How to increase breast milk supply

Image by NestleCSV via Flickr

Image by NestleCSV via Flickr

Every woman has some uncertainties about the questions concerning breast feeding the baby:

Does my baby get enough breast milk?

Is there a way to increase my breast milk supply naturally?

Which methods are safe for me and my baby for increasing breast milk supply?

Based on our experience in the past seven months, the rule of thumb is to feed whenever the baby wants, so basically, it's just feed...feed, and still feed...XD However, we have come to the following conclusion on how to increase the breast milk supply:

1. In the first week you always produce less "milk" (first milk is called Colostrum) but the first week is essential because there your body produces the Colostrum which is high in Anti-bodies for the babies immune system and a great help in preventing jaundice.
   
   
2. Try to rest and relax when your baby is sleeping (we both slept around 12-14 hours in the first six weeks), look for help from relatives or friends (house chores, shopping). You need to get enough sleep. From my personal experience, i have found that my breasts are engorged after sleeping. This was very obvious in the first few months.
   
   
3. Stress is the biggest enemy of breast milk production.
   
   
4. Feed more often (don't be scheduled on the 2 to 3 hours method which is published in many publications), as soon as the baby is crying (though look out if he/she is hungry or if he/she just needs a hug or a diaper change).
   
   
5. Sometimes the baby cries during nursing because it's not well attached at the breast, try to adjust the baby so that the most of areola and nipple is covered by the mouth.
   
   
6. Find the most comfortable position to nurse your baby. I have adopted craddle position in the first 2 months. However, Timmy suddenly did not like it and cried all the time whenever i nursed him in craddle position. Therefore, i tried the lying position to nurse him, it spent us a week of time to find out the reason why he did not want to be fed. After adopting lying position, the nursing is going very smoothly :-)
   
   
7. Make sure that your baby empties one breast of yours. So that you are sure he drinks the fatty milk, not only the foremilk. After the feeding of one breast, the baby is supposed to be full. If he is still not satisfied, then offer him another breast. After the feeding time, you can pump out the milk from another breast to boost your breastmilk production.
   
   
8. Buy a breast pump and pump after the feeding (wait around 10-15 minutes) this will activate the hormones which produce the breast milk and tell them they have to produce more breast milk because the demand is higher ;)

Happy breastfeeding!!!

Banana and teeth XD

Since Timmy is already six-month-old and able to sit on his own firmly now, then i think it's time to introduce him the natural solid food (we stopped the rice cereal after i have found out he had some kind of constipation after that, and also i was reluctant to give because of the artificial flavour).

Today, i made the mashed banana and wanted to feed Timmy. I added some breastmilk into it so that the mashed banana would not be so "thick". My husband was holding him and i was just in front of Timmy preparing his food. It was so much fun and joy to see Timmy's expression while i was expressing out the milk into the mashed banana. He looked really curious. :-) I think he was already craving for it! :-D

Then i fed Timmy 1/4 spoon mashed banana, wow.....he quickly leaned forward to catch the spoon! XD Guess what happened? Haha.. i tell you what, i would not forget his first expression to get the banana!! :-D He frowned, haha.. i thought he would not love the taste of it, because the expression was just like the time he got the medication after injection! Then i tried another 1/4 spoon, hehe...he still leaned forward to it and quickly swallow the food. XD No more frown but smile and some cute sounds, seems like he was saying: "mommy, i want more..i want more..." XD I'm not joking, i was really feeling like that at that time as he always leaned forward to me and wanted to catch the bowl! I bet he likes the taste of banana because it is sweet! Oh...poor little boy, mommy could not give you more than one spoon. Mommy will give you more after a week, ok? :-D

Then after the enjoyable lunch time of Timmy, i used the warm wet towel to wipe his mouth, i always scared to hurt his gums. Then surprisingly, i saw something "white" on the gum. Hahaa.....our little Timmy has had already two teeth!!!!! No wonder these few days i felt some "pain" when i breastfed him. Whooo....Time flies, and finally Timmy has got the teeth. I have to introduce him more and more food so that he can eat with us together in the future soon!

I read from the book, we can introduce 3 new food to baby a month. One new food a week for observation. If the baby has no allergies to the food after a week, then we can add another new food. But my question is, for example, if my baby has no problem with banana after a week, then i want to introduce him avocado. At that time, should i only feed him avocado? Or i can feed him avocado and banana too? Let say, morning avocado, after banana?

I'm the first time mommy and have no experience about this. Pls give me some suggestions!! Thanks!!!!

Timmy, mommy is happy to see you love your food and hope that you will love the food that momy will introduce to you in the future! :-)