Breastfeeding Tips For New Mothers


Whenever you see a photo of a breastfeeding mother, it is often a picture of tranquility and bliss. The mother would be looking down lovingly at baby, sometimes holding a tiny hand in hers. The baby would be looking right back up at mummy. The picture is one of pure love. It looks so natural and beautiful.

Well, it will be that way after a while but not at first. In order to make that blissful breastfeeding picture a reality for you MUST prepare yourself. Here are some breastfeeding survival tips for new mothers.

1. Get practical help - This is very, very important. I can't stress this enough. Support is essential! Arrange for another mother, a friend or relative with breastfeeding experience or a lactation consultant to be by your side immediately after the birth and delivery. You will need someone to show you how. Breastfeeding requires practice.
2. Arm yourself with knowledge - Unlike bottle or formula feeding, it is hard to figure out whether you are doing the right thing and whether your baby is getting enough milk at first. Find out how many stools a breastfed baby should be having a day. This is a good indicator. Find out the growth chart of breastfed babies. Do not compare it with the growth chart of a formula fed baby. They are different. These are just a few examples of the things you should know beforehand.
3. Don't Give Up! - You may face difficulties at first. Don't give up. Keep on trying. Keep practicing and you will eventually get it right. If you can get it right after a few hours or days, well, then lucky you. If not, persevere. Don't give up!
4. Be Clear Of What YOU Want - Do not be swayed by the opinion of others. There will be those who tell you that your milk is not enough and other negative things. Do not be influenced by what others say or stress yourself up over it. On the other hand, there will also be those who are strongly pro-breastfeeding, those who make you feel like a total failure if you don't try hard enough. They may push you very hard without realizing that your stress levels and circumstances are preventing you from enjoying your baby. Yes, you know that breast is best but be very clear about how long you want to breastfeed your baby. You may change your mind later about the length of time but that is okay too. For example, you may find that breastfeeding is so good for you and baby that you decided to extend your original intention to breastfeed for 6 months to 3 years. Don't let anyone tell you that it is wrong to breastfeed a toddler. It is YOUR decision. Be at peace with YOUR decision, whatever it may be. If stopping at 3 months is what you can manage because of your circumstances, then do not feel guilty about it or feel bad because you did not breastfeed for a certain recommended period of time.
5. Don't Be So Hard On Yourself - Not everyone will have it easy breastfeeding so don't be too hard on yourself if you are having a hard time. Try again the next day if you don't succeed today. 
6. Enjoy Your Baby - Don't forget to enjoy your baby. You may be getting very little sleep now and feeling some stress but don't forget to enjoy your baby and this precious time you have together.

I hope that all mothers who want to breastfeed will be able to succeed. Happy Mother's Day to all mothers old and new.

This article was written by Mimi Koay. Mimi is the author of "I Didn't Know It Was So Hard to Breastfeed", a booklet about her breastfeeding problems. She hopes that by sharing her story mothers will be able to learn from the mistakes she made. She also wrote "Mother, Wife, Myself" a collection of heart warming poems about finding yourself after becoming a mother and a wife.

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Breastfeeding Problems Latching

I am a mother to two breastfed kids. I breastfed my first for 1 1/2 years and the second for 3 years. However, breastfeeding was not smooth sailing for me, not at first. My main breastfeeding problem was latching my babies, both of them.

You would think that by the second time, with my experience of breastfeeding for 1 1/2 years, things would be easier and I would no longer have any baby latching problems while breastfeeding but that is not the case.

My second baby took 2 months before learning to latch on. I think breastfeeding moms lack support.

Plenty of support especially Practical Support is Essential during the early part of breastfeeding. I can't stress that enough.

Top 5 Breastfeeding Help Sites

These are the 5 sites that helped me the most during breastfeeding.

1. KellyMom
2. Dr. Jack Newman's Articles
3. Breastfeeding.com
4. La La Leche International
5. Breastfeeding Stories

I will tell you about each of them as you scroll down this page.

1. KellyMom - THE place to go for help

To me, KellyMom.com is THE place to go for breastfeeding help. It is very comprehensive and detailed and has help in almost all the areas or problems you may encounter during breastfeeding.

If you are planning to breastfeed, go to Kellymom and bookmark that page. You will be returning to it again and again to read about various issues you may face during breastfeeding.

If you can, read up as much as you can even BEFORE you start to breastfeed to prepare yourself for what is to come.'

2. Dr Jack Newman's Articles
Read Dr Jack Newman's Articles. They are available for download free on pdf.

I love this man even though I have not met him and never will. I love Dr Jack Newman's Breastfeeding Articles. They are so helpful and he makes them available for free.

During the time when I had so many problems latching baby and I felt like giving up everyday. Every day I struggled with my decision to carry on breastfeeding. It was this statement from Dr Jack Newman's Article that kept me going.

"The single most important factor influencing whether or not the baby latches on is the mother's developing a good milk supply. If the mother's supply is abundant, the baby will latch on by 4 to 8 weeks of life no matter what. "

This is the article with the statement above that helped me persevere when baby just won't latch on no matter what.

When The Baby Refuses To Latch On

3. Breastfeeding.com has a vast question and answer center

If you have any breastfeeding questions, then be sure to check out Breastfeeding.com. They have a huge resource of Breastfeeding Q & A, also called The Breastfeeding Answer Center to answer all the questions you may have on breastfeeding including your latching problems.

Commonly asked breastfeeding questions and naturally included plus you will find other not so common questions too like questions on illness or surgery and questions on fenugreek and other herbs etc.

4. Get Help and Tips from La La Leche International

La La Leche International is probably the most recognized and known breastfeeding help centre internationally. They have local chapters all over the world to support breastfeeding mothers.

What I like most on the La La Leche International website is the Breastfeeding Answers From La La Leche International page.

I also recommend this other breastfeeding resource page on their site. Go here to Download Past Issues of Breastfeeding Today Magazine. Breastfeeding Today is an international magazine with inspiring stories plus helpful information, news and reviews for expectant parents.

5. Breastfeeding Stories

I had a very difficult time breastfeeding, especially with latching baby. I found that reading success story from other breastfeeding mothers really helped me. Here is the page which I often visited to read the breastfeeding stories. It is not a very known page. In fact, it is rather old, with the last update made on 21 September 1999! However, I really hope that they keep the page and don't take it down because it has been really useful to me and I know it will be useful to other breastfeeding mothers who face difficulties in breastfeeding. Reading breastfeeding stories is a form of support.

I also wrote my own breastfeeding story in a booklet. It is called "I Didn't Know Breastfeeding Would Be So Hard." Hopefully, by sharing my story, I will be able to help and support other mothers who have latching problems.

If you have problems don't be afraid to ask for help!

If you have breastfeeding problems, ask for help! Reach out to your immediate support circle. If you don't have a support circle or the people around you are not supportive of your breastfeeding, ask for help online. Join a breastfeeding forum. You can also ask for help by submitting your questions to some of the breastfeeding sites like Breastfeeding.com and La La Leche International which have a form for you to fill up with your personal breastfeeding question if your question isn't already answered in their Breastfeeding Answer pages.

This is the site I used to ask for help when I desperately needed answers. It is called All Experts.com. Here is their breastfeeding help page. On it, you will see the breastfeeding experts with their biodata and the past answers from that expert. All you need to do is choose the expert you would like to Ask Your Breastfeeding Question, then post your breastfeeding question to the expert of your choice by filling up a form. You can also ask your question from different experts so that you can make better decisions with more answers.

That was what I did. I asked this question. Help! My Baby Is Still Not Latching On At Six Weeks!. I was so desperate, I asked this question to 6 different experts. I was very grateful for all their help. You can view my question and the helpful answers here.

Looking Good
It is important to take care of yourself, mentally, physically and make an effort with your appearance as usual. It will boost your morale when you are feeling down and having breastfeeding problems

Perhaps this is a little out of topic but I just want to remind all breastfeeding mothers especially those who have problems breastfeeding that you must continue to make the effort to look good and take care of yourself during this time.

This thought came to me when I saw this beautiful breastfeeding poncho that will keep you looking good while allowing you to breastfeed baby discreetly.

I'm afraid I didn't make the effort to look good. I practically lived in my pajamas. Not looking good contributed to my feeling unhappy about my initial failure in breastfeeding. Not looking good did not help make me feel better about having difficulty getting my baby to latch on. If I could do it over again, I would take better care of myself and make an effort not to look like something the cat dragged in or as if I had just woken up half the time!

Blog Posts

You can also visit my blog Mothering Times to read some breastfeeding blog posts of mine. I am not an expert, just a mother who had a lot of difficulty breastfeeding but I did face and wrote about some issues like cup feeding, mastitis, etc. Funnily, one of the most popular posts on my blog is My Period Returned Early Even Though I Breastfeed :). I wrote it in 2006 and I still get many visitors for that post till today.

If you would like to help support another breastfeeding mother, why not share your story too? I will help you to post your story online by publishing it on my "Breastfeeding Stories" category on my blog. Here are the breastfeeding stories submission rules.

One of the ways to support another mother during breastfeeding is by sharing your story. If you have had difficulty of problems breastfeeding you will naturally want to do that. It makes me happy to be able to share and help another new mom, even if I don't know her or may never ever meet her because I know that all breastfeeding mothers need support. Support is something that we can't get enough of but sadly is sometimes just not enough.

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What To Expect When You're Expecting Giveaway

I mentioned in my earlier post that I will be doing a giveaway soon. For those of you who are waiting, here it is. :) First, I will tell you a little about what I'm giving away.


1. What To Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel


This is really the mother of pregnancy books. Although the title states What To Expect When You're Expecting, the book actually begins with a chapter on Preconception Preparation For Moms and ends with What To Expect After The Baby is Born.

This should give you an idea about just how comprehensive this pregnancy book is as it covers topics from BEFORE till AFTER pregnancy.

The pregnancy months are covered in detail too with What To Expect for each month of pregnancy including FAQs at each stage which I love! There is also a section for dads, for those Expecting Multiples and a part on pregnancy complications.

2. What To Expect The First Year by Heidi Murkoff, Sharon Mazel, Arlene Eisenberg & Sandee Hathaway, B.S.N.


The first series in the What To Expect Books includes What To Expect Postpartum up to The First Six Weeks including breastfeeding.

The What To Expect The First Year carries on in the same style but offering much more detail reading material on breastfeeding, your newborn baby and what you may be concerned about.

From there it goes on to tell you What To Expect for each month of your baby's growth and covers all aspects and any questions you may have about your baby and you including doctor visits and What To Expect, birthweight, feeding, bonding, caring for baby, stimulating baby, sleeping, teething, and much more. I can't possibly describe it all. It is very detailed and comprehensive, an excellent guide for families. I'm not surprised it is America's Bestselling Childcare Series and has sold over 9 million copies.

3. What To Expect The Second Year by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel


This What To Expect The Second Year book covers all aspects of parenting your child from 12 to 24 months from the first birthday to the second.

You will find that as your child grows, new challenges emerge and you will be learning all the time as a parent. This third book in the What To Expect series helps you to understand your toddler better... from head to toe.

You will learn about picky issues, temper tantrums, discipline, health and safety and whether your child's development is on track. There is also a whole chapter on treating toddler injuries which I find very useful as well.

Note: Expectant mums or new moms can check out the What To Expect website to read more and interact with other moms.

What To Expect From This Giveaway

1. 1. This Giveaway is open worldwide.
2. 2. Two winners will receive 1 set each of all the 3 books in the What To Expect Series
3. 3. Complete the Rafflecopter form below and follow the instructions on the form to submit your entries. You may submit as many entries as you like to increase your chances of winning.
4. 4. Please provide a valid email address so you can be contacted if you win
5. 5. You will need to reply to the winning email within 48 hours or another winner will be selected
6. 6. This giveaway ends on Thursday, 5th July, 2012.

If you are not familiar with how to enter a rafflecopter giveaway, here is a rafflecopter video demo to show you how. If you prefer, you can ask me a question directly on my Facebook. Good Luck!

UPDATED: THIS GIVEAWAY IS OVER. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2 LUCKY WINNERS 1. LISAN LEOW AND 2. JENG NEPOMUCENO-SILO

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Breastfeeding Story - A Wonderful Journey

My Breastfeeding Story - A Wonderful Journey

By Germaine Liew

My experience as a breastfeeding mom would be akin to hiking in a new country and discovering an exciting adventure that was challenging at the start but enjoyable throughout. I’ve been on this journey for 55 months now, only taking a break of about 6 months from the time I weaned my son at age 2 until I delivered my daughter. It has been a pleasant journey I would say, with hardly any problems encountered along the way. There were a few ‘blisters’ in the beginning from the use of ‘new hiking shoes’ and a few painful encounters of the engorgement kind. But, overall, a wonderful bonding journey with my babies.

I am going to share how I prepared for this journey and what has helped me to keep going.

1. Breastfeeding 101

Just like how you’d research and read up on a travel destination before embarking on a vacation, the same goes for breastfeeding. Get as much information as you can from books, parenting sites, family and friends who have experience in breastfeeding. In my first month of breastfeeding, I hit the books and reading materials again to see if my baby was latching on correctly, to know when my milk should start to turn white, how to relieve engorgements and treat cracked nipples and to be sure that my baby was getting enough milk.

2. Think Positive

The moment I found out I was pregnant with my first child, I had already psyched myself up to breastfeed him. Before you go on a trip, don’t you envision yourself enjoying the holiday? This is what I kept telling myself throughout my pregnancy:

“I am going to breastfeed my baby. He is not going to drink anything except my milk. And I am going to have enough for him.”

A major motivation factor for me was also the successful breastfeeding stories of friends which drove me to believe that if they can do it, I can definitely do it too.

3. Set Goals

Before you visit a place for the first time, you would have an idea of what you’d like to do and the sights you’d like to see. Well, just like breastfeeding, especially when it’s a first time, you’d like to set yourself some goals. Setting goals will motivate you and give you a sense of achievement once you’ve accomplished them. For me it was the breastfeeding guideline on how long you should breastfeed your baby – exclusively for the first 6 months until age 2. Well, I stuck to the guideline too rigidly and weaned my son exactly at age 2. Partly also because I was already pregnant with my daughter at that time and I thought it would be challenging to handle 2 clingy kids. On top of that, I had no idea what tandem nursing was and did not consider doing that at all. I might have gone on to tandem nurse both my children if I had to do it all over again...maybe.


4. Perseverance

Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
I know of a friend who had mastitis at least 3 times during the course of breastfeeding her first child. I don’t know how she did it but she persevered and successfully breastfed her son till he was close to 2. Now that’s what I call perseverance. I don’t know if I would have been able to handle it all if I were in her shoes but I certainly look up to her as a perfect example of endurance.


5. Nix the Naysayers

“Your baby’s not getting enough milk that’s why he’s constantly crying”

“You should probably give him a little formula milk so he’ll sleep better in the night”

“Are you sure you’ve got enough milk for your baby, how come nothing much’s coming out when you pump?”

“It’s okay to give the baby a little water, most mothers do that. Takes away the heatiness”

“Asking for milk again? See, your baby’s not getting enough. He’s hungry again”

These are just some of the things that were said to me in the first month of breastfeeding my first child. It was difficult and discouraging to hear things like these, especially when you’re a new mother trying your darned best to cope with a new baby. But, back to No.4, don’t let them get you down. I remembered checking on the books to see how I can tell if my baby was getting enough milk and that was to see how often he is wetting his diapers. So, I reassured myself and nixed the naysayers.

These 5 points have worked for me especially when I was a first-time breastfeeding mom. When I had my second child, breastfeeding was a breeze. She was a pro in latching-on and I hardly had any difficulties breastfeeding her, except for maybe 2 occasions of a slightly engorged breast. The thing about an engorged breast is that the only way I’ve found effective enough to relieve that is your own baby nursing on it. The tip is to try different positions of nursing your baby while massaging your breast. No amount of cabbage or hot compresses can beat that.

I’d like to add though, that you shouldn’t give yourself a hard time if you haven’t been able to breastfeed your baby. Circumstances are different for everyone and no two breasts are the same – not even on a single person. Take comfort in knowing that you’ve tried your best and that you’ve given it all you could. At the end of the day, all your baby needs is a lot of TLC.

I am fortunate enough to have had it easy with breastfeeding. I can’t thank God enough for that.

It has been a wonderful journey for me.

Germaine blogs at Kiddothings.com. You can read more about her wonderful Motherhood experience and Breastfeeding stories at her blog. Thank you Germaine, for sharing your wonderful and inspiring breastfeeding story especially those useful tips. I like tip No 5 on how to Nix those Naysayers. 

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Breastfeeding Stories

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

I had a very hard time breastfeeding both my children. With the first, I did not have enough support and knowledge. Sure, there are a lot of breastfeeding resources on the internet. I read most of them.

However, it did not prepare me to breastfeed because I lacked support. I am fortunate to have a wonderful supportive spouse but I think it would have helped to have the support of other breastfeeding mothers.

With my two children, eventually I went on to breastfeed the first for 1 1/2 years. She lost a lot of weight initially which was extremely worrying. I refused to give her any water or formula because I had read that they would sabotage my breastfeeding efforts.

On hindsight and looking at her tiny haggard face in her newborn photos, I think I should have relaxed a little an allowed her a little formula while I continued to work on breastfeeding. My staunch refusal caused us both a lot of trouble and she lost a lot of weight. She was constantly crying from hunger. Hers was a difficult birth and it did not help that I didn't have any help. I was quite weepy at the time.

Eventually, her feedings had to be monitored by her doctor and dedicated lactation consultant. I tried really hard to express milk for her but it was not enough. I had to record her feedings and slowly increase the ratio of breastmilk. I kept an almost hourly record. It was a crazy tiring time but it was necessary.

I did manage to feed her fully at night eventually and we had mixed feedings during the day for 1 1/2 years. It was a really tough time and marred what should have been precious moments enjoying my baby.

My second time breastfeeding was not any easier despite the breastfeeding experience. My little boy did not learn to latch on for 2 whole months! The doctor said that the reason could be because he has a tongue tie. However, this time I knew how to express early and I had the opportunity to so my milk was not compromised. Unlike the first time when I could only express a miserable 1 1/2 ounces each time. This time, I could express up to 10 ounces each time.

So I expressed and fed him from a spoon at first and a cup later on. No bottles. It was very tiring since I could not breastfeed him directly. My days passed by in a blur of expressing, feeding, trying to latch baby and repeat!

He latched on at exactly two months and 1 day! The day that I almost considered giving up from weariness and frustration. It was only after that, that I began to enjoy the freedom of breastfeeding and the joys of breastfeeding. I eventually breastfed him fully for 3 years and the 2 months of difficulty was all worth it.

I digress so much. I had started this post to state my intention to start a breastfeeding stories category on this blog and open it to contributors to support other breastfeeding moms who have difficulty breastfeeding like I did and yet have no support accept the internet.

During my difficult time breastfeeding, what kept me going was reading the breastfeeding stories from other mums online.

I wish to invite all breastfeeding mums to contribute to this Breastfeeding Stories Category. Some I will personally invite but even if I don't send you an invite, just feel free to invite yourself.


Please begin your story in this manner. Here are some examples..


My Breastfeeding Story - I didn't know how to breastfeed my newborn


or:


My Breastfeeding Story -  My experience in Tandem Nursing


or


My Breastfeeding Story - How I pumped and work at the same time


or


My Breastfeeding Story - My Problems with Weaning


or


My Breastfeeding Story - (__________________) Fill in the blanks with your breastfeeding experience that you would like to share and which you think will be helpful whether it is breastfeeding mulitples, the difficulty or simply the joy you experience in breastfeeding. Then write anything you like and in any length you like and email it to me at


mumsgather@gmail.com


At the end of the story, please remember to link back to your blog or the breastfeeding cateogory on your blog if you have one.

We may not be very successful in reaching out to support other mums individually but collectively, I hope that our stories will be able to help someone out there the way it helped me to perservere doggedly on and remain motivated and inspired despite the uphill battle (yes, it was almost like a battle). I wanted to give up many times but reading the many stories helped me to continue.

Breastfeeding mothers do share a special bond. Lets come together and reach out to support others in a small way. All you have to do is share your story.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to reading your inspiring Breastfeeding Stories.

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Its easier now that the kids are 4 & 6

My kids are 4 and 6 and its so much easier now. I remember when they were newborns, babies then toddlers. Life was much harder then! Especially life with a newborn AND a toddler without any help. I had to prioritise. My priorities back then were.....

1. Babies
2. Housework
3. Cooking (accept for my babies)

I gave priority to my babies first. Looking after my babies always came first. They were what mattered the most. I had a very hard time breastfeeding my babies. So that took up a lot of my time. Life seemed to go by in a frenzy of feeding after feeding after feeding. Everytime I finished pumping, storing, trying to breastfeed unsuccessfully, cup feeding, sterilizing, then it was time for another feed! It was crazy but we did it in the end. We managed to breastfeed successfully after the first 2 months of frenzied feeding and went on to breastfeed for 1 1/2 years for the first and 3 years for the second baby.

Housework came second and cooking third accept cooking for my babies because I wanted them to eat fresh nutritious foods cooked by me not foods that came out of a jar. Afterall, we try to avoid canned food for its less than nutritious value. So why should our babies eat jar food? So I made them myself and that was very time consumming.

However, I had no time to cook for the adults ie my husband and myself. Each evening after work, my husband would drive to the economy rice shop near my house and tapau or pack home 3 packets of rice with dishes. 2 packets were for our dinner. I kept 1 packet in the fridge to be reheated in the microwave the next day for my lunch.

It was a pretty unhealthy way to eat, especially at a time when I was recovering from birth and was supposed to be looking after myself better but I had no choice. I couldn't cope with everything so I had to cut corners and that was one of the ways.

As for housework, I always felt that it was not very important. As long as we did a quick wipe and don't let it get too dirty for hygiene purposes, I didn't have to have a house with shiny floors and shelves. I had a motto. "A place for everything and everything in its place." I kept to that and at least we didn't have the clutter that would drive one mad.

I'm writing this because I feel overwhelmed again with so much things to be done. But before I go and rant and complain, I should look back to how much harder it was back then. Now, the kids are older and eat the same foods as we do so I don't have to cook special foods for them anymore. I even have a live in house helper now so I don't have to do much housework accept supervise and help out a bit here and there and whenever I cook, I have someone to prepare before and clean up afterwards for me. Yes, I should be thankful instead of complain about how overwhelmed I am with my todo list. :)

Now, I even have time to read a book or a magazine in between rushing. And sometimes I have time to dress up when we go out. I can even wear heels again. Haha. It was impossible to wear heels when you are carrying a baby and chasing a toddler at the same time. It was foolhardy. But now I can wear heels again, frivolous though this may sound, its just another thing or part of me that I have managed to reclaim after the babies came along and I became lost in babyworld.

And for all new moms who happen to be passing by and reading this. Remember to treasure the early days even though it may be hard. They grow up so fast and soon you will have more time to yourself again. :)

Related posts:

Life with a newborn and a toddler
Life with a 3 year old and a 5 year old

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The Pain of Mastitis

The other day I had fever and chills which reminded me of the time when I was breastfeeding and having recurrent mastitis. I had severe fever and chills then. I felt so cold and sick during one of the occassions, I thought I was really ill and almost checked myself into the hospital emergency section.

I almost gave up breastfeeding then. My husband thought I should do so too if I had another bout of mastitis. Fortunately I never did. I remember being on at least two rounds of a 10 day course of antibiotics and feeling really guilty and unhappy about feeding baby breast milk laced with antibiotics. The paeditrician assured me that the milk contains only a small amount of the antibiotics but I felt guilty and unhappy nevertheless.

My baby failed to latch on and thats probably why I had the problems I did when breastfeeding. I had milk blisters and blocked ducts which led to mastitis. Milk Blisters are like little white pimples on the nipples. Sometimes pumping would release the milk and the milk would flow freely again. I can't describe the feeling of joy when that happens. However, once, pus was released instead and I had to pump and throw. What a waste. How tiring to pump and throw away the precious breast milk but I had no choice, not when the milk was green with pus!

Breastfeeding was really an emotional journey for me. The pain, the worry, the joy... it was an emotional time indeed. It was full of stress at the beggining but worth it eventually when we got it right. It did take a long time for us. (About 2 months) but I managed to breastfeed for 3 years so the beggining hard months seem little in comparison but it was really hard at first and it seemed like a long time then.

Breastfeeding can be hard, stressful and does not feel natural at all but do perservere. Its really worth it. Feeding your baby the best milk and bonding with baby is definitely worth it don't you think?

If you are suffering from a milk blister, blocked ducts or mastitis, I'd like to point you to some of these pages on kellymom which has very comprehensive information and links. One of the ways to lessen your worry and stress is by reading up and acquiring more knowledge about breastfeeding (and theres so much to learn!). I hope that the links below help you. Good luck in your breastfeeding journey.

How do you treat a milk blister?
Plugged Duct and Mastitis
Recurrent Mastitis or Plugged Ducts

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Mothers are good at multitasking

Whenever I go and pick my daughter back from kindergarden, I sometimes see this other mother who is in the car waiting for her kid (I shall call this one the preschooler). In her car with her is a younger child, around 2-3 years old (the toddler) and another even younger one around 6-8 months old (the baby).

Usually the toddler would sit in front with her and the baby would be asleep in the car seat at the back as she waits for her preschooler. Today, as she was waiting for her preschooler, the toddler was asleep at the back seat and she was breastfeeding the baby.

Now thats what I call multitasking and good time management! The baby gets a nutritious feed while the toddler gets a nap and the preschooler will be driven home by her taking over the role of a driver in a very short while.

I almost wanted to walk up to her, give her a thumbs up and say "You go girl!" but of course I couldn't. She was busy breastfeeding and bonding with her baby. :)

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My biggest breastfeeding mistake

I had read up a lot about breastfeeding to prepare myself and some of the words that were ingrained in my mind were....


Breastfed babies do not need water.

Breastfeeding works on a demand and supply basis so don't feed baby with formula milk as that will decrease babies demand for breastmilk.


I had breastfeeding problems from Day One. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get baby to latch on. And no matter how much I pumped, most of the time I could only get 1/2 and ounce.


Despite this, I denied my baby water and formula milk because I was afraid, so very afraid that giving baby formula milk and other liquids will sabotage my breastfeeding efforts. I was adamant. No! No water and no formula for my baby.


I was blind to the fact that baby was not getting enough. I was starving my poor baby. She lost 25% of her birth weight during the first 2 weeks which is a scary thing. Her lips were dry and cracked. Looking back at her early weeks pictures now, I see a haggard looking baby with sunken cheeks whereas she was quite a big baby at birth.


What a stupid thing I did. She could easily have more problems from dehydration (fortunately she did not) due to my determination to breastfeed her.

To all new breastfeeding mothers, I have to this to say. Don't be afraid to relax a little and give your babies a little bit of formula if it is necessary. Your breastfeeding efforts will not be derailed. Your breastfeeding efforts will not fail if you don't give up. Don't give up your goal of fully breastfeeding your baby and you will succeed in the end. A little bit of formula along the way may sometimes be necessary. Just don't give up. You may perhaps need to give mixed feeds at first but little by little you will get your baby to take full breastfeeds. Don't give up! You will succeed in the end. And don't deprive your baby of proper nourishment if they're not getting enough breastmilk for the time being.

To check if your baby is having enough, you have to check how often she wets her diapers. You can read this article from : What Are Baby's Stools Supposed to Look Like and How Often Should Baby Wet? by Paula Yount. I got the link from kellymom which is an excellent resource for breastfeeding mothers.

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Recommended Breastfeeding Links for mums intending to breastfeed

I did some housekeeping for this blog recently and trimmed away the unnecessary. I have decided to put in the following links which used to sit on my sidebar as a separate post instead because I think it will be more helpful and easier to find for mother's searching for information and help on breastfeeding.

So here it is, the sites I used frequently and found particularly useful during my breastfeeding days. I would certainly recommend it to all mothers to be who are planning to breastfeed their babies.

I had a lot of difficulties breastfeeding both my babies. If you have difficulties and would like to talk to me, you can email me at mumsgather@gmail.com You can read about my breastfeeding journey from the difficult first moments right up to the tears free weaning by browsing through the breastfeeding category on this blog.

Breastfeeding Links

• kellymom.com - A very good and detailed resource on breastfeeding. I referred to it again and again especially the parts on breastfeeding and medication (because I was prescribed antibiotics several times to treat my mastitis infection) and the use of nipple shields when I was considering one. However these are not the only subjects you can find. Like I said its a very comprehensive breastfeeding site and I recommend it to all mums who are preparing to breastfeed or are breastfeeding

• La Leche League International - A place to get help locally by finding the local chapters near you


• Breastfeeding.com - Another good breastfeeding resource


• Breastfeeding Stories - The stories from the other mothers who faced difficulties inspired and encouraged me through the difficult moments. I printed those who had similiar problems as me and read through their success stories to encourage myself


• Breastfeeding Handouts by Dr Newman - I love this man and his free handouts. Some of the techniques described are really valuable to me. I read the handout "When baby refuses to latch on" over and over again. His statement that "baby will usually latch on by 8 weeks of age no matter what" kept me going


• Babycentre Buletin Board on Breastfeeding - Read and talk to other mothers going through the same thing as you


• Malaysia's Parenting & Breastfeeding Forum - I'm a Malaysian and this is a good place for Malaysian mothers to get help on breastfeeding

The above sites are not listed in any particular order though my favourites would be kellymom, Dr Newman and the Breastfeeding Stories sites. Whether you are a regular reader or you found this blog through a search engine, I hope it helps you too. I believe that all breastfeeding mothers share a special bond not only with their babies but with all other breastfeeding mothers throughout the world. Cheers!

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Breastfeeding is the Magic Weapon that......

My husband and I used to joke that breastfeeding was like using the magic weapon. And it really feels that way sometimes. Lol!

Breastfeeding is the magic weapon that....

• calms and soothes baby
• acts as a painkiller for doctor visits that requires jabs or injections
• helps baby go to sleep
• keeps baby full and contented
• gives baby nutrition and energy
• stops baby from crying instantly
• its a natural pacifier and comfort object

Haha. I could go on. Each time baby cries, get fretty, sleepy or hungry, hubby would hand baby over to me and say "Baby needs the magic weapon." or "Get out the magic weapon." Hah! Easy for him! Lol! However, it is easier for me too AFTER the first two months that is. My babies both had latching problems and for me breastfeeding during the early days is always a tough time. It only gets easier AFTER the early days (though its not this way for everyone).

Still all that struggle, tears (from both baby and myself) and stress during the early days of trying to breastfeed is well worth it AFTER we have got our breastfeeding act together and breastfeeding becomes "The Magic Weapon!" *chang chang chang* *drum roll* Lol!

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Weaning Without Tears

I consider baby weaned off breastfeeding at age 32 months. The weaning was painless. What a journey it has been.

We had such a hard time getting him to latch on. It took him 2 whole months to learn but it cetainly has been worth it. Weaning especially baby led weaning is easy and painless for both the mother and baby. When the time is right, baby will wean off the breast easily.

It was hard work, very hard work at first but it has paid off. I did not have to wean him off a bottle or a pacifier because he takes none of those and weaning off the breast is painless. At first, due to medical reasons and some medication I thought I had to take, I thought I had to wean him off early before both of us were ready but thankfully that worked out and I didn't have to wean him off the breast then. Phew!

So how did I wean him? I dropped the feeds off one by one and reduced the time at the breast. The morning feeds went first because it was easy to distract him when he woke up. The middle of the night feeds stopped when he started sleeping through the night so I didn't have to "wean" him off those. I didn't have to get up in the middle of the night to offer him water instead of the breast (as suggested) and deal with tears. And last to go are the nap time and before bed time feeds.

I told him that he is a big boy now and he can even wear a big boy's pyjamas (with bear or rabbit prints) so he doesn't need his breastmilk anymore and he bought that argument. Hahaha. So recently when he asked for his feed before sleep, I reminded him that he is a big boy now and he pointed to his pyjamas and said "Baby wear bear bear shirt adi (already meaning "now") and that was that. LOL!

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Myth: Breastfeeding Helps You To Lose Weight

This is a big breastfeeding myth, for me at least. Nope, it certainly isn't true for me. In fact, breastfeeding made me so hungry all the time during the early days, I ate and ate and grew and grew! Lol! I even got up to eat in the middle of the night because I was so hungry! (Note: This may not be true for other mothers. I've met quite a few who say that breastfeeding helps them to lose weight really fast and I'm puzzled why it isn't that way for me. Maybe its my age. Hehe. I'm older so my metabolistic rate is much slower.......)

In order to lose weight, I have to work really, really hard at eating sensibly (Crash diets for a breastfeeding mother is a no-no! In fact crash diets for anyone else is not a good idea.) I also have to work really, really hard to establish and keep up with an exercise routine. Its not easy when you have young kids who like to cling to you all the time. (When I do sit ups, sometimes baby comes to sit on me. When I ride on my exercise bike I have to shout "Stay away from the bike" several times during the session).

And finally, after working really, really hard at eating well and exercising and I start to see some positive weight changes, people come and tell me "You've lost a lot of weight. It must be because you're breastfeeding." Now that makes me a little mad because I lost weight due to sheer hard work and not so easily as they think. Lol!

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Cupfeeding your infant baby

This post is for all mothers who have difficulty breastfeeding and are thinking of cupfeeding their babies with breastmilk during the early days.

Both my kids do not use a bottle to drink their milk. They both have never used a pacifier before. This saves me a lot of trouble weaning them from both. :)

I don't use any bottles for feeding my babies yet, I had lots of trouble breastfeeding my babies. When you have difficulty breastfeeding your baby but don't want to resort to bottle feeding, what do you do? I was afraid that they would get nipple confusion, so I used alternative feeding methods.

I've tried cup, dropper, syringe, spoon. With the first, I didn't know any other alternative methods, so I used the spoon. It was really time consumming and I felt that all my day was taken up feeding baby. With my second, I became wiser and used the cup instead. I didn't use any special cup. I was using Avent bottles to keep my pumped breastmilk, so I merely used the cover of the bottle as a cup. By allowing the bottle cover to double up as a cup, I could make sure that it was sterelized and safe for baby.

Well, you don't have to be like me. I was ignorant but now I know better. If you check around I am sure you can find a suitable cup for your baby. Babies are smart, they will quickly learn to drink from a cup even from day 1. However, you will need to be careful and make sure that you read up all about cup feeding and tips for cupfeeding. Then make sure you teach anyone who help you feed your baby the correct and proper way to cupfeed your baby. Good luck!

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Baby's Weaning Progress

The other day when I was out all day, I didn't feed breastfeed baby in the morning. (I've managed to drop that feed quite painlessly).

I was not back by afternoon, so he napped without his breastfeed too. When he doesn't see me, he doesn't ask for a feed. Hmm... so maybe the trick is to do more mommy disappearing acts!

Then by nighttime, he was very tired and fell asleep without his feed. Thats one full day without his breastfeed. A first! Very good progress indeed and painless for both him and me. Yippee!

At one time, about 1 1/2 years ago, I thought I had to take anticonvulsant medication to control seizures. I was very sad and disheartened about needing to wean him off then. Thankfully, I didn't need to. This 1 1/2 years of being able to continue breastfeeding him is precious.

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The Best Breast Pump

One of the things I didn't know about breastfeeding is that a breastpump is an essential part of breastfeeding (for those who face difficulty breastfeeding, otherwise your baby is the best breast pump there is), even more so, if you're a working mum and not for any other reason.

Whenever you look at glossy magazines, you see these lovely slim women, smiling down at their cute looking babies while breastfeeding effortless. It doesn't quite work that way. Not for me, it doesn't!

Breastfeeding doesn't feel quite as "natural" as I thought it was supposed to be. It took a lot of hard work and practise for me. (I'm speaking from personal experience. Perhaps some other lucky mum may have had it a lot easier and it does come naturally to them.)

When I was pregnant with my first kid, I bought a manual breastpump as a part of the list of my new baby shopping list. It was a long funnel like thing. After the baby came, I tried it out (when my baby had difficulty latching and could not feed directly) and it was hopeless. I could extract no milk from it.

My husband, the dear thing, quickly ran out to the stores and got me another. He was good. He came home with a manual Avent which was a little better and I managed to express from 1/2 ounces to 3 ounces of milk. Still a miserable amount. Sometimes it took 3 sessions of expressing for one single feed! (My baby had trouble latching and I had to feed her expressed breast milk using a spoon). It took up all my time, the expressing and spoon feeding. Phew!

By the time I had a second child, I was a little bit more prepared. (My second had latching difficulties too) The lactation consultant recommended that I get a battery operated Medela instead of using the manual pump, so off we went to the stores again. I found the Medela breast pump a bit more painful than the manual one which was more gentle. So I combined both. I took some plastic flap from my Avent breast pump and fixed it onto the Medela. Lol! It was less tiring but I could only still express about 3 ounces.

Finally, I ditched all the pumps and started hand expressing (yes, my own hand "pump"). It worked wonders! Soon, I was an expert at hand expressing. I've never milked a cow but I suppose this would be how it feels like to milk a cow, only....... I was the cow! I don't know about others, but I like hand expressing. I managed to get up to 8-9 ounces each time by expressing manually. (Of course, it helped that I expressed for 20-30 minutes every 2-3 hours). I find that expressing by hand is more gentle on the breast and I knew exactly where to press. I could express straight into the bottle for storing and it saved me a lot of work washing and sterelising the equipment.

Again, I stress that I'm speaking from personal experience and preference. Some may find hand expressing of milk difficult and the breast pump much easier to use. If you are interested in hand expressing or manual expression of your breast milk, below is a useful link to the Marmet technique of hand expression. (There are some diagrams there showing the right as well as the improper way to avoid when doing manual expression).

"The Marmet technique of manual expression was developed by a mother who needed to express her milk over an extended period of time for medical reasons. She found that her milk ejection reflex did not work as well as when her baby breastfed, so she also developed a method of massage and stimulation to assist this reflex. The key to the success of this technique is the combination of the method of expression and this massage." Read more here

Having said the above, (that I found the breast pump to be an essential part of breastfeeding), I would like to stress again that it was only because I had difficulty latching my babies. I do not wish to mislead mums into thinking that the breast pump can replace direct breastfeeding which is the best! So I'm going to add another link to this post to my favourite Dr Jack Newman. I find his articles on breastfeeding extremely useful.

"Many women are under the impression that it is necessary to own or use a pump to breastfeed. This is not so. There are very few circumstances under which it is necessary to express your milk. But women are being encouraged to pump their milk and give it to baby via bottle for the most unnecessary reasons: Weddings, doctor’s appointments, shopping…why not take the baby with you? How can babies not be welcome at weddings? Or, “so the father can feed the baby”! Partners were not meant to feed babies milk, and giving a bottle is not really helping. But they certainly can help feed the baby by helping mother with compressions, for example, (see Handout: #15 Breast Compressions) and they can help mothers in so many other ways as well.

The pump should not replace the baby; you and your baby receive numerous benefits in addition to nutrition by breastfeeding. No pump is as efficient as the natural pump that was made for your body, your baby! A baby who breastfeeds well is the best pump, but, granted some babies don’t breastfeed well. You do not need a breast pump to breastfeed; uninformed use of a breast pump can lead to premature weaning." Continue reading here.

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Answer #5 & #6: Get his tongue clipped now!

Here are two more answers to my question Help! My baby is still not latching at 6 weeks! Both suggests that I get my baby's tongue clipped. I didn't do it as I was too nervous worrying about any complications that may arise, slim though it may be. However, I did receive useful links to comprehensive information about tongue-tie which helped me made a more informed decision.

Eventually my baby did learn to latch on, at exactly 8 weeks and 1 day! That was a happy and incredible moment for us!

Hello MG,

First, take that baby in to the office and get his tongue clipped NOW! This is a VERY minor procedure and can be done in seconds!! You and he do NOT need to continue suffering with this problem. Your LC is correct about the long term effects of not being able to suck and I know YOU want the wonderful closeness that comes with breastfeeding.

I also urge you to get going to La Leche League meetings and spend time with other nursing women and infants. Your LLL Leader is your BEST source of breastfeeding help. You can also contact the medical advisory board of doctors who will help LLL mothers with problems. Do this through your LLL Leader. Please do not delay connecting with LLL. All the best.

Hello,

There is hope, but it will require lots of work and determination. I suggest that you work directly with your lactation consultant there in your area for assistance. If you are not going to try and latch him on, then I would go on to pumping and bottle feeding but like cup feeding that is so much extra work. If he does have a short frenulum, get it clipped, it is a simple procedure, it takes about 1 minute and a drop of blood and it can work wonderfully and make the breastfeeding so much easier. A tongue-tie can cause speech problems when he begins to talk. The risks associated with a clipping are far less than the risks of giving your baby formula. Did you have him circumcised?

Here are some references for you
Tongue Tie and Breastfeeding
BRIAN PALMER, D.D.S.

On this web site are slide presentations and articles that cover; the significance of sleep apnea and how it might be prevented, the importance of breastfeeding for the proper development of our species, the issue of infacarriesies and breastfeeding, why tight frenulums need to be addressed, otiti media, SIDS, and basic dental issues.

Breastfeeding and Frenulums by Dr Brian Palmer

TONGUE-TIE: IMPACT ON BREASTFEEDING

Complete Management Including Frenotomy by Dr. Evelyn Jain

Examples of tongue-tie by Dr. Evelyn Jain

POTENTIAL IMPACT OF TONGUE-TIE

ANKYLOGLOSSIA or SHORT LINGUAL FRAENUM by Caroline Bowen

Note: The second letter above has some rather useful links and references giving comprehensive information about tongue-tie, its impact and what can be done about it (not just in relation to breastfeeding alone).

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Answer #4: Keep nursing every 2 hours or 8-10 times minimum every 24 hours

Here is another answer to my question Help! My baby is still not latching at 6 weeks! advising me to nurse as often as I can, which I did.

Hi MG,

There is absolutely hope for you and your baby. Try running your finger around the baby's mouth in a circular motion before each latch attempt. This will encourage the baby to open nice and big.

I also would suggest pumping for a few minutes before latching because this will help the nipple to protrude for the baby to latch correctly. I would not suggest using anything else for the baby to suck on because it will cause nipple confusion.

Has your milk supply seemed to be sufficient? If so, keep nursing him every 2 hours during the daytime. He should be nursing 8-10 times minimally every 24 hour block of time.

If you have access to a supplemental nursing system, I would also recommend you look into that. It is a small tubing that run to each breast and breastmilk is fed through the tubes to baby while they are increasing your milk supply. Ask your lc about it.

If you need further help please repost. I am having trouble with my PC but am retrieving my messages from work. Keep up the faith. It can work out with a bit of work. How is the baby peeing, pooping, gaining?

I would encourage every pregnant woman to find out all she can about breastfeeding beforehand. It should be something that most women try. There are so many benefits to breastfeeding that it is important to do it.

Take care.

My lactation consultant did eventually suggest the use of a supplemental nursing system as suggested in this letter. However, I found it difficult to use and cumbersome. This is only my personal opinion and may not be the case for other mums who have tried it.

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Answer # 3: Latch Technique for Infants with a tight frenulum

Here I am back to posting another one of the answers I received to my question Help! My baby is still not latching at 6 weeks!

MG,

I'm afraid that I can't be much help to you. If you are already working with a lactation consultant and probably have researched the matter yourself, then I probably can't give you better advice. I know very little about tongue-tie and have never dealt with it personally nor know anyone personally who has dealt with it.

Here is a study from Pediatrics, a publication of the AAP. They list a lot of previous studies, including those that talk about problems tongue-tie can cause as the child gets older. Difficulties swallowing, poor speech, poor oral hygiene, malformation of the teeth, malformation of the palate and dental arch, and gum recession have all been linked to tongue tie. I don't think that jaw recession is caused by tongue-tie except in extreme cases.

If it was my baby, I would have him evaluated by at least one expert, specifically an oral surgeon, pediatric surgeon or ears, nose and throat specialist (even better if it is one who has dealt with this in the past). They could better tell you how severe it is and if the potential for long term problems exist based on that severity.

Answer to Question 1: It is possible that the tongue tie will remedy itself with time, depending on how serious it is, and your baby may be able to breastfeed at some time. However, if work with the lactation consultant and repeated tries are failing, then I'm not terribly optimistic that the baby will be able to breastfeed anytime soon and possibly throughout the first year. Here is a latch technique you can try if you haven't already:

"Infants with a tight frenulum can often breastfeed with special attention to a deeper latch that maximizes tongue contact with the breast. An asymmetric latch, where the nipple is presented to the infant's upper lip so the baby extends the head back slightly, opens wide, and latches on with the lower lip and tongue tip as far away from the nipple as possible can help achieve this goal (Eastman 2000). It may also be helpful for the mother to position the lower lip on the areola, and roll or pivot the baby onto the breast. If the baby chokes or sputters during feeding, leaning back so baby is almost lying on mother's chest can improve his ability to handle the flow of milk. The mother can be encouraged to be patient with the baby and not expect him to be as efficient as other infants. A tongue-tied infant is especially vulnerable to failure to thrive if feedings are timed or rigidly scheduled."

You can also try pumping a little right before latching to draw your nipples out to help counteract the flat nipples.

Answer to Question 2: If you are concerned about developing oral skills of the typical baby, you can try a few things. You can try a special feeder along side your nipple, which could possibly be painful for you dependent on how your baby sucks. You could finger feed from time to time, or simply just give your baby your finger to suck on. You could also try giving your baby toys designed for mouthing, such as various teething toys. You may not want to start it in effort of having to break it later, but babies can happily suck their own thumb.

Because of your toddler to look after as well, don't feel guilty about using a bottle. I had difficulties nursing my baby during the first week, she had jaundice and she was very sleepy. I tried feeding her through a syringe and tube at my breast, but it was becoming tedious and she wasn't able to suck down breast milk through it. I gave her a bottle and cried and cried and cried. I felt like she would never breastfeed, and I was permanently sabotaging it. I would always try to latch her on first, and then give the bottle. Out of curiosity, I tied to latch her on AFTER giving her the bottle as well, and it worked. We successfully breastfed for two years after that point, although she always had latch issues. It is hard to take another strike against you by getting him to use the bottle, but at this point, I don't think it will make a significant difference. If you decide to see a specialist, then you might want to wait it out until the outcome.

I think tongue-tie can be hereditary, so maybe your daughter had a mild case of it that she was able to overcome, maybe it was the flat nipples.

I applaud you for trying so hard to get your baby to breastfeed and your willingness to continue to pump. Here is a link to several articles on tongue-tie from a breastfeeding site I think is great. You might find further info there

kellymom.com - Breastfeeding a baby with Tongue-Tie

Notes on Related links:

Some of the links cited in the original letter are no longer active so I've removed them from the post. For example, I could not locate the study by the AAP on the probems of tongue-tie. However, here is the link to the breastfeeding topics page of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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Answer # 2: Tips for Nursing With Flat Nipples

Hi MG!

First, congratulations on your new baby. I hope you are enjoying him. Now, on to your questions.

Flat nipples alone should not pose too great of an issue. There are things you can do to draw out the nipple. A tongue tie is slightly different. I do know one mother who worked very hard for 2 months, struggled with breastfeeding, but finally got her son to nurse at the breast. He nursed for almost 3 years.

However, this is the exception. Having your son’s tongue clipped is a minor procedure. You should be able to find a pediatrician, dentist, or ENT who will do it in the office with a local anesthetic cream. If you are not willing to have the tongue clipped, then there is still a great chance you can breastfeed.

As for the flat nipples, you can try to pump before nursing, for just a minute or two. This will help your nipples to become erect. The pumping will also begin to get your milk flowing which will make your let down come faster. This may help your son in that the milk will be there waiting and he will not have to work so hard to get a let down.

I am not sure about proper jaw development as the LC suggested. My expertise is not medical. I would consult with a pediatric dentist before I accepted something so far fetched. I would suggest, if you like, that you offer your pinky finger, nail side down, to your baby to suck on. This will also help to position his mouth correctly for latching on to the breast.

I would continue to offer the breast at every convenience. See if you can get him to latch on for comfort nursing as well as for meal times. You are clearly a dedicated mom and extraordinarily dedicated to breastfeeding. Offer the breast as often as you are able.

If you feel you need to supplement, check into getting a Supplementary Nursing Sytem or Lact-Aid. These are systems that have a small tube that is taped to the breast and runs alongside the nipple. When baby latches on, he will get milk from your breast as well as the tubing. You can fill the Lact-Aid with breastmilk, formula, or a goat’s milk which is much closer to human milk.

Also, I would suggest you find a La Leche League group in your area. There may be moms who have been in your situation and can offer you personal support. To find a group, you can go to http://www.lalecheleague.org/ and search for a group in your area.

Please feel free to ask anymore questions, and I offer you the best of luck!

This was another one of the answers I received to my question Help! My baby is still not latching at 6 weeks! I shall be posting more over the next few posts.

It was useful to receive many opinions and feedback especially at a time when I desperately needed help and support. However, it can also be confusing.

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