Breast milk

I'm totally support breastfeeding ... but due to my working condition, I'm only manage breast-feed my baby for 2 months only. Is not a good excuse but sometimes is really depend on the situation.

I encourage my friends - especially to those 1st time mother - always breastfeed their baby as long as she can.  Actually breastfeed is not a difficult task, you shall feel happy when you breastfeed your baby.

During confinement, with the help of a lady (we called here confinement lady), who is helping doing all the housework and cooking. I manage to breastfeed my baby and having enough rest.  Confinement lady actually helps a lot during that period. In traditionally, mother cannot do many things during this period. A lady will come to help you to do housework. Of course, have to pay to the lady .... no FOC ...unless your own family member helps you.

Breast-milk, is good for baby.  It helps build up baby immune system by naturally. Some people said: "Breast-milk clear like water, baby will feel hungry more faster than formula milk". I have read through and study said is SAME. No matter you feed breast-milk or formula milk, there is no changes for the baby.  Baby need to be feed in every 2 to 3 hours according to their grow-up chart.

People said "baby will sleep longer if feed formula milk at night" ... Study said: "breast-milk or formula milk having the same affect also."  

I remember my baby boy drink around 4oz when he was 0 - 2 months old.  Yes, he drink breast milk that time. After my breast milk getting less, I have to change him to formula milk.  That time, still the same, every 3 hours drink around 4oz.

I fully breast feeding my baby during the confinement period, and I didn't mixed with formula milk. Sometimes, I still feel my breast full of "supply" but my baby is full. So, I pump it out and store at refrigerator. The breast milk can be stored in refrigerator up to 36 hours.  If you store inside the freezer,  it can last up to 3 months. But some study said it may last 3 to 5 days in refrigerator and up to 6 months in freezer. Never never refrigerator back unfinished milk. If my baby cannot finish the milk at that time, I will discard the milk. Study said you may keep the unfinished milk for 1 or 2 hours (in room temperature), just don't put it back into freezer. 

I will put a label and stick on the cup with day and time. That's easy for me to recognise which one I have to use first. I remember got one time my friends come to visit me during confinement day, she so surprise when she notice so many "pudding" inside my freezer. Hahaha .... that is my milk, not a pudding !!

During my 2nd time confinement, my son was having flu. I try to give him my breast milk and he fully recovered after drink my breast milk for 1 day (noted: he need to drink around 3 to 4 times of 8oz milk in a day). I use the one I store inside my refrigerator ... I try to breastfeed him but he feel "shy", hehehe.

Breastfeed baby may poo many times a day, have to change baby diapers quite often if compare to formula feed baby. But, my 2nd baby didn't poo for 5 days even fully breastfeed her. So, end up I bring her to pediatrician for check up. As I know, breastfeed baby poo more times than formula baby. She told me there are some babies may not poo for a week even though is fully breastfeed. It's depends on baby themselves, she said may be the digest system of my 2nd baby work a bit slow. As she checked, my baby bowel is normal and is not having hard stool inside. She suggested to let her poo now after she put a medicine and see if she feel hard to poo or not.

After medicine, my baby start crying and start pooing ... is not a hard stool and just like a cream typed. My pediatrician said her stool still consider normal. She teach me to massage her bowel everyday to help the  bowel movement more faster. She told me not to worry too much if I fully breastfeed my baby, but do come back if she continue the same. Praise to Lord, she is doing fine after that treatment.

You seldom see baby having breast milk seldom get sick, if their do, the recover time is more faster compare to non-breast milk baby. If you can supply breast milk to your baby till 1 year old that is much much much better. 

Even though everyone understand breast milk is the best for baby and every mother try to give as long as their can. But, I have to say its really depends on yourself. If the situation not allow, then you have to let go. Like me, not matter how strong that I want to give breast milk to my baby. But when back to work, I find it really hard and there is no room for me to pump out my milk. My friend joking with me: why not go to washroom and pump ? yiakkkss ... do u think is hygience ? pump in washroom - a public washroom ?? no way !! There is many real situation have to face, and end-up my breast milk getting less as I only breastfeed my baby during night time. I feel sorry to my baby but what I can do now is try to boost her immune system by giving them healthy food.

For new mother or every mother out there, I really encourage you to breastfeed your baby. ^_*