My life without breastfeeding

My son P is nearing his 20^th month and we’re 4 months shy of my 2-year nursing goal.  Now I’m reading up on weaning stories from other moms. I realized, weaning is not easy! You need to be firm in not offering the breast despite the child's pleading.  Gosh how can i do that when breastfeeding is in our routine? This makes me wonder how to initiate the weaning process. Anyway, I have about four more months to reflect on my weaning strategy. Or maybe I’ll see if he weans naturally? Read more on weaning from Kellymom and La Leche League International.

Talking about weaning makes me think of my mommy life without breastfeeding! Hmmm.. A life without breast pump and breast milk storage?  I’d certainly like that! For me, it’s only  the system of pumping and storing breast milk that complicates my nursing life.

Here are what i look forward to when my son finally weans:

No more office pumping

This i look forward to! I'll definitely do more office stuff. Hehehe.. No more checking the time and rushing when it's time to express milk.

I'd appreciate life without a bulky breast pump and all its parts. My commuting life will be easier once i stop carrying the pump and the cooler bag daily from home to work and work to home. Plus, this means no more cleaning pump parts and bottles! Cleanup is among the stuff i definitely won't miss.

No more breast milk storage

I won't be stressing myself about keeping breast milk safe in storage. I won't be bothered every time brownout strikes. This is a relief!

Hooray for more space in the refrigerator, too. I'll free up the ref space once i pull out those BM containers. I won't be freezing the ice packs, too. That means more space in the freezer and lower electricity consumption. Yehey for that!

No more biting

Now this is a relief, right? My child sometimes bites my nipple when he's sleepy or when he's teething.  It really hurts when he does this.  I definitely won't miss all the pain from biting.

More wardrobe choices

I made it a point to wear breastfeeding friendly clothes. This is a must for easy nursing.  I also look for clothes that allow easy access. I usually wear button-down shirts and  v necks. Wearing such is a must when pumping at work,  definitely gives you privacy and ease as you about your pumping business

Nursing is a  major consideration when i buy clothes, Now i can wear round neck shirts and high-neck blouses. Hooray for more clothing options!

[caption id="attachment_2908" align="aligncenter" width="239"] From the start, my son has been an avid nurser.[/caption]

Missing nursing

Nursing has been a great bonding experience between me and my son.  Till now, we still rely on nursing as a main form of bonding, My favorite part is when we nurse during the night, when everyone else is asleep. It's our own "mom and me" time.

Nursing is my own convenient way to soothe a distressed baby. My toddler is fast approaching the "terrible twos", but sometimes,  nursing still works to calm him. Nursing is my secret weapon! My kid learned to sleep on his own, especially during daytime when i'm out. But often, during the night, he comes to me to nurse to sleep. For me, nothing beats the convenience of side-lying position while nursing. I can lie down while my son drinks his milk.

His first word in the morning is "Dede", even if he's not that hungry and will suck on for only a few minutes. At night his last word is "Dede", too as he cozies himself to sleep.

Breastfeeding became a big part of my life! I truly think it’s among my proudest moments. I  exclusively breastfed for 6 months and we're still nursing till now. I think that's a big achievement. This makes me wonder how i'll get started weaning him.

Uh oh...  Sounds like i'm going to truly miss nursing. I think i need more time to prepare for weaning! It's a two-way street. It's not only my son who needs to be prepared for weaning.  I'll need some conditioning as well.  Weaning is among those stages a child must get through. My kid can't breastfeed forever right?

For more tips about breastfeeding, please read my All About Breastfeeding page.

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A tale of three breast pumps

I'm kinda reminiscing on those times when i yield ounces and ounces of breast milk after a pump! Now, after 18 months of breastfeeding, i'm lucky to get 3 oz per pump. So give this mama some time to contemplate on her old breastfeeding buddy - the breast pump! Without the pump, i think i would not have lasted to nurse this long!

I had two breast pumps before i found that one true pump for me.

First was the First Years single manual pump.  

Hubby and i got this out of necessity, really! We bought it for around P1300 (i'm not sure about the exact price anymore). It was a good single manual breast pump for beginners. Yup beginners, because hubby bought it for me got it right after i gave birth.  I could imagine him looking for a breast pump in the baby section, asking the sales lady for a demo. Hehehe. He got this pump the next day after i gave birth.

My baby can't latch after birth and he was stuck in the NICU for one week. So we really really needed a pump, just to facilitate breast milk production.

[caption id="attachment_2537" align="aligncenter" width="242"] This pump was my breastfriend in my first weeks of breastfeeding.[/caption]

I was actually very masipag  to pump back then, i religiously pumped every 3 hours.  If i remember correctly, i got around 6 ounces per session using this manual pump. I was really pleased with my pumping output back then.

But my hand hurt after all those squeeze and release motion, i felt my fingers were about to fall off. Also, i wrecked the valve within 2 weeks! It was my own fault actually, because i brushed the insides of the valve. This was a no-no pala, since the pump should be kept "vacuum". When i brushed the insides of valve, the sides cracked, hence the "vacuum" was disturbed!

So we had to get extra spare parts right way.  Luckily, the department store also sells spare parts for this kind of pump!

So to the rescue naman si husband. We had an emergency trip to the mall to get a cheap electric pump.

Next was the Precious Moments single electric pump.

We got it for around P1700. Cheap diba? But so was the quality!  It was a single electric pump but you still have to squeeze and release to control the sucking motion. You have to learn the ropes to work with this pump. Kahit electric sya, you still have to press the release button when you need the pump to let go of your nipple. Ayyy.. it really sounds painful.After using this for two weeks , my  nipple bled. Thankfully, after several days, it healed.

[caption id="attachment_2538" align="aligncenter" width="292"] This was the cheapest single electric breast pump in the mall.[/caption]

I think i did not have the knack to learn how the squeeze-release system for this pump works.  Actually, there's really a technique to breast pumping. Minsan, kahit naman hindi high-end na pump, it still works, moms just have to learn to get a hang of it.

Last was Medela Pump in Style Advanced double electric breast pump. 

When my nipple bled, that's when i really decided i need a good breast pump. This is precisely the reason why i recommend splurging on a pump!

We spent about P 13,000 for the Medela Pump in Style pump! Hubby bought it right after we got my maternity allowance check from SSS. He got this from an online seller  on EBAy. It was really expensive but i tell you, it was worth every centavo! So pikit mata na lang nung binili namin.

[caption id="attachment_2539" align="aligncenter" width="235"] We got the one with backpack. In hindsight, i should have gotten a shoulder bag type, para bagay naman sa kahit anong outfit![/caption]

What i love about this Medela pump is the 2-Phase Expression technology - wherein there's fast sucking motion  in the first two minutes. Then next na ung long sucking motions - ito na daw ung let down stage. According to Medela, this 2-phase expression mimics how direct nursing works. On first minutes, baby sucks to stimulate the breast flow. Then later, baby sucks longer and deeper to get more milk.

This technology is not present in other double electric pumps.  What you can do with other pumps is adjust the intensity or speed of suction, depending on your own let down. Well, who knew that longer and deeper suctions let out more milk than faster suctions!

Sana magamit ko pa ito for the next baby para todo sulit na!

Just some important notes:

Hand expressing is vital.

•  I can not underestimate this skill, especially during those days when you accidentally left behind some itty-bitty parts like the valves or membrane. On page 9 of this booklet from Unicef, there are tips on how to express breast milk by hand.

Direct nursing  is better than breast pumping.

• I still find breast pumping mechanical and such a job! Direct nursing is still the best way to feed baby. You can cuddle and hug the little bunch while you're at it. Plus, the baby's sucking empties the breasts more than any other pump.

Also worth reading:

• Get more milk from every pump


• Breastfeeding essentials and tipid alternatives

Who has time to wash the pump parts?

First off, let me tell yah that washing these pump parts is the most hated job of this lazy mommy! I don't know but i just find it too tedious! It's taking time away from my boy while at home. In the office, i don't have the luxury of time to wash them every..... single.... time!

But what's a mama gonna do? Someone's gotta do it so that someone might as well be me,  since i am too OC to let anyone else do this task!

This is why i'm trying to find ways to make washing pump parts in the office much easier.

First know that I don't wash the parts after every use.  My rationale for this is that breast milk stays good at room temp until  6 to 8 hours   according the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. My own  bm shelf life is 4 hours, because of varied ambient temperature in my workplace.  Personally, if it's within the 4-hour interval, i reuse the parts.

(Disclaimer: If you have access to a fridge, play safe and keep the parts there until your next use.)

Having a refrigerator nearby would have been perfect, but our lactation station is not accessible to me. It's on our ground floor in the clinic, while my office is at the second floor.  I try to limit per pumping session up to 15 minutes. Going up and down the stairs every time is just a no-no for me. So i do my pumping business right on my own work station.

If you're still queasy about leaving the parts at room temp, bring a big cooler to store all parts - bottles, flanges, valves and connector. This can act as your mini ref so bring in a lot of ice packs, too.  Warning: This can be bulky and heavy to lug around!  I used to do bring in a big Lock and Lock cooler to store my pump parts, too! But i got lazy doing this, so when my baby turned one year old, i stopped doing this. Hence, my 4-hour rule.

When my 4 - hour rule is up, then i face the music and wash up.

Here' s my setup:

[caption id="attachment_2235" align="aligncenter" width="256"] Here are the items for my washing up ritual.[/caption]

• Clean water- i raid our office's drinking station for this!


• Lots of clean white cloth -  for drying and wiping


• Food grade container - should be big and deep enough to submerge the parts


• Chicco sanitizing liquid - This is available in most baby section of malls at P300 per 1 Liter. If this sterilizing liquid is not available, a very mild cleanser can do the job. I use Messy Bessy natural dish cleaner.


• Alcohol - to sanitize through out the washing procedure


• Tissue - to wipe any mess or spills

My cleaning procedure

• Mix 1 doze of the sterilizing liquid ( see label for instruction and dosage) with 1 liter of clean drinking water. Or add a few drops of dish washing liquid to the water.


• Dismantle the valves and flanges into separate parts to ensure all the breast milk trapped inside these parts are washed away.


• Submerge the pump parts to be washed for at least 1 hour.


• Rinse thoroughly with drinking water until any trace of soap or grease is gone.


• Never lay the parts on your keyboard or the sink, use the clean cloth as liner. Make sure your hands are clean before touching the parts.


• Air dry for a few minutes and wipe with a clean cloth.  Air drying would have been ideal but since time is of the essence here, use clean cloths to wipe the flanges, valves and bottles to try.

Bring extra parts to save cleaning time!

I bring at least 4 4oz bottles so i have fresh ones every pump.

It's actually a good idea to have spare flanges, valve and bottles so you won't need to wash these in the office. But pump parts are expensive.  Buying extra parts before the need to replace them will eat a large portion of our budget.

There! Just some tips from a lazy mommy like me.  Every second you save on pumping and cleaning  will  give you extra time to do more work in the office, right?

How about you, how do you wash your pump parts? It would be nice to hear some more time-saving tips!

Also worth reading:

• More tips for working and breastfeeding mommies 


• Office Pumping after on year


• How to serve breastmilk while you're not with baby. 

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A Year of Office Pumping

I just realized, it's been more than a year since I got back from work! That means i'm a working mama for one year already and I've been a pumping mama for a year now! At first i thought pumping at work was an ordeal but as i progressed, it got easier and pumping became like second nature for me!

I really feel lucky that my job allows me to pump regularly. I know some moms who find it hard to pump while at work so they just forego breastfeeding when they get back to work.  A working mama's line of work can really greatly influence her choice on whether to breastfeed or not. I'm just very thankful that i'm among those who can breastfeed while e lucky ones who can

I think the main difference now that my son's 15-month old is that  i only pump in the office. When my child was less than one, i made it a point to pump or nurse every 3 - 4 hours. For me, that meant bringing the electric pump everywhere so that when baby can't nurse, i'll have to pump.  But now that he's a toddler, i make it a point to directly breastfeed whenever possible.

Here are pumping tips so you can last this long!!!!

Pump as often as you can! 

• If pumping three times is just not possible, then aim for two sessions!  I try to squeeze in a pump every 4 hours when i'm really busy.  When i go beyond 4 hours without nursing or pumping, my breasts feel heavy and full. 


• Frequent but short pumping is better than few but longer sessions. I used to pump for around 15 minutes but now one pumping session lasts 1o minutes. By Philippine law nursing employees should be given a total of a least 40 minutes in an 8-hour work period as lactation break.
  
  
  
  • To save time, i reuse pump parts for the next session, provided it it within the 4-hour window. If it's beyond that, i'll need to wash them. Store in container with ice packs to delay contamination.
  
  
  
  

[caption id="attachment_2106" align="aligncenter" width="300"] I invested in a good double electric breast pump. Using one makes expressing milk shorter and much more comfortable.[/caption]

• Pump where it's more convenient and accessible. By Philippine law still, they should be given lactation stations where they can pump in private and store milk.


• In our office, that lactation station is in the clinic, which is one storey away.    So instead of going there to pump, i just pump in the comfort of my own work station. I just cover up the best i can. I no longer mind than  my breast pump is a bit noisy.   I'm lucky my office mates don't seem to mind, (or at least, they don't show that they mind). While pumping,  i get to answer the phone and work on my computer. Over the few months, i mastered some multitasking skills - expressing and working is one of them!

Except drop in your pumping output

• Don't despair if you get much less than the amount you used to get months before. I used to get around15 to 20 oz of EBM when baby was below 6 months but now i'm getting just around 5 to 10 oz daily.  At one point, i yielded 1 oz after 15 minutes of double pumping.


•  Your production  adjusts to your child's demand, he needs less milk now your production also follows. 

Pump, pump, pump to extend nursing.

•  If you want to sustain your breast milk supply for extended breastfeeding then pumping might be a good idea. Unlike when he was less than one year old, your growing toddler's main source of nutrition is solids. He's also much more mobile and curious and chances are, the only decent nursing you have is during the night! Decreased nursing sessions might signal lower demand for milk. Pumping can help sustain your production for nursing longer.  

In my one-year pumping career, here are the mistakes I STILL MAKE:

Forgetting to refrigerate EBM after getting back from work

• Solution: If you can't put EBM in the fridge right away, assign someone to do so.

Forgetting to freeze ice packs for next day's pumping

• Solution: Have backup ice packs so you always have ice packs ready

Leaving behind small pump parts like valves or screw caps

• Solutions: Count all the parts before leaving the house. Learn hand expression. This can be handy in situations when can't use the electric breast pump.

So there - just some tips to sustain your pumping career! Happy pumping!

Also worth reading:

• Who has time to wash the pump parts?


• More tips for nursing and working mommies


• A working mom's guide on thawing and serving breast milk


• Breast milk storage tips from a working mama 

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How you could be wasting breast milk

During the height of my breast pumping and milk storing days, i had too much milk in the ref. This left my housemates complaining  that they don't have enough space to  store food! Now that my pumping output has dwindled to a meager half of what i used to bring home from work, i needed to adapt system that lessens milk wastage. To a pumping mama, every ounce of breast milk counts, so it calls for a wiser way to manage milk supply. Here are ways you could be wasting this liquid gold:

Storing too much in one container

• Keep breast milk in small amounts, just enough per baby feeding session.  This way, you'll thaw or heat just enough breast milk, since it's divided in "single serves".  The rest of your milk stash will be kept safe frozen or refrigerated. 

Transferring in too many containers 

• Minimize transferring milk from one container to the next. Use storage bottles that can double as feeding bottles, so you can just snap off the sealing disc and replace with synthetic nipple before serving. I've seen brands like Avent and Evenflo have such caps that can hold sealing discs and nipples. This way, you won't need to transfer in different containers.

[caption id="attachment_1649" align="aligncenter" width="300"] When you transfer to and from containers, you'll leave behind specks and drops of breast milk.[/caption]

Freezing right after pumping

• Suggestions on how long you can keep milk in the fridge varies. The US Center for Disease Prevention and Control says three days.  Mayoclinic says five to eight days. In the the Breastfeeding Answer Book of La Leche League International, eight days in the ref is still acceptable. Keep breast milk at the back, away from the door. I maximize milk shelf life by keeping mine for five days in the fridge, then freezing if it's not used up. Remember that thawed breast milk will be safe to consume up to 24 hours when stored in the fridge.  

Thawing too much too soon

•  If you won't be able to use milk in 24 hours, then avoid thawing breast milk. Thawed breast milk have shorter shelf life than cold refrigerated milk.  Put numbers your milk bottles so your baby sitter will know which one of the milk should be consumed first.

Not putting expressed breast milk in the ref right away

• I don't know about you, but as a working mom, i forget everything else when i get home from the office. This includes tucking that precious milk you pumped in the  fridge, so sometimes i wake up the next day to discover that the ebm is still in the cooler and the ice packs have melted already!!! Darn... such a waste of milk! But don't throw it out just yet!  If it's still cold to touch, then it's still good. Consider how long you left it like that, most ice packs keep milk cold up to 12 hours. If you're still in doubt, room temperature breast milk lasts until four hours.  So if it's within that period, then the milk is still good.  To avoid this predicament, make refrigerating your ebm and freezing the ice packs the second thing you do when you come home. The first thing, of course, is to hug that child who has been waiting for you all day long!   

Throwing away leftover breast milk

• Some moms just throw out milk that baby failed to consume in one feeding. I, however, reuse breast milk, but only until baby's next feeding. After that and there's still leftover, that's when i discard. It's better to refrigerate leftover milk than leaving it at room temperature to slow down the growth of bacteria.


• If you're concerned about reusing breast milk, read this post from Kellymom on reusing breast milk.   Whether you decide to reuse breast milk may or not may depend on your baby's sensitivity to bacteria.  I guess reusing breast milk may not be advisable for a newborn, since her immune system is still developing.  You may also hold off on reusing when baby is sick, since his immune system may be down at this point.

A nursing working mommy will always doubt if she'll be able to make enough milk for her little  one.  One way to cast the doubt is by making sure every drop of milk is well spent! Also worth reading:

• A working mom's guide on thawing and serving breast milk


• Breastmilk storage tips from a working mommy


• Coming to terms with low milk supply

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A Working Mom's Guide on Thawing and Serving Breast Milk

Most of the thawing and the bottle feeding is actually done by my MIL, my trusted caregiver. I'm away for about 8 hours daily for work, so i make it a point that i personally thaw and prepare his breast milk for the day.

How to thaw breastmilk

• Heat in warm (not boiling) water in pan. To speed up thawing put milk container in pan with warm water, gradually add hot water to speed up melting.


• To slowly defrost milk transfer it to the ref the night before you need it. Milk usually thaws in the refrigerator for 12 hours.


• When thawing don’t  submerge the container in water. This prevents water from seeping into the container


• Never leave frozen milk to thaw at room temperature because this will promote rapid growth of bacteria


• The US FDA warns against using the microwave to thaw milk. The agency says microwaves can cause dangerous hot spots that could burn you or baby.


• Don't boil breast milk. This will destroy the antibodies and other nutrients present in human milk.

Note: You can also serve breast milk cold. I have given baby cold breast milk on several occasions.

Time limits of thawed breast milk

• La Leche League says breast milk at room temperature stays good  for 4 to 6 hours.  During summer in a tropical country like the Philippines, this period is should be shortened. High temperature increases risk of spoilage.  I follow a three hour-rule for breast milk at room temp. The key here is to follow a lower limit, especially for preemies and newborn.


• Thawed breast milk  should be as consumed within 24 hours.


• Breast milk that has completely melted should not be refrozen.

Reusing breast milk

• There are times when baby doesn't  finish the entire contents of the bottle. So moms ask, can i reuse  breastmilk? Actually there are conflicting recommendations on reusing breast milk. Read Kellymom's discussion here.


• As for me, i reuse leftover breast milk. It will be a total waste if i don't! I refrigerate it as soon as baby refuses the milk. Then i just warm it for the next feeding. If he does not finish this, then that's when i throw out the milk.

Preparing baby bottles

• Number your child's breast milk bottles. This is useful if you serve both thawed and cold milk. If you're serving thawed and frozen breast milk during the day, you have to serve the thawed milk first.  Thawed fresh milk has shorter shelf life than refrigerated milk.

• Double wrap the milk in the refrigerator so it won't absorb odors from other stuff in your ref.

[caption id="attachment_3263" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Here's how i put labels on my ebm containers. This is a must so your helper knows which bottles to serve first.[/caption]

 

On BM containers

• Choose breast milk storage that can double as feeding bottles.

• To lessen milk wastage, store in containers that double as feeding bottles. Transferring milk from one container to another encourage milk wastage. I use Avent storage bottles, when serving i just snap off the sealing disc then replace with nipples.

Serving breast milk

• More often, your caretaker will be the one serving the BM so you should leave clear instructions. Let them know about the proper handling milk. Examine EBM before serving.Breast milk could sometimes smell slightly sweet or soapy, depending on mom's diet. Discard milk that smells foul or sour.

[caption id="attachment_3264" align="aligncenter" width="300"] My breast milk: the creamy stuff rises to the bottle's edge. Color and consistency of breast milk varies depending on your diet.[/caption]

 

• Breast milk is not processed like cow's milk. Some cream can separate from the rest of the milk after days of refrigeration. The cream rises near the rim of the container. Just swirl the container to mix the cream and the rest of the milk.


• Always check the milk's temperature. It should not be too hot for risk of burning.

So,  that's how i'm thawing and serving expressed milk to our baby! Hope you find the tips useful!!

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