breastfeeding tips - Living with Low Milk Supply

The Ugly Truth About Breast Milk Oversupply: 10 Things You Need to Know

Can I be a little honest here?

I used to envy those moms having breast milk oversupply.

Like when my mom told me that my sis was dripping with milk while trying to latch her second daughter.

Or when my friend told me that on her golden days, she would be able to pump 400 ml of breast milk in one sitting and she just needs to pump once a day at work.

It seems that breastfeeding is so much easier for them.

While I am here struggling to collect every little drop of milk for my baby.

Squeezing pumping time here and there , combining all little milk I got throughout the day.

Ohh.., How I wish I could be one of them..

Until recently, when my friend just gave birth to her daughter and I visited her.

We chatted about how's her breastfeeding experience now and she mentioned that she's having an oversupply problem.

Ahem, a 'p r o b l e m'?

I would feel lucky to have a breast milk oversupply.

That's what I initially thought.

Until she went on and on telling me what she faced and how she truly worried about her baby, and I started realizing that indeed:

"Breast milk oversupply can be a real problem."

Wanna know more about it?

Here it is..

by Rina

Can I Breastfeed with Inverted Nipples: Lessons Learnt from A Real Story

I believe, most of you have heard this statement:

“Babies are breastfed, not nipple-fed.”

Do you know what?

This comment is often made when you see a nursing mom struggling to nurse due to her flat / inverted nipples.

These moms often wonder, “Can I breastfeed with inverted nipples?”

The short answer is … Yes, we know that it is possible to breastfeed a baby with inverted nipples.

But wait, do you know how much struggles happened behind?

Are you prepared to take up some extra efforts to make it happen?

Today, I’d like to share a real story from a mom who managed to successfully breastfeed her baby despite having inverted nipples.

If you have an inverted nipple, too, I do hope this story can inspire you and get you well-prepared.

If you are a mom with normal nipples, I hope you will better appreciate efforts done by these moms.

At the end of this post, we will conclude with some lessons learned from the story, together with some useful tips to deal with inverted nipples.

Read on..

[Read more…]

by Rina

30+ Breastfeeding Tips for New Moms

Admit it.

Breastfeeding can be hard in the beginning.

Although it is supposed to be a natural thing, new moms often experience quite a learning curve in the early stage.

Want know how to make breastfeeding easier?

Let me give you the very first hint.

Information is your ally.

The more you know about breastfeeding, the more you will be prepared.

And today, I would like to help you get ready for your breastfeeding journey.

In this article, I’ll share 30+ breastfeeding tips for new moms like you.

This list has been compiled from suggestions coming from popular lactation consultants, medical professionals, fellow breastfeeding moms, as well as my own experiences as a breastfeeding mom of 2 children.

Read on… [Read more…]

by Rina

8 Things You Should Know About Supplementing While Breastfeeding

Heartbreaking, isn’t it?

When you have determined to exclusively breastfeed your newborn since birth..

But things didn’t go as planned.

You already nurse your baby all day and night.

Your nipple bled.

But.., your baby keeps losing weight…

With poor diaper counts

And finally that sentence-that-you-don’t-want-to-hear was out

Your lactation consultant asked you to start supplementing.

It seems that the earth stops spinning

You feel inadequate as a mom

How could you not provide enough for your baby?

You almost choked as you feed your baby with his first formula

Deep inside your heart, you wonder, “Could this be the end of my breastfeeding journey?”

Let me tell you something…

Breastfeeding is not all or none.

Yeah, you read that right.

Breastfeeding is not all or none.

If you cannot exclusively breastfeeding your baby, that’s totally fine.

Some breast milk is still better than none, and while you do supplement, please keep continue your breastfeeding effort.

But you ask, “How can I?”

Supplementing has such a BAD reputation of ruining breastfeeding journey.

Is that true?

The truth is.. the answer depends on YOU.

How you do your supplementation plays a HUGE role at how your breastfeeding journey will become.

We all know that unnecessary supplementation will do more harm than good.

But we also know that if you have milk supply problem, the number 1 rule is to feed your baby! Be it with donor milk or formula, you got to do it.

But at the same time, do your best to find out what cause your milk supply issue, and how to solve it.

I myself started supplementing my first baby when he was 3 days old. That supplementing continued..

That supplementing continued.. until he was 18 months old.

But did I stop breastfeeding?

Nope, not at all..

I still breastfed him until he was 24 months old.

Are you supplementing while breastfeeding?

Or, do you plan to?

And so in this article, I would like to share some of the things that you should know about supplementing while breastfeeding.

[Read more…]

by admin

10 Tips For Breastfeeding In A Baby Carrier

If you read my recent article on How to Manage Household Chores With A Newborn, you will know that I tend to wear my baby around the house while doing other things.

Do you know why I do that?

Ermm.. Ya, she loves to be held a lot (or in opposite way, will cry once being put down).

And additionally, she nurses a lot.

And this happens NOT only in her newborn phase but throughout months when I exclusively breastfed her.

So to me, being able to breastfeed in a baby carrier gives a lot of convenience for both of us.

Let’s list them out.

For me: I don’t feel being strapped to bed or sofa for nursing all day long, and I can do other things and look after my elder child.

For my baby:

she loves being snuggled close, so of course, she’s more than happy to be carried around
easy access to breast all the time (so that she can nurse whenever she needs to).

And the bonus: breastfeeding in a baby carrier helps me to go through the hardest time of early weeks of breastfeeding, where my baby demanded to be rocked and walked all the time while nursing in the evening.

The benefit of being able to nurse in a carrier not only apparent in newborn phase. Even in the later phase, this skill will save you a lot of time because you can multitask while nursing.

That means: being able to do shopping without worrying where you should nurse later (no need to confine yourself in a nursing room while others are having fun shopping), traveling is so much easier with a nursing baby, and so on.

Want to see more advantages? Head out to see what KellyMom thinks about nursing in a carrier.

But here’s the thing.

Breastfeeding in a baby carrier is an acquired skill that may take you a while to master.

You won’t master it the very first time you do it, lol.

That’s why, I’d love to help you to get the hang of it quickly.

In this article, I’ve put together these 10+ tips for breastfeeding in a baby carrier.

Here they are…

[Read more…]