from my maternity leave. Surprisingly, I didn't have a difficult time yesterday being away from Javi. Maybe because I now know what entails to be apart from him, I'm better prepared. Or maybe because I knew he would just be sleeping the whole day hehe. But still I missed him and his Ate every so often yesterday. Unlike when Miya was born, I am more lakwatsera when I gave birth to Javi hehe. With Miya I didn't leave the house unless it was for her pedia checkup. I went out without her for the very first time to watch a movie with hubby when she was already 3 months old. With Javi, I was out of the house doing groceries when he was only a week old. This time I knew I could go out for errands without him for less than two hours and I made sure he was breastfed before I went out. The first time I went out without him for more than two hours was in the 2nd week of November to visit an uncle in the hospital who had a stroke. I can't bring him there even if I wanted to. The first time hubby and I went out on movie night (Mockingjay) was last 27 Nov, the first day Javi tried to drink from the bottle. He didn't have any qualms feeding from the bottle. Unlike Miya who took a week or more to get at ease in feeding from the bottle.

First time he drank from the bottle and he finished 3oz in one sitting

Unfortunately, by the middle of the movie our yaya was already texting that Javi was crying already and wasn't pacified by feeding or carrying or being wrapped aroung my used shirt (so that he'll smell me). To prepare Javi for my pending going back to work, I left the house almost everyday when December hit. Dual purpose as this also gave me the time to shop for Christmas gifts. Hubby and I also got to watch our 2nd movie (The Hobbit) but again Javi was cryinng at home even before the movie ended. But this time around the moment we got home and I carried him, he stopped crying and began being his usual smiley and happy self again.

I'm very fortunate to have a very easy-to-please 2nd child as compared to his feisty Ate hehe. Javi can now sleep through the night. Since the middle of November he only stirs to be fed twice during the night. And since we're breastfeeding I don't have to wake up and be fulky awake to do so. And since we're breastfeeding I don't usually know what time he wakes up haha. These days he usually stirs when it's almost time to wake up between 5-6am. I think this is a benefit from co-sleeping with him since his birth. With Miya we let her sleep in her crib until she was about 4 months old. I wasn't sure then if it was safe for her, tiny as she was, to sleep beside us. 

My little bochog sleeping the night before

The little bochog still sleeping and Ate already awake by the time we left the house yesterday

Still Breastfeeding

If you noticed my post on “Miya Loves” one of the things I listed there is breastfeeding. Yes, my little girl is still breastfeeding – now, at 2 years and 3 weeks. I’ve stopped pumping milk at the office when the year started but she still nurses directly from me whenever we are together. As I have mentioned previously, it’s like drink-all-she-wants the moment I get home on weekdays even if she has just eaten or drank her milk or juice. When we go out of the house, I usually tell her that she can only drink milk while we’re in the car.We stick to this deal only when we’re out for a few hours. But if we’re out for the whole day, I can expect her to come asking for “dede” even with other people around. Well, this does not pose a problem really because when we’re out of the house the whole day, we’re usually really at other people’s houses or we're transferring from one place of the other so this means she can still breastfeed in private (at another room of our host or while in the car in the two instances). I don’t wear nursing tops any longer, although I still wear nursing bras when I’m out with her and I avoid wearing dresses (although I can wear buttondown dresses) so that it will still be easy to whip out my breasts for her. We are trying to talk her into weaning telling her she’s already a big girl and that she should drink her soymilk instead. I don’t think I need to anything drastic yet (one mom I talked to told me she put catsup on her nipple sas “blood” so that her son will stop breastfeeding). And I hope I won’t have to resort to that. But I’m hoping I can wean her from night feeding. She sleeps around 10am then wakes up between 3 and 4am to feed. And then again anytime between 5-7am. So I just need her to stop feeding at 3am. Nursing at around 5am is just about right since that would have been 7 straight hours of sleep for her. Iwill try out this sleep training that I’ve read. I’ll share it with you when I’ve been successful with it.

*****

I’ve read this post written by Topaz Mommy: “What boobs are for”. She wrote: Whenever and wherever you are, just pop out the boob and nurse your baby!  And that’s what I do. Tips to mommies out there: when breastfeeding in public, don’t make a fuss out of it. Wear a nursing top or if not then wear a loose top that you can use to slightly cover your nursing child and wear a nursing bra. You don’t really have to expose anything else. If you’re just wearing a loose top,your child will cover your belly. I find that the more I fuss about nursin gMiya in public, the more other people are aware that we’re nursing. But if I just nurse her quietly, it just looks like I’m cradling her to sleep. Believe me, I’ve done this a couple of times. I’ve nursed Miya inside restaurants herein Manila (Tip: ask for a booth table or a corner table), inside a train in HK,outdoors at the Avenue of Stars while waiting for the Symphony of Lights show to start (it was freezing then!). You don’t want to believe me?

Exhibit A: Nursing in Boracay

Exhibit B: Nursing in Las Casas during the heritage tour (on her 2nd birthday)

Donating my (Liquid) Gold

“Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (September). For this month, we will tackle milk sharing and how it can nurture the community, and how this spirit of giving can be sustained. Participants will share their thoughts, experiences, hopes and suggestions on the topic. Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of carnival entries.”

One of my online resources on breastfeeding is the blog: Chronicles of a Nursing Mom, who incidentally is also the organizer of this carnival. I learned a lot of things about breastfeeding on Jenny’s site, one of which is donating breastmilk. When I gave birth to Miya and went back to work, I had more than enough milk supply for her. Since we only had a one-door ref, I can not store my breastmilk for a long period of time. So after 10 or more days, we clean up my frozen milk at the freezer for fresh new ones. Note that I followed Kellymom’s breastmilk storage guidelines. It’s heart breaking to throw away those precious liquid gold, so I knew I had to donate them. The first one I donated my milk to is a friend of a friend. She just gave birth to a preemie and needed breastmilk while their baby was still in the NICU. I communicated with the hubby and he picked up the milk from our place. I think I donated twice to them. After that, I contacted Jenny and asked for details on where I can donate milk. She told me I can donate milk through UP-PGH or the Facebook page of Human Milk forHuman Babies – Philippines. But I think after a day, I received two texts from two different women needing milk. I offered to donate my breastmilk to the first one who messaged me. But I also donated milk to the other mommy the next time I was able to store breastmilk. This went on for a couple of months, I donated milk to these two mommies. After the first round, I was the one who messaged them and told them I have extra milk for them that are ready for pick-up.

Believe it or not, I was more pressured to build up my milk supply to be donated than to build up my daily supply for Miya hehehe. This is so because I didn’t want the mommies to travel to our house and pick-up the milk and end up getting just a few ounces. So my personal goal is to pump an extra 30oz of breastmilk for two weeks that I can donate to these mommies.  I was also inspired to stick to my pumping schedule at work and even on weekends because aside from nourishing my own daughter, I was also nourishing other babies. I felt an elation knowing that my breastmilk is enough to sustain more than my own baby. One of the mommies I donated milk to was referred to me by her friend. Her friend was the one who texted me and asked if I had still breastmilk. It turned out her husband just died and her baby is 5 months old just about the same age as Miya then. Due to the death of her husband, her milk supply dropped and she needed breastmilk donations to nourish her baby.

Sadly, when my milk supply dropped and the milk I pump was just enough for Miya I stopped donating milk. I was so sad I wasn’t able to donate when Sendong hit the country and people were asking for breastmilk donations. I wished I could have donated my breastmilk to those babies affected by the typhoon.

Donating breastmilk was an enriching experience for me. I will gladly do it again in the future.

*******

In commemoration of World Milk Sharing Week 2012, share your own experiences as a milk donor or recipient. Don't forget to visit the other participants of the blog carnival:

Brenda has notes on breast milk givers and takers
Mafeth wrote about being a milk donee
Cris donated her liquid gold
Pat had a happy problem donating solved
Jenny wrote about wet nursing from a relative's experience
Rachel discussed how she felt about receiving donated milk and nursing an adoptee's baby
Mec insists it takes two to Milk Share Tango
Cai received milk from her sister
Nats has a Milk Sharing Story too

Other Breastfeeding Mommies

I mentioned here that I’m very fortunate that the organization I work for supports breastfeeding for its female staff and we’re provided with the an expression room where we can pump milk during officer hours. As I’ve said, one of the reasons I’m still breastfeeding now is because we have an expression room here at the office -  a very conducive place to pump breastmilk while I’m away from home. Aside from the room itself, fellow breastfeeding moms I’ve met in the expression room sort of became my support system during this journey of mine.

We’re a loud bunch – hence, the additional memo posted in the room that only 2 staff are allowed to use it at a time heehee. There was a time when there will be 5 moms using the room simultaneously and during these times are our chika moments. We talk about increasing our milk supply, feeding our babies, our babies milestones to our company’s benefits, our company’s local chismis hahaha!

Earlier this month, one of the mommies left the bank for greener pasture (as one mommy put it – bakang baka lang ang peg!). We all met up for lunch as despedida for her. It’s sad that it took one mommy to leave the bank for us to have this kind of get-together.

Layout done by Mommy Chat

I'm not sure how long I'll be pumping milk for my baby but I'm enjoying it while I'm doing it. Thanks to these moms who continue to inspire me to give the very best to my baby. Cheers to breastfeeding!

On Breastfeeding, Weaning and Eating Solid Food

At 17 months, Miya eats 3 times a day with in between snacks. Her breakfast is usually oatmeal with raisins, for lunch and dinner she has rice with soup of the viand with little meat and veggies. She doesn’t eat that much meat and veggies actually because she doesn’t like chewing really. If she doesn’t like the texture of the food, she spits it out. Well she doesn’t really spit it, more of she puts out her tongue from her mouth together with the food. She snacks on bread, yogurt and fruits. I let her try to eat on her own. She can put a spoon inside her mouth now, I just need to scoop the food in her spoon first :)

My daily supply of breastmilk for her is usually 8-10oz which I express in the office. What I produce for this day, she will drink the next day. If it’s a Friday, then those will be consumed on Monday the following week. She drinks this once in the morning (40z) and then once during lunch time. She asks for another round of milk in the early evening. Before, she waits up for me to get home and then feeds immediately when I get home. But she started getting irritable, so I decided to buy soymilk to supplement her feeding. During the first week, as I’ve mentioned, I bought vanilla-flavored soymilk. I think she didn’t like the smell because she wouldn’t even taste it. The following milk, I bought just the regular soymilk and atleast she would taste it even if for just a little. The very first few times, my yaya would put it in her feeding bottle. But since Miya didn’t like it, the following day our yaya will have a hard time feeding Miya from the bottle with breastmilk because Miya thought it was still non-breastmilk. Eventually, she tried the soymilk little by little because she had no other choice if she wanted milk. She usually points to the ref if she wants milk. So I told yaya to show her that that’s what’s left for her and no more breastmilk. After almost two weeks, she’s been drinking soymilk from a glass. This is her usual 3^rd milk for the day. When I get home, she’s milk-all-you-want LOL!

During the night, she usually wakes up once or twice to feed. Sometimes it’s comfort feeding, she feeds for a few minutes, say 3-5 minutes, and then goes back to sleep. Sometimes she really feeds and I’d be awake by the time she finishes. Around this time I turn off our aircon and turn on the electric fan if I’m cold hehe. When she has colds and she’s not feeling well, she usually feeds round the clock during the night. I don’t get enough sleep because the moment she feels her nose is clogged she wants to feed. And I know she wants to feed because she turns and then usually says something unaudible, sometimes she says “dide”. I tried just tapping her to go back to sleep – sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn’t.

I’m actually relieved she started drinking the soymilk. My milk production has decreased. Before, I can keep up with her daily milk needs. Now, not so anymore. I’m still drinking malunggay capsules and now I’m drinking malunggay tea, too. But it’s still not enough to produce 12oz of milk – her usual intake while I’m away. I’m still pumping milk three times a day in the office. Dropped one pumping session after her first birthday, I think.

I’ve mentioned that there are days when I think I want to wean her and I think I should start weaning her. On the nights that I can't get to sleep because she feeds non-stop, those are the times I wish she'll wean already. I'm screaming in my head "Give back my boobies!" But there are also days when I absolutely love that she still feeds from me. Last night, we went home late because we went to the hospital to visit a friend who just gave birth. When we came home, Miya was asleep already. Fortunately, when I carried her to our bed and laid her down she woke up a little and asked for milk. I remembered the glorious feeling of the milk flowing from my breast. 

Miya breastfeeding at 8 months

I’ll be away on a business trip in September for a few days and I dread thinking of how it would be to be apart from her. Since her birth, we’ve never been apart for more than 24 hours. Nothing’s final on the trip, I’m writing about it here in the hopes that I would jinx it and we won’t push through with it hehe. Our plan is, Joema and I will go on an overnight trip just the two of us, just to test the waters if Miya will be okay to sleep without me. Hoping she’ll last the whole night without drinking milk. Or maybe I should tell my mother to prepare a bottle of milk just in case she wants a bottle during the night. We plan to leave her with my parents. 

I don’t think she’s ready to wean because everytime she sees my boobies she gets kilig hahaha! Which reminds me, my daughter has this weird thing. After feeding, when she sees some milk dripping from my breast she looks at it like she’s gross with it. I tell her that’s the milk she’s drinking and she just shakes her head as if denying it in that small head of hers hahaha.

In the end, I wish there will come a time that both Miya and I will be ready at the same time to wean. I'm sure I'll be sad but like any other journey, our breastfeeding journey will come to an end.   

My Life in Bullets

Wow, it's already July! Where did the days go? Here's what's happening in my (and my family's) life the past few days:

• I attended a seminar on Credit Analysis last week. It was very educational. Not only did I learn a lot that I can apply in my work, the things taught to us can also be applied to my personal life. Always check your cashflow! Ang pambayad sa utang galing sa cash and not from your income! Those are two different things!
• On our last check-up with Miya's pedia, he said in passing that Miya did not gain that much weight. This has actually gotten me worried. I already started to supplement her milk (still breastmilk) with soymilk. After a week of trying it, she's now drinking a glass of soymilk everyday together with her two bottles of breastmilk while I'm away. Yay! The first week she tried soymilk, she didn't like it. We actually bought a vanilla-flavored soymilk. She didn't want to taste it. After smelling the milk, she'll push away the glass. So after a week, I switched to regular flavored soymilk, slowly she tried it. She didn't like it at first but she had no other choice. During early evening, when I'm still not home she will ask milk (didi) from her yaya. I told yaya to show her what's inside our ref and tell Miya that's the only thing we have left. She actually points to our ref if she wants milk while I'm away. Eventually, she learned to drink soymilk from a glass. Yaya was afraid to put it in her bottle because in the first few days she tried it, the following day Miya will not drink from her bottle even if the content is breastmilk and not soymilk. In line with this, I'm thinking of weaning her on and off. I mean, there are days that I think I'm ready to wean her but there are days that I just love breastfeeding her and decide that we should do it when she's ready. I don't know really. 
• Some problems with our current yaya. Not anything regarding Miya but with her money and family problems. I hate it that it's affecting me. She doesn't return to us on the agreed day she will return on her days-off because of her personal problems. Hay! I don't bother my employer with my personal problems so why should I be bothered with my employee's personal problems. Kainez! I've actually asked Miya's first yaya if she's willing to return. She said yes but we agreed on a salary increase. I don't want to jinx it by announcing it. But will you pray with me that this will push through? I've realized I love our first yaya so much. She has set the bar so high for the other yayas who followed her. With her, I'm kampante in every aspect. I promised myself I won't be bothered anymore if Miya sometimes wants to be with her more than with me and if they're super close. I realized, I'm more happy with that that my yaya is really taking care of my daughter and is actually concerned with her and not just look at it like it's just her "job".
• Another Miya update - she's really really talkative now. When we hand her our phone she will put it on her ears and say "Ewow!" with the tone that you use when you say Hello but the other line doesn't hear you. LOL! And she'll do this again and again. The grandparents are so happy because she talks now when we call them. Hay, my little daughter the charmer.
• We're looking into having her checked up by an allergologist. Her atopic dermatitis is acting up again. It's been this way for a few weeks now. The flareups will go away but will come back in another part of her body. If you have noticed, in most of her pictures she's wearing a longsleeve top and pajammas with socks. She's covered all over because we don't want her to scratch. If I can only take all those itchiness away. I pray everyday that she'll get well soon.
• What is up with Vettel??? He has been on pole for the last two qualifying in the last three races but was not able to convert it to a win. Well, atleast in the last race (British GP) he was finally back at the podium - 3rd place. This year is very exciting just like in 2010! I think it will be a competition until the last race. I'm really liking Alonso this year. Might be because I'm following him on Twitter haha! I'm also following Hamilton but Alonso updates more often. It feels like Alonso really updates his fans on Twitter - he tweets when he's on training, after his meeting with his engineers, after practice session, before and after qualifying, before and after a race. I actually get updated on when the next race is from his tweets. I used to print a calendar of the races but now I just rely on his tweets. Unlike Hamilton who only tweets when he wins haha!     

I'll try to blog a more meaningful post next time. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead of you! 

Expression Room

I have to admit that one of the reasons my breastfeeding journey has been this long and is still continuing is because we have a milk expression room here at our office where I can pump and store milk while I’m away from my baby. I am very fortunate that the institution  I work for acknowledge the importance of sustaining breastfeeding as long as possible. Let me share with you how our expression room is set up.

The room has a sink where we can wash our bottles and pump parts. They have also provided us an airpot for hot water to sterilize our pump parts and a small ref to store our milk. In between pumping sessions, we usually leave our pump parts and breastpumps in the room. It's more convenient for us this way instead of going back and forth to our workstation and the expression room with all our breastpump paraphernalia.

There are two seats for Mommies to pump comfortably. But since a lot of moms are already using this room, sometimes we have 3 of 4 moms cramped in this area. Some are seating on the floor while some prefer to use an additional chair a mommy has brought for use.

That's my pump and my water tumbler. I drink water when expressing milk. I find that I letdown easily when I drink water.

Two chairs inside the room with extension cords for other moms using the room

The room is also decorated with paintings of mother and child.

I'm in love with everything "mother-and-child" after being a mother myself.

Aside from this expression room, we also have a nursing room in the building. We can also express milk in that room – it is equipped with chairs for moms and a ref where we can store our milk. Unfortunately, there is no sink and airpot in that room. So I still prefer using the expression room even if a lot of us are already using it.

This is why I’m really against that new bill that will change the existing Milk Code. It will remove the 40 minute paid lactation breaks for working mothers! If you haven't signed the petition, please sign up here.

Day 28 of 30 (x2)

New House Bill That Will Change the Milk Code

A new bill is authored by these Congressmen, representatives Magtanggol Gunigundo, Josephine Veronique Lacson-Noel, Anna York Bondoc M.D. and Lani Mercado-Revilla that will change the existing Milk Code. I'll copy and paste this article by Atty. Rita Linda V. Jimeno which explains the changes that will happen.

An alarming House bill


Filipino mothers are barely becoming more aware that nothing beats breast milk but already, four representatives in the House sponsored a consolidated bill that, if passed into law, would effectively set back the gains achieved in the campaign for exclusive breastfeeding. The House bill, ironically authored by three women and one male representative, contains provisions that would substantially change the contents of the existing Milk Code (Executive Order 51) and the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009 (Republic Act 10028).


Sad, because even with the existence of these two laws which encourage lactating mothers to breastfeed, implementation has been tough. And why not? The makers of infant formula and breast milk substitutes have continued to glamorize the use of breast milk substitutes and continued launching promotional gimmicks that entice mothers to use infant formula. Thus, lactating mothers, especially those with lower educational attainments, are drawn toward favoring the use of powdered milk formula more than their own breast milk. If the draft House bill entitled “An Act Promoting a Comprehensive Program on Breastfeeding Practices and Regulating the Trade, Marketing and Promotions of Certain foods for infants and Children” is legislated,  it will surely weaken our country’s breastfeeding laws to levels preceding the years before the Milk Code was passed in 1986.  Without doubt, the health, well-being and intellectual development of children will be compromised.


What are the features of the draft bill that will effectively shoot down the salient provisions of the Milk Code and the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009?


First, it will narrow down the application of the Milk Code. While the Milk Code provides that artificial baby foods, such as infant formula, should not be used for babies aged 0 to 36 months, the draft House Bill limited the application of the law to infants aged 0 to six months only.


Second, the draft bill lifted the restriction on donations of artificial milk products in emergency situations. Thus, mothers who suffer from disabilities would be encouraged to shift to milk substitutes instead of being encouraged to continue breastfeeding assisted by support persons.


Third, while lactating mothers used to be entitled to lactation breaks for a total of 40 minutes in an eight-hour-work period, with pay, under the bill, lactation breaks will no longer be paid.


Fourth, milk companies will now be allowed, once again, to give away free samples of artificial milk products in the health care system. The irony of it is that those who are most hard-up will take this as a symbol of class and stature. Hence, they would, most likely, continue to feed their babies with formula rather than breastfeed. I have seen not a few minimum wage earners or farm workers grappling with the high cost of milk formula to feed their babies. Some would often borrow money to buy milk. When I asked why they were not breastfeeding, their answer was incoherent. I suspect they believed it was the right thing to do considering the advertising tack of milk formula makers.


Fifth, the dual language (English and Filipino) of the literature in milk cans and boxes will be removed.  The literature explains that breast milk is superior to artificial milk products and cites the dangers of formula feeding.


Finally, the bill also allows milk formula manufacturers to get involved in educational activities and the production of materials relating to breastfeeding, infant and young child care and nutrition. Can we expect milk manufacturers to relegate their profit motive and survival in the market, to the background? Not in our wildest dreams.


Scientific research has conclusively shown that artificial milk formula can never equal breast milk in nutritional and health benefits. Breast milk has all the essential vitamins and nutrients needed by a baby. It has natural antibodies and amino acids that help reduce the occurrence of ear and respiratory infections, diarrhea, meningitis, asthma, obesity and the sudden death syndrome. There has also been consistent evidence that feeding with artificial milk formula results in increased neo-natal and child mortality; poorer growth and nutrition status; lower scores in cognitive development and intelligence tests; and increased risk of later chronic diseases such as heart ailments, diabetes and some cancers. Bonding between mother and child is also hampered.


On the part of the mother, breastfeeding will allow her to get back to her pre-pregnancy shape as she burns calories and loses fat while breastfeeding. Her uterus also gets back to normal more quickly when she breastfeeds.


Nature has provided for both an infant’s and its mother’s needs. To top it off, it is for free. What are the four authors of the pending House bill thinking? And whose side are they on: the infants and their mothers or the makers of milk formula?




+++++


To stop this horrible bill, please sign this petition. Please, please, please click on the link and sign the petition! And please re-blog and urge your readers to sign the petition.

Day 25 of 30 (x2)

TIME Cover on Attachment Parenting

I first saw this photo when a colleague, a fellow breastfeeding mom, sent it via email with the subject title Controversial TIME magazine. When I saw it I was like "Huh? Why controversial?" I didn't see why it was controversial. I wasn't bothered by the tag line "Are you mom enough?" like how some moms saw it. I wasn't bothered by the photo with the toddler boy nursing from his mom while standing up. Not until I saw the reactions of American women on the cover. I've watched it on Inside Edition and Entertainment tonight. Some said it was "gross" while others said it's "disgusting." First of all, I would understand some people calling it weird because for them they see the child as old enough to stop nursing. But to call it gross and disgusting? How is a child eating his lunch gross and disgusting? And to think, these comments came from women! I hated those women! I'm a breastfeeding mom and my daughter is already 15 months old. She has more than 10 teeth, can stand and walk on her own and we still continue to breastfeed.

I found this article which a breastfeeding mom I follow on twitter posted, From Breasts to Boobs and Back Again written by Jason Good. And I realized that most of those who reacted negatively on the cover are people who only saw breasts as sexual objects. Mr Good writes:

"I was breastfed as a baby. Honestly, I feel squirmy even typing “breast.”  Twelve years after I stopped nursing, breasts became boobs, and then in high school they became tits (and a plethora of other names), and now, as a husband and father, they’re back to breasts. I’ve come full circle. I see them as a means of nourishing children, and as sexual objects. I’m not sure how I feel about that. The fact that I sexualize the one piece of female anatomy from which I once fed, makes me feel grotesquely simple.  I think that feeling is at the heart of why people are uncomfortable with the recent image on the cover of Time Magazine."

Breastfeeding and weaning your baby is a personal thing. Let's not decide for the mothers that it's time they stop feeding their babies. For other women out there, please respect your fellow women's decision to do this for their child.

As Mr. Good says, "Women are already fighting enough battles over what they’re allowed to do with their bodies. Let’s not add another one."

Please read the article to give you some perspective. Here is also a link on Dr. Sears' reaction to the TIME cover and article.

Day 12 of 30 (x2)

Giveaway for Breastfeeding Mommies

You know I always join online giveaways but I never really win hehe. But but you will never win if you never join so I always always join especially when I love the giveaway. Chronicles of a Nursing Mom is giving away not one but two special gifts from Sunshine Babies: a Babybond and a Milk Band.

Babybond is a nursing cover that covers the mom and not the baby. I want this!!! Miya doesn't like to be covered anymore when we breastfeed in public so it's always my worry not to I get exposed. Sure I always wear nursing tops but this will really help especially when she just yanks her head off to see what's going on in that other side of her world (ie not Mommy's boobies hehe).

As for the Milk Band, I'm really intrigued how this works.  Aside from helping the mommy remember which breast she used last (I also need this, I've been very forgetful ever since I gave birth!), it can also keep track how long baby has fed.

Are you a breastfeeding mom and wish to join the giveaway, please hop on over to Jenny's blog for the full details of the giveaway. Although of course, I wish and hope I win hehe.

Cow's Milk

Have you seen the photos of this toddler in Cambodia directly suckling milk from a cow?

Source

From the news article I've read, he was breastfed before his parents left the village where they live. He started suckling milk from the cow after he saw a calf doing the same.

Source

On the one hand, it's breaking my heart that the young boy had to do this because his mother isn't around to nurse him. On the other, the photos are heartwarming because the boy did this for him to survive. Isn't it ingenious of him to do this? Survival of the fittest at its finest I think. Look at those eyes..my daughter has the same look while she's breastfeeding.

Confessions of a Breastfeeding Mom

August is breastfeeding month so I would like to take this opportunity to post about breastfeeding before the month ends. I'm no breastfeeding guru. But I knew that I wanted to breastfeed my baby and I thought about this when I was still pregnant with Miya. Fortunately, unlike some moms, I had everyone's support - from colleagues, friends and families, even my OB-GYNE. The moment Miya was out into the world she was placed on my tummy and she immediately latched. She didn't have any difficulty suckling on my nipple (she did not spit out my nipples or anything like that). When I was in the recovery room, the nurse brought her to me to again make her try to latch, and again she was able to do it. I'm not sure if I had milk by that time but she perfectly suckled on my nipple. I gave birth to her at 12:40 in the morning and was out of the recovery room around 4am. By 7-ish am, I received a call from the nursery asking me if I can go there to nurse my baby. I think Joema was out then buying our breakfast and I haven't tried standing up yet, so I told them I will try later in the morning coz I haven't stood up yet or tried sitting up on my own. Maybe after an hour, they called again asking me to come. So I tried to stand up with Joema's help and went to the nursery (I was wheeled going there). Joema was not allowed to go inside so I had to go by myself - carefully taking each step at a time (I was still a bit woozy that time I think).  I remember I asked the nurse for a fresh gown because I had blood stains on what I was wearing (wasn't able to bring sanitary pads in the hospital and haven't worn any I think by then). So I waited for her to bring me a new one before entering the room where I can breastfeed Miya. I was standing the whole time and feeling a bit sick by then. After she brought me the new gown and I changed into (I dressed in front of the nurse hahaha!), I was led to a room with barcaloungers. And then the nurse left me to get Miya. When she was brought in I remember just putting her in my bosom and she instantly nursed. She didn't nurse for a long time so I thought I had to give her back to the nurse immediately. The nurse actually left us while I breastfed Miya. But the nurse told me to try again and just breastfeed my baby. So after trying again I just played with Miya and looked at her and smelled her. I was kicking myself for not bringing my cellphone to take pictures of her. I didn't want to leave but I thought of Joema waiting outside the nursery. Such a shame that dads are not allowed to go inside.

Working and Breastfeeding

Oh yes I am back to work! Thankfully, there were no drama on the home front. Surprisingly I didn't have separation anxiety from Miya. I guess it helped that I was pumping milk for her while at work (I look at her photos and videos while pumping).

On my first day back to work, I woke up around 5:30am took a bath and expressed milk for Miya. After expressing milk, she woke up! She doesn't really wake up that early when I was on maternity leave. I guess she knows in a way. I fed her and put her back to her crib. We "talked" while I got dressed. And this has been going on for the last four days (my first day was on a Tuesday). Miya and her yaya then go downstairs with us - me and the hubby leaving the house while Yaya and Miya go to the poolside to get some sun.

On my first day back to work, I expressed milk only two times. I was a bit stressed to express milk in the expression room at work because the set-up was only for two mommies and there isn't any cubicle for each one. You just have your back at the other mommy while you do your own thing. Plus they introduce themselves to me! At first, I was like I don't need to know your names (yes I'm an introvert like dut!). Another mommy even kept on talking to me while I was pumping milk. I wanted to tell her "Please I need to concentrate while expressing milk." Later on, I get the introduction bit. It was in a way our very own support group. As for my stress, it didn't help that I didn't bring the plug of my breastpump so I was relying on batteries. I felt I was having a hard time getting enough milk. See, my breastpump can be used with batteries or plugged in (electric) but since I had to use a transformer (US bought) I decided not to bring one. The milk I was getting was not as much compared to when I was still at home expressing milk. I even had to ask a friend for a one-on-one tutorial on how to use my hands when expressing milk. But by yesterday, I guess I got used to the set-up in the expression room, I was comfortable using my breastpump at work (I bought a transformer for work). As it turned out, I was using the breastpump differently. See, the breastpump that I have is borrowed. When Joema bought the transformer for it, he left the manual at ACE Hardware. So I had to make do with the box on how to set-up the thing. (I know I should've donwloaded the manual). Anyways, aside from the breastshield there's a plastic nipple protector that I put inside the breastshield while pumping. Yesterday before I started pumping, the nipple protector fell on the floor and I stepped on it. So I had to pump milk without it. Turned out more milk was pumped simply because the milk wasn't strained by that plastic nipple protector haha. Another thing that made me uncomfortable pumping milk at the office is my clothes. At home, (this is TMI!) I don't put on a bra so I just hike up my top and there are my breasts ready for feeding. I don't care anymore if my yaya sees them. If I can breastfeed not wearing a top, the better. So although I was wearing a button-down top at work, it was a bit difficult for me to have my bra on and hike it up while expressing milk. It didn't help too, that on the first day I didn't bring my nursing cover. Day by day I had to make some adjustments like the next day I already brought my nursing cover. I was really freaking out that I won't be able to have enough milk for Miya while I'm away from her. But as I grew more comfortable expressing milk at work, my milk production grew. At first I was expressing 1-2oz per session. Yesterday, I had 3oz per session and I was expressing milk at 3hour intervals. My schedule is 5:45am (at home), 8:30am, 11:30am, 2:30am (all in the office), then 6pm and between 8-9pm here at home.

I had to ask my yaya to write down Miya's feeding schedule while I'm away. Well for the days she wrote down, Miya feeds four times for 3-4oz per feeding. So the first few days that I was only getting 1-2oz, yaya had to get frozen milk that I was able to store before going back to work. You see, I started pumping a month before. For me it worked out better than starting two weeks before going back to work. Because I was able to store a lot of milk and I was able to get comfortable with my breastpump (albeit the wrong usage haha!). I was even able to donate milk after the first few weeks because we had to defrost the ref and Miya wasn't really drinking the milk I expressed. Because while I was still on leave, we started feeding her 1oz a day by bottle. We had a hard time teaching her how to drink from a bottle. The first time we tried, my mom fed her while I was taking a bath because I read that the mommy shouldn't be there so the baby won't be confused. My mother said, Miya didn't have any problems, she drank like a pro. The next time we tried, my mom fed her again while Joema and I were out doing the groceries. When we came back, my mother said we should try feeding Miya while I was there for me to see the problem because that time Miya had a harder time taking the nipple of the bottle. So the yaya tried feeding her while I was there, or I tried feeding the bottle to Miya (a friend said this worked for her and her baby) but to no avail. Miya would just cry and not finish the bottle (only 1oz!). Anyways, I eventually thought of letting yaya take Miya every morning down to the poolside for some sun (before this I was the one who took Miya every morning) at the same time feed her the bottle. It was the perfect plan! Miya finally learned to drink from the bottle and I had time to pump milk. This went on until I had to go back to work. My schedule for pumping milk while I was on leave was 8am (or whatever time Miya was taken downstairs by the pool which depended mainly on her waking time), 11:30am, 4pm, 8pm. So I was pumping and breastfeeding her at the same time which I still do now that I'm back to work. The first day I was gone, when I came home Miya immediately fed directly from me. Babies really know and prefer their mommies. This was what worried me the most when we started bottlefeeding her. I worried she might not like feeding directly from me anymore. But even if she was just fed by that time I came home, Miya wanted to feed directly from me. So sweet!

First Date (and the Aftermath)

Last night was a milestone for me as a mom. I was able to leave Miya for 4 hours for a dinner and cinema date with the hubby. We usually go out to buy groceries (just me and him, our first date technically after I gave birth was in a small grocery store haha!) but we leave Miya with my parents and not with yaya all alone. It was a dry run of sorts - for me, Miya and our yaya - since I'll be going back to work in two weeks. We had dinner first at Pepper Lunch in Shangri-La Mall. I've missed that place but I think the rice in their servings is not as much as before. When I was pregnant we used to frequent that place because I love their abundant rice. Yum yum!


While eating I kept telling Joema I want to call our yaya but it wouldn't make sense coz I was out of the house for just less than an hour. He told me to just relax and finish eating so I figured, okay I'll wait before the start of the movie because by then it'll be more than an hour already hehe.

After dinner we watched Thor. Well not before I called our yaya. She reported that she already fed Miya and that she also has eaten already. Half-way down the movie, I missed Miya terribly. I can feel the milk ejection reflux while watching the movie. So although the movie was amazing (my favorite scene is when Thor got his hammer back!), I wanted it to finish early for us to go back home already. After the movie, I texted our yaya. She said she fed Miya again and that she's now ready for bed.

When we got home, I was so happy to get back to my baby. She smiled at me when she saw me hehe. But I had to pump milk first because my breasts were so full with milk. So after talking to her for a while, I went back downstairs to ready the breastpump. Our yaya said she just fed her at 8:45pm (that was now a few minutes after 9pm). But Miya was still hungry because she started crying when Joema was holding her already. So I had to go up again to feed her and pump at the same time. I think Miya missed me too! After feeding her, Joema took her from me and I continued pumping milk. After I was done, I had to go back downstairs to clean the bottles and the pump and sterilize them. It took me a while because when I got back to my mag-ama Joema said, "Ang tagal mo, iniintay ka ni Miya." True enough, my daughter who was so sleepy had her eyes half-opened waiting for me (this was already 10pm and she's usually asleep by this time). So I nursed Miya to sleep and it was the happiest feeling in the world - to be back in my baby's arms (or the other way around).