Previous Experience
Donald was breastfed for 2 years, Toria for 1.5 years. Â Even though Toria eats most food and fruits, compared to Donald who does not eat any fruits and vegetables, except banana, Â her immunity is not as strong as Donald. Â Whenever she gets a running nose or cough, it will slowly become a full blown episode leading to ear infection, which warrants antibiotics. Â On the other hand, for Donald, when he has a cough or running nose, it is super mild and will go away within 1-2days, without medication. Â So I really want to breastfeed Elizabeth for a longer time.
Previously, I did not express at all. Â Because I figured since I am SAHM (stay-at-home-mum), they have direct access to me, so why pump? Â But it always led to a point, around the age of 15-18 months, when I will feel over-touched. Â Cos they will want to nurse the moment I sat down, the moment I got into the car. Â It got to a point that it was not “desirable” for me anymore, Â it was more like I want to “scratch my nails on the chalkboard” kind of feeling. Â So I was wondering what to do for this 3rd breastfeeding journey.
RoutineÂ
A mummy from Toria’s JG class recommended me the Gina Ford’s Contented Little Baby book.  It was a book on routines.  I never went into routines for my 1st 2, cos I didn’t want to impose a rigid routine and be emotional unconnected with my kids.  So I demand fed and let things take place naturally.  Timing wise, it can be hap-hazard and unpredictable.  But after 2 kids, in hind sight, many of the “sacrifices” can be done without, we really didn’t have to a martyr to be a good mummy. Â
I borrowed a copy of the book and read it in the last trimester of my pregnancy and found revelations in it. Â I liked the book because it is not exactly rigid to the core. Â The method took into consideration the concerns of mothers who wants to fully breastfeed. Â It has flexibility in the system. Â It advocates expressing breastmilk not just to store for rainy days, but to counter the problems faced when we total breastfeed.
For example, growth spurts. Â Babies go through growth spurts at 3wks, 6 wks etc. Â And during those times, they will need to feed more. Â If we never expressed, our milk supply will naturally be just enough to meet the baby’s current demand, that’s why they will need to feed more often during the growth spurts period. Â And the frequency becomes so often, like every 2 hourly, that the mother feels the strain. Â For Gina’s method, she gives 2 time slots in the morning to express and she even specifies how many ml to express! Â So during growth spurts, you cut down on the amount being expressed, thus having more in your breast to feed your baby who is going through a growth spurt!
Also, we know for breastfeeding, the milk supply is most in the morning, and it experiences a dip in the evening.  So we can say that the baby gets to drink less for the last feed before we retire for the night.  That’s why they wake up for middle-of-night feeds, they are genuinely hungry.  Then they develop a habit of excessive night wakings, which can take a toll on the mother. (I know cos both my kids had excessive night wakings, I didn’t have a full night sleep until they were weaned off!  We are talking about years here! Maybe that’s why I was super underweight.)  But in actual fact,  babies will reach a stage where they are capable of going without the middle-of-night feed, somewhere around 6 weeks of age.  So to overcome the night waking due to low milk supply, we can replace the last feed before sleep, 10/11pm feed, with expressed milk in a bottle, or breastfeed plus a small top up in a bottle.
Now, I am still in confinement, so the confinement lady takes care of Lizzie while I rest, so I also don’t want to impose the routine yet. Now I am just trying to follow the feed timings. In 1.5 weeks time, I will be on my own. Â Surely to follow the routine will not be a piece of cake overnight, but I do hope that I can see some success. Â Wish me the best!
Breastpumps
Another reason why I didn’t pump for the 1st 2 was that the medela mini electric is not exactly fun to use. Â It was very troublesome and painful and not effective. Â I only just realised that it is not meant for everyday, heavy duty use, and most likely the motor had konked out after so many years. Â So down the chute it went!
I was considering the medela pump in style, when a friend of mine mentioned medela freestyle, the newest, lightweight model, dual pump and made for heavy duty usage. Â It also comes with hands free kit. Â It is really expensive in Singapore! Original price $900+, now promotional, so $799. Â So I bought it over ebay instead and had it shipped over. Â It came just a few days before I delivered and I must say I have ABSOLUTELY no regrets paying nearly $540 for it! Â It is just so easy to use, and it made expressing milk so hassle-free!
I thought I would hardly use the hands free kit, but on the contrary, I can’t live without it! Â Now I am typing this section while expressing! Â The motor is so lightweight that I can move around easily. Â And it is also not too loud.
The dual pump really helps to get more milk out. Â Sometimes I just pump 1 side, the result is pathetic, I thought I didn’t have much milk, but when both pumps are on…wow! Â Now the baby is 2wks+, after she nursed well on both sides, I can still get 80-100ml each side. Â If she doesn’t nurse, I can almost get 180-200ml each side.
Since now I am pumping after every feed, so to save me some time, make things easier and to let the parts totally air dry before using, I went to First Few Years and bought an extra 2 sets of the pump parts. Â It costs me about $60+, but it is definitely worth it.
Pumping has also given me a chance to build up Donald and Toria’s immunity again. Â I mix in 50-80ml of my breastmilk into their milk each time they drink. Â AND I still have more than enough to build up my stores in the freezer.
I saw immediate effect!  Remember I said, each time Toria fall sick, it will definitely be a full blown one?  She started having phlegmy cough on Xmas night itself, and I was thinking “oh no!”.  So I up her “dosage” of breast milk.  Within 2 days, her cough went away, and no other symptoms surfaced!
Pending Decision
Actually now I am thinking… wouldn’t expressing and then bottle feeding be having the best of both worlds? Â It provides the baby with the benefits of breastfeeding (san the closeness of suckling at the breast), and yet wouldn’t have to face the problem of the kid “clamouring” and over touching? Hmm…..
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hi Bonita,
may i know how u add the breast milk into the formula milk. do u heat up the milk (from the fridge) b4 adding in? or just add in the cold breast milk into the hot formula milk?
Hi Meichele,
err…I never warm it up before adding. Because my son is drinking cold fresh milk, so I don’t see the point. As for my girl, I have never made her pediasure formula milk with warm water. It has always been cooled boiled water. So I also don’t see the point. Not sure if I’m doing it right though…
Why do the parts have to be totally dry before you use it again? As long as clean, it’s ok to use.
Aiyo – I surely can’t be bothered to take the whole set of equipment out a few times a day. Maybe it’s a novel experience for you. I’ve done this before for over a year while working and rushing in/out of the house. No thank you if I don’t need to.
Enjoy it while you’re at it though!
Thank you for sharing the book, Bonita. The point I found particularly insightful was the fact that breastmilk production dips in the evening and so having an additonal ebm as a top up may help baby sleep longer. I’m thinking of trying that out to see how it may help us sleep better.
The funny thing is that my medela mini electric, like yours, also went broke.
I didn’t bother with getting another because I know I will be directly feeding Ralph most of the time. I am currently collecting ebm using breast collection shells from the other breast that leaks while feeding. They’ve been great and I’ve been slowly building my stash this way.
Personally I wouldn’t replace the closeness and bonding experienced with direct feeding with bottle feeding. I do think that the best breast pump is still breast itself and nothing beats just whipping up your blouse and feeding your kid versus having to sterilise equipment and warm up bottled ebm. But each to its own so just do what feels most comfortable to you.
Sam, cos the water gets into the air tube if the equipment is not totally dry. Also the bottle has water in it.
So far I have not needed to bring the equipment out with me few times a day. If I am out and baby is with me, it is direct feed. If she is not with me, then bottled express milk.
Hi Dory,
yah true. Anyway, the best breast pump is still the baby. If I total bottle feed, my milk supply will reduce, so I will likely strike a balance between direct breastfeed and having some bottle feeds, especially the crucial night ones to help her sleep through.
Hi Bonita,
Thanks. Tried it last nite and my son could tell the diff (merely 50ml added to 300 ml). He keep asking ” mummy, what milk is this???” . i just act blur….”it’s yr usual milk darling”. haha….
Wow! What special taste bud he has! LOL!
Both my kids didn’t make noise, my son – 50ml breastmilk in 100-150ml fresh milk; my daughter, 80ml breastmilk in 150ml formula, both happily drinking away!
Aiyo, of course I’m not talking about taking the pump equipment out of the house, lah. I’m talking about taking them out to use several times a day. So *sian*.
Sam… it is true. Sometimes I also “sian”, so I have to keep telling myself to keep it up, pumping after every feed, so that the older 2 can get to drink.
If I continue to pump after every feed, clearing out the excess milk, does that help to “prevent” mastitis?
Actually yes & no. By pumping after every feed, you are creating “false demand”, so you may in fact stimulate higher production and possibly encourage engorgement and possibly mastitis.
But well, mastitis is often due to blocked ducts. So the best best is to be well-hydrated, and massage the breasts if you feel any clogged ducts coming on(hard painful spots in the breast).
I’ve got no one to pump for…so save my time, lah. Afterall, I’m so busy running around. It’s easier to just rush home, pop the baby on the breast and be done with it .
Hi Bonnie!
Good to hear you’re enjoying the Medela handsfree. I used the Phillips Avent electric pump which is fine but I didn’t realise there was a handfree pump, so much more mobile and convenient!
Breastfed my boy for 6 mths, now he doesn’t really want the breast anyway, more interested in his solid food (he’s 7 mths old now), he’s cut his own formula feeds to 3 a day, no more dreamfeed, totalling approx 500 mls daily. I started pumping when he was about 3-4 weeks old, 1) to give me a break and let his daddy join in the “fun” and bond with his son, and 2) to clear my milk ducts to avoid mastitis, as my baby wouldn’t always empty the breast fully.
When I got too lazy to pump after feeding, that’s when I got clogged milk ducts (had it 6 times and actual fullblown mastitis with fevers once, and that’s more than enough, yuck). The “flu” in a lactating woman is mastitis, until proven otherwise….
I definitely agree that the bedtime feed should be in a bottle, expressed breastmilk or formula whatever, then you actually know how much your baby drank and don’t have to worry about hunger causing your baby to cry, rather than over-tiredness.
Yikes, poor you, must be hell to keep on waking thru the night for your first 2 for a few years! I’m a bit luckier, Dylan now sleeps thru the night from 730pm to 745/8am, he did this at 19 weeks old, but of course then we also topped up with a dreamfeed at 11pm. One day at 6 mths, he just refused his dreamfeed and we’ve been going without it ever since without any problem, phew.
The point about breastfeeding for longer is an interesting one and ultimately an individual’s own choice. There isn’t actally any good evidence for building up immunity with breastfeeding as long as 2 years as the maternal antibody levels in the baby’s system actually fall after 6 mths, breastfed or not. That’s why babies often fall ill for the first time after the age of 6 mths. So really, any breastmilk after 6 mths is mainly for nutritional purposes. In fact, more recent studies have shown an increase in the incidence of atopy (allergic disorders) in children exclusively breastfed for too long.
I think it’s useful to introduce the bottle early so that they’re used to the teat otherwise when you want to stop breastfeeding, some mums have the problem of their babies rejecting the bottle outright for the breast. Makes life verrrry difficult.
Kudos to you for feeding your 1st 2 on demand for 2 years!!! I don’t think I could do that, Dylan’s been on a routine since 3.5 mths, and I prob should’ve started even earlier too…
My friend’s son is 18 mths old and still wakes at night to breastfeed from his mum, even though he doesn’t need to. Cos when she does her night shift and isn’t at home, he sleeps thru the night!!! Funny, huh? But a real pain in the butt…
Hi Annabelle
Oh yah… mastitis… scary. Had it 4 times during Donald’s time. Can’t remember how many times I got it during Victoria’s time. It was pure torture!
During Victoria’s time, I could already tell when an episode of mastitis was going to hit, straight away I will start my augmentin course, to “shorten” the torture. Relying on antibiotics.. not the best option, but a better choice than to go through a full blown mastitis! I still shudder when I recall the pain I went through for my 1st mastitis episode.
Boob’s the word : mums-a-musing.com // Jul 9, 2009 at 12:11 pm
[...] At Chan Legacy, we find more pointers that are tried and tested and not just something out of a book. That way, we know it actually works rather than it being made up by someone who knows about breastfeeding because she attended some course or read some book. She talks about using a double breast pump and how it yields more milk than a single pump. The dual pump really helps to get more milk out. Sometimes I just pump 1 side, the result is pathetic, I thought I didn’t have much milk, but when both pumps are on…wow! Now the baby is 2wks+, after she nursed well on both sides, I can still get 80-100ml each side. If she doesn’t nurse, I can almost get 180-200ml each side. (…read more) [...]