As i mentioned before, with less than a month before going back to work and milk in storage, i began panicking. Below is an account of how i managed to build my freezer stash of 500Oz of milk in less than a month.
1) Firstly, I had to prepare my mind for the Big Challenge that I took up -"No Formula for my baby"... Yup i literally chanted it even in the middle of the night in my (deep) sleep & dreams... Alright, I was exaggerating a little bit there. We all know that New Mom's hardly get to sleep, let alone dream!
2) I researched night & day and after many trails & errors, found what worked for me. However this is an ongoing process.
Tips & Tricks for Increasing your Breastmilk Supply!
1) Invest in a good Pump. Preferably a good 'double electric one'. I have a "Madela, Pump in style Advanced double electric Breast pump".
2)Order your Breast-pump ahead of time- before your baby is born. Most insurances cover a free Breast pump( or a minimally charged one) and it can be ordered a month before your due date. Get familiar with it before your due date - the parts, working, accessories etc.
3) Start Pumping as early as possible after your baby's birth. (Thats a mistake i made and regret). Evenif you exclusively breastfeed, pump for a few mins after each feed or a few times between each feed, atleast for 5-7 mins. You can feed the extra pumped milk to your baby later in the night when you wanna catch up on your sleep & have hubby darling feed during those times.
4) Chances are that you may have an oversupply in the first few weeks after birth, keep draining the boobs completely if you can. i.e If the baby feeds only on one side per session, then pump out the other side or after baby feed on both the boobs, pump for 5 mins immediately even if you dont get anything. This tricks the body into believing that it needs to produce more milk for the hungry baby.
5) Eat well, DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. Stay hydrated all the time. Its ok to exercise & sweat all you want, as long as you keep yourself hydrated enough. (I do intense Zumba & sweat like a waterfall but it did not interfere with my supply)
6) Lactation cookies. I did try to make some lactation cookies: the one with oatmeal, flax seeds, brewers yeast etc. Oh yes, those nasty bitter cookies. I still have some left in my Pantry but nope, i don't fancy eating it. But here is what i do everyday or everymorning: Soon agter i wake up, i have a glass of hot water with a half a teaspoon of 'brewers yeast' & honey, then i pump out all the milk, drink little more water and then dance(Zumba).
7)Last but not the least, Power pumping. Yet to try it out myslef. Ok i lied, i am actually trying out my first time power-pumping as am typing this. So will need to test this theory out and will let you know later. Basically, its pumping for 10 mins & taking a nreak for another 10mins....and then, you keep doing this for an hour.
8) People have mentioned supplements like 'Fenugreek' etc but I am only trying to do it the natural way. ie....nothing in a capsule, only what goes into my cooking is allowed. So this is something thats upto you. Its just not for me.
9) Pump as often as you can. Try not to skip a session. If you do, thats ok once in a while but NEVER consecutively.
10) I know its hard to pump in the middle of the night, but try once every night when your baby wakes up for his feed. You can have hubby feed him/her from the stored bottle milk while you can pump at the same time.
11) Sleep as much as you can manage in between the pumps. I have noticed that every time i get a good sleep, however short it is, my supply seems to increase for that session.
12) BE Persistant.... Keep your hopes high, keep smiling & You can ACE this challenge. Dont worry, it only stresses you out & reduces your supply. Be happy and enjoy your time with your kid.
13) Equip yourself well. Pumping is a lot of work, time consuming & not to mention the extra chore of washing/sterilizing the bottles and accessories each time. Don't stress over not getting enogh time with the baby as you spend so much time pumping. There is a solution for that too- "FREEMIE", the hands free pumping cups that allows you to pump and play with your kid at the same time or in my case, Pump & drive too!!! Well, i just received my order of Freemies today, so yet to try it out. I shall post a page on that once i test it out.
14) Once you start working, and if you have to exclusively pump, thats alright, but try to nurse directly from the breasts as much as you can during the weekends. Apparently, babies have a magical way of stimulating your boobies, that no painful pumping can do. Use it to your advantage.
So go ahead & Have fun building your own freezer stash! I shall keep updating this page as and when i find more info & also with experiences. Plus, if you are another mom like me, who is sailing in the same breastfeeding & pumping boat, I would love to hear from you too. Hope I can be of some help to someone out there lest they be as ignorant as I was when i started this whole crazy journey of motherhood!
Cheers-
A
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