My Teething Toddler

At 14 months, my son only has three prominent teeth and the rest are just about to pop out!  Teething usually starts from  4 to 7 months but my baby's first teeth appeared at 11 months. The order by which his teeth are coming out is weird too! Usually, the molars appear next after the front teeth. But lo and behold, his canines came out next to his front teeth!

[caption id="attachment_3283" align="aligncenter" width="300"] This is my adorable son sporting his first tooth at 11 months![/caption]

We are actually quite delighted that at long last, his teeth are coming out. These are signs that my baby is slowly becoming a big boy. If you are dealing with a teething toddler, consider these tips!

Expect low grade fever or diarrhea.

•  We’re lucky our son does not have these symptoms. A toddler's immune system is down at this point so be extra careful. This may be due to the stress on his developing body. Our pediatrician suggests avoiding  close contact with sick kids when teething so he won't catch any infection.

His behavior might change, too.

• Your toddler can be quite cranky at this time. I noticed this because he’s not his usually jolly and always smiling self.  I guess he’s irritated and bothered by the new thingies appearing in his mouth. He would often shake his head, pull his ear and touch his cheek, all these signs of teething.

He might refuse to eat!

• A toddler with a few teeth may be a bit harder to feed! His three teeth is his handicap! While some kids his age are learning how to chew and grind their food into small pieces, my son still has a hard time swallowing.  Make sure to give small, manageable pieces. Slice his food into cheweable pieces but always be on guard against choking.  I would still boil and mash hard foods like apples, peas or carrot because he can’t chew that much yet.  Give additional water to aid him is gulping down his food. We're trying to balance giving him infant cereals or giving him "real" foods.

Introduce oral hygiene at this time.

• This is easier said than done! I'm actually having a hard time cleaning his mouth and teeth.  He would clamp his mouth closed when i try to wipe his teeth with cotton or cloth.  When cleaning becomes a struggle, stop and try again next time. His gums are quite sensitive at this stage or may be painful too.  Don't force cleaning because he might develop fear about this and refuse tooth brushing altogether.  Take your time and just offer more water to rinse his mouth.

Biting during nursing sessions 

• A teething toddler is harder to breastfeed because he may bite. We discourage biting by asking him firmly to stop.  My baby seems to understand that biting hurts mommy so he must not continue. At times i would cringe in pain because of his bite, but i avoid letting him see my reaction. I think he sometimes finds it funny when i cringe in pain so he repeatedly bites!  So better to avoid making outbursts or react outright, even if it hurts so much.  Some kids do have a nursing strike at this stage, but not my son.  He would nurse to sleep for hours and he would wake out once my nipples get detouch from his mouth. So this mommy is also losing sleep as the baby is gaining more teeth.

Have fun dealing with your teething toddler!

Also worth reading: 

• Toddler feeding issues

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Breastfeeding Beyond 6 Months: Problems and Solutions

I’m glad i was able to pass, with flying colors,  the 6-month exclusive breastfeeding hurdle. And it’s been more than 2 months since baby started taking in solid foods.

Honestly, i’m kinda sad about the fact that i’m no longer baby’s lone source of nutrition. He’s no longer exclusively breastfed and he seems to be delighted by all the new foods he’s been tasting! Hayyy... I have mixed emotions about this.

On one hand, i’m glad that he’s introduced to solids and he seems to have no adverse reactions so far. On the other hand, the selfish me is tearing up inside as i struggle to breastfeed him some more!

P enjoying frozen fruits in a mesh.

According to Unicef, breast milk is best for babies even until 2 years. It’s written in the agency’s publication entitled  Facts for Life:

 ”Breast milk remains an important source of energy, protein and other nutrients such as vitamin A and iron, even when babies begin to consume additional foods after 6 months of age. Breast milk helps protect a child against disease for as long as the child breastfeeds. It is recommended that a mother continue to breastfeed her child up to two years and beyond – as long as she and the child wish to continue. Breastfeeding can comfort a child who is upset and is an important source of nourishment during a child’s illness.” 

My husband and I agreed that we’ll breastfeed for at least two years. Now, 8 months on, it’s getting harder to nurse my son. I keep on thinking, “He seems to be more interested in the outside world than my boobs!”

Here are some of the breastfeeding challenges that  i deal with everyday and some ways to handle them.

Baby’s teething!

My son now bites during our breastfeeding session.  Although he has no teeth yet, it still hurts. I can feel his gums as he bites my nipple and the skin near it.

• When baby does this I ask him to stop and then I unlatch. This way, he’ll learn that we can’t go on if he continues to bite.  I’m still teaching baby how to stop biting. I expect more hurt from cuts in my nipples as baby has yet to get his pearly whites. But i’m determined to breastfeed even until the time he gets his teeth. I’m keeping my fingers crossed and I hope I get to do this!  Here are more suggestions when baby bites.

Baby’s often distracted.

Since he passed the 6-month mark, I noticed that baby has been more distracted. He’s more busy and alert now. He stops breastfeeding for anything…. like  dogs barking, sounds from TV, voices of his lolo or lola. His only decent feeding is during bed time!

I  try to rid him of distractions so he can continue breastfeeding. Here’s what i do:

• I dim the lights in our room so he can focus on breastfeeding.
• I close the door to avoid outside noise so he continues feeding
• I turn down the tv or radio volume so he’s less distracted

Here are more tips to deal with a distracted baby.

It’s now getting harder to find time for a decent feeding session.

When he was still a newborn, he fed almost every 2 hours. Now i struggle to breastfeed even at 4 hour intervals! Since baby learned to sit upright (with support) and to stand with support. He seemed to be enjoying his new perspectives, he can’t stay put and breastfeed for at least 10 minutes!

• I  try to breastfeed at least 6 times per day to ensure that he gets enough milk.  I let him nurse all he want in the morning, before i go to work and at night, when we’re about to sleep.
• Just like any prodding mom, i offer him my breast on any chance i get. Sure, i feel hurt when he snobs them. But i still insist and hope that he sucks some more.
• I’m also exploring new breastfeeding positions to keep up with my now semi-mobile son.  I expect that my acrobatic moves will be put to test.

It’s getting harder to squeeze in a pumping session while at work.

It’s almost 5 months since i got back after my maternity leave and work has been more and more demanding! I was given special treatment as a new working mom. But after 5 months, i’m a less new working mom already. People have been less lenient in the office. More and more deadlines are given to me, like any other ordinary employee. As i  get more busy at work, it’s getting harder to squeeze in a pumping session. Read this more for tips for working moms who breastfeed.

Expressing breast milk is important at this stage because baby directly breastfeeds less. Pumping will help maintain your breast milk production so never miss a chance to pump when you can’t directly breastfeed.

• When i’m really too busy, i just pump for 10 minutes instead of the usual 15 minutes per session. Frequent short pumping sessions are better than just one long pumping session.
• There are times when i do work outside the office and get back later in the day. I bring an extra manual pump and a cooler bag during these days just in case it’s too late and my breasts feel engorged while out of the office. So far, i’m still not able to pump outside the office.
• I squeeze one more pumping session when i get back from work if baby’s sleeping.  Eight months on and my mantra’s still the same – pump, pump, pump!!!

Since I’m away for about 8 to 10 hours daily, I’m not sure anymore if baby is  dutifully offered breast milk.

My MIL is overly excited to introduce many types of food for baby. I really get paranoid and i hope she delays giving baby meats, eggs and citrus fruits. I  plan to give such foods later, may be in 10 months, so we can reduce risks of an upset stomach. Delaying such food will also allow time to ready baby’s stomach for more complex foods.  I’ve also noticed that his expressed breast milk intake dwindled. From the usual 16 ounces, he just drank  about 10 – 12 ounces while i’m at work!

• What i do to lessen overfeeding of solid baby food is to “ration” his baby food. I just bring out 2 small jars of baby food for baby to consume while i’m away. I put these jars with the 4 baby bottles for his consumption while i’m at work.
• I also give clear instructions that only the food i prepared shall be given to baby. And i pray that these clear instructions are followed by the caregiver, hopefully.

Introduction of complementary food 

This is the main culprit why baby gets less milk.  From the wording itself, baby food is  complementary food! I just want to point out even more, baby food at 6 months is meant to complement breast milk. Kelly Mom says that breast milk should be the main source of nutrition until 1 year.

I’m not undermining the benefits of baby food. Baby food is vital so that he can get nutrients like protein. Introducing  baby food will also ensure that  he’ll get used to different tastes and texture of foods.

My pediatrician already warned that baby’s breast milk intake will decrease once solid foods are introduced. So here’s what i do to ensure he’s getting adequate amounts of breast milk:

• I nurse him before i give him solids. This ways he’ll be less hungry and be satisfied with just 3 to 4 spoonfuls of solids.
• I limit the amount of  baby food, just 3 to 4 tablespoons per feeding. I serve  solids 3 times a day. I plan to increase to 4 times by 10 months.
• I let him drink 1 ounce of expressed breast milk from the cup after feeding solids. This also serves as his practice sipping from a cup.
• I use breast milk to dilute his baby food, which includes pureed fruits and veggies and infant cereals.
• I also serve frozen breast milk in a mesh feeder. Baby enjoys munching on a feeder because it relieves his itchy gums.

I’m committed to breastfeed until at least two years, so i’m intently researching on ways how i can deal with these struggles.  I really to hope to get through these breastfeeding blunders.

Click here to read about breastfeeding beyond one year!

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Coming to Terms with Low Milk Supply

Not giving enough breast milk for one’s baby is among the worst nightmares of a new mom!  For a mom who has early on decided to nurse, not producing enough milk is major cause of stress!   My previous guest post is about a mom’s struggle with her milk supply and how she was able to move on.

If you’re among those moms who struggle with very low milk supply, read on for some points to keep in mind.

For moms who just gave birth, these are some ways to start producing breast milk:

Directly breastfeed your newborn as frequently as possible.

During his first weeks, he may need to nurse every three to four hours. If for some reason,  baby can't directly nurse, pump pump pump! This is what happened to us. Baby got held up in the NICU for almost a week so i pumped like there's no tomorrow during the time he spent there.

Consume lots of malunggay products.

They come in the form of capsules, powder, tea, cookies or chips. Malunggay or moringa is a well known milk supply booster.

Eat a lot! I really noticed that when I eat more, I get more milk when pumping at the office. Dieting right away after giving birth may not be advisable for moms who want to breastfeed.

Think twice about supplementing.

Supplement may come in the form of  breast milk donations or formula.  I dare say that supplementing should be a last resort, especially for those with newborns. Direct breast feeding triggers milk production. So if you feed baby through the bottle (with breast milk or formula), you decrease baby’s time at your breast.  During the first weeks, direct nursing prompts your brain to produce more milk.  Also avoid giving pacifiers. All his sucking should be on the breast.

When you feel your supply is not enough

Seek medical advice to check if your milk supply is genuinely not enough. We can’t measure the amount milk your baby drinks when he’s directly breastfed.  So you must look for other telling  signs that he’s getting enough. Among the tell tale signs that your baby is getting enough is he's not gaining enough weight and if he's not regularly passing stools and urine. Consult a breastfeeding-friendly pediatrician for the correct diagnosis. Read here for signs to watch out for when choosing a nursing-friendly doctor.

Be informed!

Do your homework even before D-day. In the Philippines, where formula feeding is the norm, getting sound advice from other moms, or peers or even doctors can be a challenge. In the US, they even have La Leche Leauge hotlines for moms  having trouble with breastfeeding.  Try to get in touch with breastfeeding advocates like Latch and Breastfeeding Philippines.  I've tried emailing Latch once about my nursing issue and they responded so kudos to them! The internet offers a wide variety of breastfeeding sites that are a gold mine of good information about nursing, among the best is Chronicles of a Nursing Mom.

[caption id="attachment_1934" align="aligncenter" width="220"] Even nursing mother dogs need some prodding from caretakers during the first days post partum!                   Source of Photo: austintexas.gov[/caption]

Below are some good suggestions for moms having problems with low milk supply:

Have a nursing goal.

Set your nursing goal early on and assess this goal regularly. Decide until when you want to nurse, until baby’s 6^th month? Or do you have plan to nurse until his toddler years? For moms will ultra low milk supply, being able to nurse until the 6^th month can be quite a feat.  While those with rich supply might not think of weaning until baby’s first year! Really ask yourself if long-term breastfeeding is  for you.  By setting that target, you can manage your expectations.  Most moms will be happy knowing that they've achieve the nursing goal she set.

Avoid comparison.

Never compare your own situation with other nursing moms. Keep in mind that every body is wired differently. Some moms have abundant milk supply, even able to donate milk by the liters. And for some lucky ones, nursing comes naturally. Don't ever dare to pity yourself for not doing so.

Learn to accept

Come to terms your own nursing situation! When you’ve tried virtually everything and that supply still won’t come up, acceptance is the next best step. Be at peace, knowing that you tried your best to breastfeed your child!

Breastfeeding isn't the end-all and be all of being a mom. Nursing is just one of the million or more skills we must master to raise the little one! But it would not hurt if you try to nurse for as long as you possibly can!

Also worth reading:

• How you could be wasting breast milk

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Guest Post: Tales from a "Nursing Failure"

Our latest guest post is from mom Kristen Hurst. In her post Kristen shares her struggles with low milk supply and how she initially wanted to breastfeed exclusively for six months but was able to do so only until her baby's four month. Although she considers her nursing career a "failure", I consider it a success because i felt she tried everything to make nursing relationship last. Low breast milk  supply is still better no breast milk at all! 

[caption id="attachment_1901" align="aligncenter" width="265"] Not all moms are wired the same way. Some struggle with breastfeeding, while for others, nursing comes naturally.                                 Source of Photo: nih.gov[/caption]

I remember before my son was born, I just assumed all babies naturally latched onto their mothers, just like a nursling fawn to its mother doe, mother nature at her finest hour; no fuss, fretting or worrying about such things like sore nipples, mastitis and a feeble milk production.   Yes, indeed, I got a crash course in nursing, taught to me exclusively by my newborn!

Not only did my son not latch, he screamed and reared his head back, refusing to nurse, at all. No matter how hard I cajoled, rocked and bathed him and enticed him to try, over and over again, it was to no avail and now we were both in tears. In my exhausted and hormonal state, I began to break down my nursing allegiance and eye that forbidden baby bottle.  I did call the La Leche hotline one night, out of options and basically a giant emotional mess, where they calmly told me to put the bottle down, and walked me through the whole nursing process.    For my son and I, it ended up being months of pumping, but I did get the breast milk down him, just not the way I had ideally envisioned.  I never did manage to produce much milk, even with all my incessant pumping, which made me feel like a failure.  After all, shouldn’t my body have continued caring for my child even after birth?

I had this image of my child and I bonding and connecting, that final little piece of the parenting puzzle, where it wouldn’t matter if there was a devastating natural disaster, I could rise above any dangerous floodwaters or devastating ashes.  Just my newborn and my lactating lifeline who would thrive with all my maternal glory.  Yep, didn’t quite happen that way, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t try.

If this sounds at all like your breastfeeding experience, then I’ve got a few tried and true tips to heed and hopefully help you through the stressful first days of nursing.

• Breast milk versus formula: Let’s break down the differences so that as your child’s mother, you can make that best choice for them.  Breast milk is of course, designed as the perfect food for your child, it is balanced with gentle enzymes for ease of digestion, it has immunity boosting factors that can never be reproduced in a store-bought formula.  If you were like me, then you probably already know all about the unique qualities that breast milk has over commercially manufactured products, as a result I decided to supplement my meager breast milk with a couple bottles of formula.  As a fretful parent there is nothing more alarming than those weight charts, especially when your little’s ones weight has dipped into the ‘below’ average range.  My perfect medium became, pump, feed and then supplement.  And we went through this routine until I eventually dried up and he became strictly formula fed.


• Have a nursing plan: Like many pregnant mothers, I daydreamed of the day, when I held that tiny bundle, when he and I would find a cozy little spot to cuddle up together, just a blissful moment of feeding and nurturing.  So was the plan, and I had every intention of following up on it until of course, reality set in and thwarted all of my nursing dreams.  Fortunately, I was able to persevere and move forward and most importantly, care for my son with everything I had available.


• Support System: I can’t really complain here as I had great support, I remember my husband giving our son a tiny ‘cup’ of precious colostrum at three-o-clock in the morning, a miniscule portion I had painstakingly pumped out for him, as I knew that colostrum is an essential component for growing and developing newborns. My own mother came to visit and worked endlessly with the whole latching process, but at the end of the day, it just didn’t click!  Even appointments and consultations at the hospital and La Leche League failed to get the nursing going.  I had decided (sagely) that parenting was never going to be a perfect science for me.  It was time to go to a new plan, which meant ‘whatever works’.

Yes, parenting is an adventure and it starts right from the get go.  Don’t forget that what works for you and your family may not work as well for someone else.  I felt guilty at times when my son and I would meet for my ‘mommy/baby’ classes and I was the only one with a bottle.  I felt at times, they looked down upon me as somehowI lacked the same parenting philosophies or status that they all shared.   Of course, what they didn’t know was nursing had always been upfront and most important in my nurturing mind and my difficult decision to stop breastfeeding certainly wasn’t for lack of trying.

Many years later, my mother shared with me that her own mother had a lot of issues with breastfeeding and she fretted constantly about her own lack of milk and nursing prowess.  It all made sense to me, perhaps due to genetics and conditions out of my control, I truly couldn’t produce the same amounts of milk like some of my more successful nursing peers.

The good news? He turned out fine, but like I said about parenting, it’s never a ‘one-size fits all’ process, it’s a learn as you grow, one.

How about you moms, how do you measure breastfeeding success? 

Kristen is a stay at home mother of three who enjoys blogging.  She received her bachelor's degree in fashion marketing, and writes often maternity wear.  When she's not trying to juggle the lives of Casey, Austin and Ben, she enjoys painting and catching up with a great Jane Austen novel.

Also worth reading:

• Coming to terms with low milk supply


• How you could be wasting breast milk 

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My Diaper Bag Checklist

Baby's diaper bag is the one constant accessory we've been carrying around since baby came. This bag can make or break a trip so it pay to be a smart packer! It holds pretty much everything your child needs for the day.

A few years back a friend gave out a "Diaper Bag Checklist" during a baby shower! I kept this all these years because i knew it would be helpful.  Do you notice how moms are obsessed about lists ... from shopping list, gift list.. etc. May be this is their last ditch effort to be more organized?  Who knew that keeping true to this list can be such a back-breaking task?  You see, hubby carries THE BAG more than i do, so i don't realize just how heavy and how hard it was to lug around! Imagine walking around for hours carrying extra kilos hanging on you shoulder.  I'm now reviewing this list to leave some items at home, to at least lighten the load.

[caption id="attachment_1746" align="aligncenter" width="225"] I kept this checklist from a friend's baby shower, not knowing that i would be needing this a year later![/caption]

Baby's one year-old now and we can do away with some of the stuff in that darn heavy bag. After much thought, here's my short checklist of diaper bag must haves!

Diaper 

That's why it's called that, right? Just how many pieces to bring depends on how long you'll be out and on your baby's condition, if he's more prone to wetting and pooping.

Extra snack and water for baby

This saves us some bucks because we won't have to buy anymore during short trips. It's a good thing my baby loves bananas. Bananas are a healthy snack to go, it even comes on its own packaging! 

A book or a toy for baby

This is to keep baby occupied during trips or while waiting for your turn at the doc's clinic.

Change of clothes

I always pack extra clothes like onesies, shirts and shorts  even on a daytrip just to be safe. We've been out several times when baby pooed so much that i had to change his entire outfit! Better be prepared for such days. 

Baby wipes

For convenience we bring small baby wipe packs. Did you notice how heavy  a big full pack of this wet wipes are?

Bring items that can serve more than one purpose to minimize the number of items you need to bring. Such multi-use items are:

Alcohol in sprayer 

It's the most economical hand sanitizer around. Spray  it directly on surfaces that needs cleaning.

Liquid soap 

For tough poo stains. 'Nuff said. You get the idea, right? Some poo are just to sticky they require more than just wiping.

Lampin or any cloth

The trusty lampin is just so versatile! I use it to wipes food, sweat, tears or just about any other booboos.

Blanket

The blanket is one of those multi-tasking items. Use it as liner for the stroller, or in place of mats during a quick picnic, or block the sun using the blanket.  It even comes handy as a nursing cover!  

There. That's my SHORT list.  Carrying THE BAG is now more bearable. You may read this on the diaper bag necessities.

Having to leave some items at home can be such pain so analyse your own situation. Ask yourself, "Do i really need to bring this?" In the end, the less items you bring, the more organized you'll be, don't you think?

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Nursing my Toddler

Nursing remains our very own bonding session. It gives me much comfort knowing that my "dede" nourishes and soothes my growing toddler. La Leche League discusses the benefits of nursing beyond one year.

But apart from the health benefits extended breastfeeding bring, my very own selfish reason to nurse at this stage is because it's the topnotch way for us to cuddle and connect!  A growing boy like P is always distracted  about learning to talk and walk and in dealing with his emerging social life.  It gives me much satisfaction knowing that he's all eyes on me when he wants to nurse.

However, extended breastfeeding  is not at all a picture of  "mother and child" worthy of a painting.  There's an ugly and frustrating side to breastfeeding a toddler. You'll have to deal with an overactive and distracted child. But just so we're clear, any breastfeeding issue you might have can still be dealt with utmost patience and with the right information.

Here's what i deal with as a milk machine to a one-year old. I also wrote some ways how i deal with such issues.

 

Acrobatic breastfeeding positions

Remember how hard it was to find that perfect latch during baby's first weeks? Well, this won't be as hard when nursing a toddler. He'll know how to place his mouth already. In fact, he has mastered this so much that he'll try sucking in different positions! At one year old, some babies are very mobile they'll try nursing while sitting up, standing or upside down. Name it, P and i might have tried it!  Most of these new positions are just too awkward that it's just not possible to do outside the comfort of our private space.

[caption id="attachment_1775" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Here's our more "decent" nursing picture.[/caption]

As an eager explorer, P has learned to play with my other nipple while nursing. This irks me because he keeps fiddling and pinching my nipple. I guess this relaxes him and helps him go drowsy and sleepy. Again, this twiddling and pinching falls under the awkward category. I've learned to tolerate him.

Pain from biting

At thirteen months, my baby only has three teeth and he's teething right now. He enjoys biting because his gums are itchy. Our nursing session goes like this; he nurse for 5 to 10 minutes then stop. Then he'll bite my nipple. I cringe in pain, sometimes i laugh. I noticed that he would keep on biting if i react, whether i cringe in pain or if i  laugh. I guess he thinks that i like him biting me. He thinks i'm teasing him so he teases me back and biting my nipple!  When he starts biting i take this as a sign that he's done nursing. I stop nursing so he won't be encouraged to bite. He can ask to nurse later.

Asking for "dede"

My baby would touch my breast to indicate that he wants to dede. He does this every time he wants to nurse. When i come home from work, instead of a welcome home kiss, a get some breast frisking from him. Sometimes we would hear an occasional "dede" from him! Yes, my 13-month old can say a few words and "dede" is one of them.

He would also do this breast frisking while we're outside. Sometimes he'll go further by lifting my shirt!  It will help if you will give in right away to avoid a major tantrum. He could be really thirsty for milk, that's why he's asking! I made it a point to cover up to avoid shocked glances from onlookers.

Less breast milk intake and pumping output

A toddler needs more solids for steady weight gain and growth. At this point, he'll need more than milk. That means, we can expect a decrease in the intake of breast milk. I just make sure that i nurse on demand.

Since baby's demand for milk has decreased, expect a decrease in your pumping output as well.  Mine has halved since my pumping heydays during around baby's sixth month.

Shorter (or longer) breastfeeding session

How long a nursing session varies greatly. Sometimes it lasts just 3 to 5 minutes and that leaves me wondering whether he is satisfied at all.  Since he has turned his back on the bottle completely, he makes up for lost nursing time by nursing more at night.

For more information on extended nurse, here's Kellymom's notes.

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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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