Help! He won't stay latched on!

Xav is already 6 months in 3 days and this is the first time I've encountered this kind of problem. To give you a little background on our feeding routine now - Xav is bottle-fed with my expressed breastmilk and NAN HA One formula during the day, then I would consistently nurse him at night before he sleeps. I still religiously pump at work and in the middle of the night but my milk supply can't keep up with my baby's increasing appetite. Just a week ago we've also started introducing rice cereals (Cerelac) but we only feed him with that once everyday.

So everything was running smoothly until the last two nights I wasn't able to nurse him directly before he sleeps. One night he was already too sleepy and the other night he was too full with formula milk. I think. Normally he would just look for my breast as he couldn't fall asleep without directly nursing at me! Until yesterday he just won't latch at all. He would even pull away and squirm! It was really frustrating! I felt that my baby either doesn't know me anymore or he has outgrown the need of latching on me. I tried doing it again upon waking up hungry this morning but no luck, still the same. He still pulls away after a few seconds. I gave him my BM in bottle and he was able to finish it so I'm guessing it's not the taste of my milk. I did a little research and found out it's called the "Nursing Strike".

Here are the things I saw on the net about Nursing Strike: 

Source: http://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/week-21/nursing-strike.aspx

• Reacting to something you ate. If you recently indulged in a lot of spicy or strong-flavored food, the taste of your milk will change — maybe not for the better, according to your baby. Try cutting such foods from your diet to determine his dislikes, then avoid them until your baby has weaned.
• …or to a hormonal change. If you've been cutting down on nursings as your baby begins to eat more solid food, there's a chance that your periods could be returning (or you could be pregnant, gulp!). Either way, changes in your hormones can change the taste of your milk.
• Suffering from a stuffy nose. If he has a cold, plugged nostrils may force your baby to choose between nursing and breathing! Try saline drops and gentle suction with an aspirator to clear his nose (at least long enough for a meal).
• In pain. The sucking movements of nursing can intensify the pain of both teething and earaches. (If a tiny tooth is to blame, your baby will likely begin nursing with gusto, but then stop quickly as his gums begin to ache.) Check with your doctor about pain medications and other signs of an ear infection.
• Having a brush with thrush. This fungal infection is most common in newborns, but can occur in an older baby if he's taking antibiotics. Check for white patches on his tongue and in his mouth that reveal raw, sometimes bloody areas when you try to wipe them away. (Ouch! No wonder he doesn't want to nurse.) See your doctor — you'll bothneed to be treated so that you don't pass the infection back and forth (from his mouth to your nipples and vice versa).
• Simply impatient. If your letdown is slow, your eager eater may turn away from the breast in frustration — he wants his milk now, not in a minute or two or five when it starts flowing in earnest. Try pumping for a few minutes in advance of your nursing session, so that your baby isn't let down by that sluggish letdown.

By the way, the second bullet is very striking for me!!! I'm still trying to identify the real reason for this but I'm guessing it can be the slow letdown of my milk. 

Has anyone encountered this problem before? I'm sure it's not because of a stuffy nose, any pain or fungal infection. He really seems normal to me. Is it time to move on?

H-E-L-P! I still want to nurse him at night! 

Milk Supply Back to Normal!

I don't know why I didn't read my book (What To Expect: The First Year) about my breastfeeding problem right away. I was thinking so hard what I did differently to have a significant drop of milk supply plus it was also timing that it happened when I went back to work after my ML. I've read in the book that having your period will cause decrease of milk. Few days after the drop, my period came (yes, first one after giving birth) but at least I was reassured that the supply will come back to normal once your hormones become stable. Maybe the separation anxiety also contributed to that, so I also followed what some friends suggested. I printed Xavier's pictures, posted them in my station and had a copy to look at while pumping. 

Let me also share that I bought a Fenugreek supplement (as most friends and books suggested) at GNC for around P1,200.00/ 100 capsules. 

I started taking them just yesterday (twice daily) and ... viola! My milk supply is back to normal! I'm planning on taking them twice daily for this week and will switch to taking them once a day until I finish the bottle. 

I'm sooooo happy!

Help! A sudden drop of milk supply!

I just started working again yesterday and I suddenly had low milk supply! I would normally get 6-8oz. every 2-3 hours but yesterday I only got 3oz. every 3 hours! Crazy!!! Maybe it's because that my baby has been sleeping through the night now. He sleeps up to 6 hours and it makes me not pump every 3 hours. Also, I have been reading factors that contribute to having a low milk supply and it seems that being away from your baby also play a big part. You have to keep your baby close, day and night, and nursing often is the best way to increase your supply. Unfortunately, mummy has to go back to work. My 78 days Maternity Leave is over! 

Now I'm consistently pumping every 2 hours to increase my milk and I started drinking Natalac / Malunggay supplement 3 times a day. I even asked my mom to cook Tinola for me two days in a row now. Hoping for a better result ASAP. If you have any other ideas, please share. Did someone also experienced this problem?

On Feeding Baby Xav

I'm happy to say that right now I'm able to exclusively breastfeed my son. Thank you Lord for the gift of milk! I know all mothers would have wanted to give their babies BM but not everyone is gifted with the abundance of it. I myself went through formula feeding when I was hospitalized a week after giving birth and for me it was a painful experience not to breastfeed my son. Doctors recommended not to breastfeed while on antibiotics and it lasted for 2 weeks. Then after my medication, I started mixing formula (NAN HA) and my BM until I successfully eliminate the formula milk in 2 weeks time.


So now here's my daily routine on feeding my baby. 


During the day, I breastfeed my son, no bottles. I can still do this because I'm still on Maternity Leave. When he cries, I offer my breasts for feeding. Crying, as experts say, is a late sign of hunger. In my case, I always try to wake baby Xav up for feeding every 2 hours but when he sleeps- he REALLY sleeps. Mana talaga kay Daddy nya! So I just wait for him to feel hungry again... and cry. Then when he sleeps longer (like 4 hours), I have an opportunity to express my extra milk (because I express my BM every 2 hours) and keep it for future feedings. I need to store as many BM as I can so when I go back to work my baby will have an ample supply of milk. This is during the day, like 6AM-10PM.


During the night, I feed him with my breasts until he sleeps at around 10-11PM (depends on his schedule and if I'm sleepy already). When he is already asleep I will get a frozen BM out from the freezer and place it inside the bedroom, so in time for his next feeding the expressed BM will be completely thawed and ready for bottle feeding. Sometimes I just place my expressed BM inside the refrigerator and not in the freezer. This is okay too as long as you consume it within 7-8 days. I also make it a habit to smell the BM before feeding Xav to be sure that I'm not giving him spoiled milk.


So during the day he feeds from my breasts then during the wee hours he uses bottles for feeding. For me it's more efficient especially at night because he drinks faster in bottles and comes back to sleeping right away. Then I express my milk while hubby is feeding him in bottle to replace the one we thawed. This gives us only 30mins. (every 2-3 hours) of being awake - that's feeding + expressing BM + burping + changing diaper + putting him back to sleep. Of course this is only possible if your baby doesn't have "nipple confusion".  


I found a site that gives complete info on proper storage and handling of BM. I found it very helpful especially for first time mothers like me!


STORAGE AND HANDLING OF BREASTMILK

In Need of Breast Milk?

I have recently discovered this great page in Facebook where you can ask for breast milk or donate your extra to those infants in need. It's good to know that there are still a lot of people willing to help each other. 

Human Milk 4 Human Babies - The Philippines

Etiquette for Milk Recipients

If you are asking for breastmilk, you must know how difficult it is to express milk and fill up that milk bag you will be receiving.  Breastmilk is made with love and care.  Donor moms also pack their milk with love and care.  For people asking for breastmilk, please read the following guidelines:

1. When you say you will pick-up the milk, please do pick-up the milk.  If you promised to pick-up at a certain date and time, please text or email the donor if you will be late or can't make it.  Do not pick up late at night.  Donors are also mothers with families.  BE SENSITIVE!

2. If you fail to pick up the milk at a certain date, CONTACT the donor first if the milk is still available.  IT IS THE DONOR'S OPTION to give the milk to another recipient if you cannot pick up on the date you stated.

3. AT THE VERY LEAST, please replace the milk bags that the donor gives you.  Milk bags are also purchased by the donor so please replace them so the donor can continue giving milk to other needy babies.

4. Be prepared when you pick up. Bring clean coolers.  Donors prepared their milk with care and do not want the milk to be thrown out because of improper transport.

5. Do not ask the donor to text you if she has more milk.  It is YOUR OBLIGATION to monitor the HM4HB Page if there are more milk offers posted.

Remember, it is not the donor's obligation to give you milk.

At the end of the day, it feels good to know you are able to help other people. Thank God, He made me an instrument to make other people happy and to help those in need. That's one secret why I remained happy in my entire life. :)

Maternity Leave: What To Do

I can't believe I've used up 1 1/2 months of my Maternity Leave already. How time flies. Now I only have a month left to be productive! I filed my ML ahead of time, it was hard to decide when because I was always assuming I'll be on labor sooner than the due date given by my doctor. Turned out I was right on my guess! I filed my ML to start on February 6 (on my 37th 1/2 week) and I gave birth February 5! 


I planned to do a lot of things while I'm on ML. I have the perfect schedule for almost everything! First, I gave myself 3 weeks to recover from my Cesarean Section. Actually, one week was supposed to be enough for that but I was confined back in the hospital for another week after giving birth, so again I was right on schedule. I did a lot of things after my recovery, taking care of my baby has the biggest part of that of course, but I also made sure to get enough rest and to use my time away from work productively.  


If you're wondering what to do while you're on ML, here's my personal to-do list:


1. Train your Yaya. - Whether your Yaya is new or not, make sure to train her on how to take care of your baby. You might have special rules on things like cup-feeding or keeping the baby on a particular routine or whatnot, also make sure your Yaya understands the importance of following those rules. If you need help on this, Medela Philippines has a 3-hour Yaya Seminar on Newborn Care and Proper Breastfeeding Support. You might want to check their website for their schedule and other details. 


2. Read. - Do this especially if you're a first-time mom, trust me you'll ask too many questions! Sure you'll have friends, parents and relatives giving you many advises on parenting but it's still best to educate yourself ahead. I bought this book to help us on our common questions on baby's monthly development and also to get more tips.

The book is around Php800.00 at Fully-Booked. If you don't want to buy a book  you may also read from the internet. My favorite links are Baby Center and WTE. Of course on your free time, read other books of your interest too!




3. Sleep during the day. - Or at least try to do so. I know that this is the number one tip everyone gives a new parent, but this may also seem to be hard for some people like me. I'm a light sleeper plus I'm breastfeeding my baby every 2-3 hours during the day. There are times I can sleep with him in the afternoon but sometimes I just don't get sleepy right away then the baby starts to wake up for the next feeding. 


4. Get the baby's Birth Certificate. Schedule when you can get your baby's Birth Certificate from City Hall. It's good to have an authenticated copy in your hands for filing claims or other documents in the future like getting your baby a passport or visa.


5. Plan the baby's Baptism/Christening. You have more time to do so while on ML. You can start deciding the perfect date, church, list the  requirements and start gathering them right away, find the right location for the reception, list your baby's godmothers and godfathers, finalize your guest list, contact suppliers for your cake, souvenirs, invitations etc..


6. Online Shopping. You may not be able to go out right away after giving birth. While spending most of your time with the baby and getting enough rest, this is also the best time to list all the important things you need to buy for the baby. Perhaps things you didn't know you need like a pacifier or a second crib in my case for instance! You can search on the web which is the best product to buy, read reviews, participate in forums, order online and etc. You can also check out discounts or great deals from the many coupon sites available nowadays. Maybe plan your next vacay too! 


7. Fix your home. It won't be too long before you see your house with so many toys everywhere, broken tables, walls with drawings and etc. Try to spend one day just fixing the house. Maybe fix your closet, the baby's closet,  baby-proof the house, change all curtains and linens etc. Get a cleaner to help you on this of course. If you don't have a helper ask for referrals from friends, other maids, office janitors etc. They usually cost P350 a day with a free meal. 


8. Baby Book! It's fun to put your baby's compilation of firsts together! It can be a nice gift to your son/daughter someday. 


9. Warm up. While you still can't go back to the gym, you can start with buying a work-out DVD and do a little exercise at home. 


10. Watch DVDs. If you can't go to the movie house yet, you can still buy a bunch of DVDs and watch them at home. I'm not proud to say this but even though my husband is collecting original DVDs, I sometimes buy pirated ones at Metrowalk. They have good copies there. Hi hi hi...


11. Pamper yourself. Get that home-service mani-pedi and that glorious full-body massage! You must have missed it after a 9-month long pregnancy. For those living in Paranaque, Makati and The Fort areas, I call  SALON AT HOME 473-77-77 for massages. Only P250/hour and I recommend "Lumen" as the therapist.


12. Be creative. Bake. Cook. Start a blog or a small business. Anything!


You can surely do a lot of things while on Maternity Leave as long as you do everything when the baby is sleeping! Make sure to spend quality time with him because you'll miss all these moments alone with your precious one when you start working again.

On Yaya Dilemmas

Almost all working parents have the same dilemma - "Who takes care of the baby when we start working?" Not only we want somebody to take care of our baby but at least treat the baby like their own. Well, it's hard to find someone who will love your baby the same way, which means it's harder to find a Yaya you could REALLY trust your baby with. You're lucky if you have at least one of your parents to help and stay with you. In our case, everyone in the family is working! So there goes our quest to find the perfect Yaya for Xavier and I had 2 and 1/2 months to get one. Now make it 1 and 1/2!

We want an All-Around Yaya because I don't want to crowd our home with helpers. Besides we only have a small house with 2 rooms and Nash and I are both very diligent in cleaning and organizing the house (of course with no baby running and ruining everything inside the house... YET). Our daily household chores remain very light and any maid will be lucky to work with us.

We are now screening the 4th Yaya. Yes, 4th Yaya in 1 month! Since direct referrals didn't quite work well with us, we decided to get from an agency. It's actually more expensive but at least they do the screening for you. You can give them your requirements and they will look for the best person for you. It's also good that they will give you the complete identification of the maid/yaya eg. NBI Clearance, Police Clearance, Work Experiences etc..

Here's the Yaya/Maid Agency we contacted (of course referred by a friend too) :


LYNX AGENCY 
Tel. No.: 437-22-13

They will ask for your requirements, you'll agree on the monthly salary then they will do the all screenings /interviews for you. Once they have the right person, you can interview the yaya/maid via Skype or over the phone. If you like to hire the yaya/maid, the agency will deliver her to your doorstep the same day! You have to pay the agency P3,800 and sign the contract.

The yaya has 6-months contract with the agency, which means she has to stay with her employer for 6 months. After 6 months the yaya can then extend her stay with her employer if she wants to. If the yaya unfortunately has to go before she finishes the 6 months contract, the agency will replace her with a new one ASAP and renew the contract for another 6 months. It's like a guarantee that you'll have a yaya/maid in 6-months (or even longer!). The rate for an All-Around Yaya is P5,000/month. If Yaya duties only it'll be P4,000/month.

So there, we're trying our luck to get a good and experienced Yaya for Xav. We'll see about this one. We're praying for the best person to take care of our precious baby.

For now let me share the picture of her bathing Baby Xav. So far so good.

On Diaper Rash

Just want to share that Calmoseptine, Vandol Ointment and Triderm worked with Baby Xavier's diaper rash. The Calmoseptine is around P30/sachet, the Vandol ointment is around P300 and Triderm is around P700. It's hard to see the baby with diaper rashes so I'm glad to have known that these ointments actually work fast!