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I miss out the thread for quite sumtime congrats to those mummies carrying the 2nd baby so happy to hear that...

I am struggling my milk supply to my lil one my milk supply drop significantly & my fresh EBM unable to cope my lil one daily needs anymore I need to used the frozen milk but stock is not much coz b4 this I give away my frozen EBM as my dotter do not like to take frozen milk...

I wonder is that anyway to boost up my milk???

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Dear all,

Wanted to share my good news that I have delivered my 2nd boy. He decided to pop out 3weeks ahead of schedule.

I had mild contractions on the 14th every one hour. Since it was just a slight discomfort, not even sure if it was contractions, I decided to ignore it. Couldn't slept well that night though, and by 6am, it become more frequent, every 20mins apart. This time I was pretty sure I was having contractions. Packed all my things into the car, sent Ivan to babysitter's place and off to the hospital. Had to wait til 9.30am for the gynae to come in. Got hooked to the ctg machine and the contractions was now 10mins apart. The machine reading showed low levels of womb activity, the gynae said that I can choose to go home and take some panadol if I wanted. I was like 'Huh?' You want me to drive home in this condition? It's a 45min drive from my place to the hospital. However, he said to be sure, he'll do a vaginal examination 1st. Cervix had already dilated by 2cm, so the baby's decided to come. He's 36weeks + 6days.

I had him through c-section. The head was down and the gynae said that I could try to go for a vbac if I wanted. I decided on c-section since my husband and I had already discussed it beforehand. It did cross my mind to go for a vbac, in fact I had been doing some thinking on the matter a few weeks ago. After weighing the pros and cons, I decided on another c-section.

By the time I was wheeled into the OT waiting area, the contractions had increased to 2-3minutes apart. The theatres are all full and they were waiting for an empty one. It was nearly noon and the contraction pain was intensifying. Had to breathe through my contractions and I wondered if I was going to deliver in the waiting area. Finally, they wheeled me in and my son was born healthy, weighing 2.88kg.

He is sucking well for a newborn but tends to fall asleep halfway through his meal. Had to tickle his chin to wake him up at times. By the next day, I was up and walking around. Saw a little a colostrum coming out when I squeeze my nipples. Continued to let him suckle when he's hungry to stimulate the milk to come. By 3rd, I saw more colostrum coming out and the breasts was starting to get engorged. Tried to pump after he finished feeding but maximum I could get was less than an oz for both sides. I was a thick yellowish color. Not disheartened, I kept on feeding and pumping. By the next day, I was getting more and more milk as I pump. 2oz became 3 then 4 and it kept increasing. The main reason I pump was to relieve the engorgement. It was starting to make me feel uncomfortable.

Me and my baby was supposed to be discharged on the 4th day but he was slightly jaundiced so I stayed back with him. He had his phototherapy but they pushed him to me every time he's hungry. He's a slow drinker and as I have mentioned he dozes off many times halfway through. The nurse will come back him after half an hour. They didn't want him out of the uv light too long. Poor thing. He was still searching for milk and I asked the nurse to feed him my ebm.

He was well enough to go home on the 5th day. By then, the engorgement was almost gone as the milk kicked in. Today is the 8th day and I'm getting around 34oz of milk from 4 sessions of pump. The little one could only take in 2oz max per feed. The paed told me it is ok as long as he passes urine at least 8times a day. I plan on feeding the excess milk to the older one. Mix it with his formula. Think he wouldn't notice the difference. No point in freezing so much milk in the beginning. will end up throwing them away in the end. Now I already have 10 bottles of 4-5oz milk in the freezer. :smile:

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Purple lotus,

Congratulations on your newborn, happy to hear that your breastfeeding experience.... Such smooth sailing... I really hope I will be as good as u too...

U delivered Ivan via c-sect too? vbac? Natural vaginal?

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Purple lotus,

Congratulations on your newborn, happy to hear that your breastfeeding experience.... Such smooth sailing... I really hope I will be as good as u too...

U delivered Ivan via c-sect too? vbac? Natural vaginal?

Yes, Ivan was breech. Vbac is 'vaginal birth after csec'. Thought of trying vbac but then in the end decided for csec for my 2nd boy.

How's ur pregnancy getting along? 1st time breastfeeding experience really helps me to manage better this time around. Dun worry, u can do it as well. Just make sure you are sufficiently hydrated. :-)

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I m going to 32 weeks soon... So far both of them are ok, growing at the same rate, Dr said they are slightly big, but still ok.

I m scheduled for planned c-sect mid of Jan, when they are around 38 weeks. Hopefully they can wait till then, Hahaha...

My o&g also recommend I go for c-sect, bcoz my previous delivery was c-sect too. The risks are in fact higher with twins...

Yea, hope this time my milk can establish as fast as yours too. Feeding 2 should be more challenging I guess...

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ceetee,

It took me almost a month to establish my milksupply for my 1st pregnancy. Now, it took me just a week. I'm keeping it up by pumping

5 times a day and taking lots of fluid including soup. My confinement lady boils papaya and fish soup for me to boost milk supply. She is so happy to see that I have so much that I could even supply it to Ivan. I mix my breastmilk with his formula milk and he just gulp the whole thing down. Hehehe...

I can imagine how difficult it is to be carrying twins. Once they arrive, you'll be seeing doubles of everything. Make sure you have an extra pair of hands to help you cope. You need your confinement rest too. Too much stress will also affect your milk supply.

Do let us know when your pair of bunnies arrive, or are they going to be dragon babies? :wink:

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Hi, Purple Lotus,

Wow, your milk established within 1 week?? very fast ya...

are u using twin pump? did you service your pump b4 you deliver?

I am wondering should i service it now?

i used to pump 12 times a day during my confinement when i delivered Gina, but my milk kicked in damn slow....

i dunno if it was due to 'dong guai' that i had in my confinement diet....

this time i am going to totally omit 'dong guai' and let's see how....

my twins should be dragon babies if they are to come out according to their EDD.... 26th Jan 2012... :)

but if i opt for planned c-sect, they will be out on the 2nd week of Jan...

i am still hesitating on vbac.... dunno if i should take the risk?

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Hello mommies!

After I have delivered my baby on the first day, I tried breastfeeding him directly. The nurse was so kind to guide me but I didn't end up breastfeeding him. Well, we had problem latching him on. The nurse later told me to keep trying at home, which I did but he just wouldn't latch on. During confinement, we still tried but he just wouldn't want to latch on. It got me so upset because I really wanted to experience breastfeeding directly with him.

Fast forward 5 months, I have been exclusively pumping for him. I admit it was tough work but I never thought of giving up breastfeeding. I am loving it so much now, seeing my baby drinking my breastmilk. Yeah! It's a little crazy because I hate the pumping and cleaning part but I love the rewards. :wacko3:

Two days ago, I brought my baby for 5 mth check up. My paed commented that he is not gaining enough weight or she said slow weight gain?? Only 300gm since 4th mth. I used to think that every baby gain differently and especially breastfed babies. My baby is not the chubby michelin type but his flesh is really firm - fit fit. She told me to continue bf and supplement formula. That made me really disappointed with myself, is my bm not rich enough?? I am sure I am getting all the hindmilk. If baby is not gaining weight, must we supplement formula?

I am so confused about starting him on formula. Will it decrease my milk? Mommies, I hope to know your experience if baby is not gaining enough weight on breastmilk. What would you do?

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Mommyandbaby,

How many oz your baby is drinking now? What's the frequency?

If u pump and feed, there shouldn't be issue of not having enough per feed as u can control his intake.

How do you warm up your ebm? Could it be nutrient loss when warming up?

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Mommyandbaby,

How many oz your baby is drinking now? What's the frequency?

If u pump and feed, there shouldn't be issue of not having enough per feed as u can control his intake.

How do you warm up your ebm? Could it be nutrient loss when warming up?

HI ceetee,

My baby is drinking 4.5 -5 oz per feed, 5 -6 times a day. Sometimes he doesn't finish all the milk.

I warm my ebm by placing the bottle in a mug with hot water, not for very long though.

Does the hot water affect the nutrient loss?

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Hi, Purple Lotus,

Wow, your milk established within 1 week?? very fast ya...

are u using twin pump? did you service your pump b4 you deliver?

I am wondering should i service it now?

i used to pump 12 times a day during my confinement when i delivered Gina, but my milk kicked in damn slow....

i dunno if it was due to 'dong guai' that i had in my confinement diet....

this time i am going to totally omit 'dong guai' and let's see how....

my twins should be dragon babies if they are to come out according to their EDD.... 26th Jan 2012... :)

but if i opt for planned c-sect, they will be out on the 2nd week of Jan...

i am still hesitating on vbac.... dunno if i should take the risk?

ceetee,

I'm using Ameda twin pump. I didn't service it prior to delivery but I did on it for 10 mins to see if it was in working order. I'm getting a pre-loved Medela Freestyle as a backup. Heard from other forummers the review is very good.

I didn't pump that many times partly because my nipples were sore from my baby's sucking and I didn't want to aggravate the problem. But regular application of Bepanthene cream to the nipples after feeding and pumping took care of the problem.

I did take dong guai during my confinement as a matter of fact I loved it. It does seem to be a problem with me. Don't worry, I'm sure your milk kick in faster the second time around.

On the birth plan issue, you might want to discuss the possibilities with your gynae. What are his views on delivering twins as a vbac? If everything is fine, like babies heartrate, positioning, your previous scar etc. then perhaps you can opt for a vbac. C-sec is by far the safest option though, given that you are delivering twins this time around, just my opinion.

How was your recovery after your 1st csec? I met a mom who just delivered twin boys having difficulty breastfeeding due to her post csec pain. She was still in a wheelchair after 5days. I could get up and walk around slowly by day 2. So, it really depends on individual.

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Mommyandbaby,

How many oz your baby is drinking now? What's the frequency?

If u pump and feed, there shouldn't be issue of not having enough per feed as u can control his intake.

How do you warm up your ebm? Could it be nutrient loss when warming up?

HI ceetee,

My baby is drinking 4.5 -5 oz per feed, 5 -6 times a day. Sometimes he doesn't finish all the milk.

I warm my ebm by placing the bottle in a mug with hot water, not for very long though.

Does the hot water affect the nutrient loss?

Dear mommyandbaby,

I take it that your son has still not been started on solids. I believe that weight gain is really individual. If your baby is feeding fine according to schedule (I believe 300g is still considered as weight gain!) there shouldn't be a cause to worry. Perhaps your baby is now more active, learning to turn and trying to crawl etc., all this activity makes him burn his calories faster. I don't think its nutrient loss of your ebm by warming with hot water. Maybe you can try to see if there is any improvement on the 6th month visit. Regarding mixing with formula, I don't see it is necessary if you have sufficient milk, just my honest opinion.

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Mommyandbaby,

How many oz your baby is drinking now? What's the frequency?

If u pump and feed, there shouldn't be issue of not having enough per feed as u can control his intake.

How do you warm up your ebm? Could it be nutrient loss when warming up?

HI ceetee,

My baby is drinking 4.5 -5 oz per feed, 5 -6 times a day. Sometimes he doesn't finish all the milk.

I warm my ebm by placing the bottle in a mug with hot water, not for very long though.

Does the hot water affect the nutrient loss?

Very high temp can destroy the nutrients... If u use bottle warmer, the highest temp is only 70 deg C, that's for initial 'heat' up, after tat, keep warm @ 40 deg.

Regarding supply drop if u supplement, if u pump exclusively, I dun see the problem.... Just maintain your current pumping freq will do.

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Purple lotus,

Ok, I think I will also do the same, juz let it run for a while, if ok, be it.... The SA said sometimes after servicing, the pump will b noisy.. I m using Medela pisa, but I hav a Swing for stby....

My gynae is always pro-natural... B4 we found out I got twins, he actually suggested I go for vbac.

2 mths ago when we started discussing about birth plan, he hinted c-sect bcos babies were 1 head down 1 head up....

But he said it's still early to discuss at tat stage.... Maybe on my next chk up, I will ask him again....

My recovery on previous c-sect delivery was fast, I oso could get down & walk myself by 2nd day. Jus got traumatised cos it was an emergency c-sect....

The 'aftermath' was a lil post-natal depression.... Sigh....

But this time I think I can manage it better....

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Purple lotus,

Ok, I think I will also do the same, juz let it run for a while, if ok, be it.... The SA said sometimes after servicing, the pump will b noisy.. I m using Medela pisa, but I hav a Swing for stby....

My gynae is always pro-natural... B4 we found out I got twins, he actually suggested I go for vbac.

2 mths ago when we started discussing about birth plan, he hinted c-sect bcos babies were 1 head down 1 head up....

But he said it's still early to discuss at tat stage.... Maybe on my next chk up, I will ask him again....

My recovery on previous c-sect delivery was fast, I oso could get down & walk myself by 2nd day. Jus got traumatised cos it was an emergency c-sect....

The 'aftermath' was a lil post-natal depression.... Sigh....

But this time I think I can manage it better....

ceetee,

I had mild post-natal depression as well after my 1st delivery but it wasn't from the csec itself. it was due to the bad confinement experience I had at a confinement center. Now I'm doing my confinement at home.

I'm now feeding Ivan my breastmilk as well. He likes it which quite surprises me. I have always thought kids that have gotten used to drinking fm will reject breastmilk because fm is sweeter. Perhaps he still remembers the taste that he used to like so much. When I had to stop breastfeeding Ivan, I was feeling very down because I felt I wasn't a good mother. But at that point, I had no choice as I was pregnant withJayden and my energy level practically down to zero. It affected my milk supply and I unwillingly had to stop. Now, that I have sufficient for both of them, I'm really happy. I hope I can breastfeed longer this time.

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Oh.... Must b the ridiculous rules set by the confinement ctr ah?

I tot bm is sweeter compared to fm?

I also had a tough time weaning Gina off my breasts.... She also.

I stopped when she was 1 yr old.. was advised by surgeon bcoz of serious clogged milk ducts.

Tho no fever, but the lumps were big... Plus I got previous history of fibroid.

Even leaving my breastpump at home seemed like a sin....

Something tat had been part of my routine....

Then after a short while, I conceived.... So it's not a bad timing tho...

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ceetee,

Yes, ridiculous rules and can't stand the way they handle babies. Ivan was quite a fussy baby and I couldn't really cope alone after I went back home, crying baby, blocked milk ducts, sore and cracked nipples, sleepness nights... I guess that lead to depression.

I was pumping exclusively for Ivan from 2nd mth onwards. He refused to latch on, and I had to resort to pumping. After you stop breastfeeding the lumps slowly subside? Did you took any medication for it? I had some lumps as well but they weren't huge, just that they were stubborn and just wouldn't go away.

I slowly dragged my pumping time. My milk supply had started to dwindle by then. I had started supplementing with formula milk since my supply was not enought to meet his demands plus the tiredness from the 2nd pregnancy was getting to me. Then I stopped using my pump and just used my hands to squeeze out the milk into storage bottle. By then I was only getting around 7-8oz a day. I stopped storing the milk after my milk volume went down to 2-3oz. Just squeeze out whatever is remaining when I took my bath so I wouldn't end up with clogged milk ducts. At that time seeing all my empty storage bottles, gave me the blues, the hormones from the 2nd pregnancy was getting to me as well...I guess...

Now, seeing my storage bottles being filled up and looking at my freezer stacking with milk, I couldn't be more happier. Ivan and his brother Jayden are both on my breast milk now. Maybe you might have surplus milk to feed Gina as well. You never know... :biggrin:

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ceetee,

Yes, ridiculous rules and can't stand the way they handle babies. Ivan was quite a fussy baby and I couldn't really cope alone after I went back home, crying baby, blocked milk ducts, sore and cracked nipples, sleepness nights... I guess that lead to depression.

I was pumping exclusively for Ivan from 2nd mth onwards. He refused to latch on, and I had to resort to pumping. After you stop breastfeeding the lumps slowly subside? Did you took any medication for it? I had some lumps as well but they weren't huge, just that they were stubborn and just wouldn't go away.

I slowly dragged my pumping time. My milk supply had started to dwindle by then. I had started supplementing with formula milk since my supply was not enought to meet his demands plus the tiredness from the 2nd pregnancy was getting to me. Then I stopped using my pump and just used my hands to squeeze out the milk into storage bottle. By then I was only getting around 7-8oz a day. I stopped storing the milk after my milk volume went down to 2-3oz. Just squeeze out whatever is remaining when I took my bath so I wouldn't end up with clogged milk ducts. At that time seeing all my empty storage bottles, gave me the blues, the hormones from the 2nd pregnancy was getting to me as well...I guess...

Now, seeing my storage bottles being filled up and looking at my freezer stacking with milk, I couldn't be more happier. Ivan and his brother Jayden are both on my breast milk now. Maybe you might have surplus milk to feed Gina as well. You never know... :biggrin:

My lumps are not really big, just stubborn like u said.... Already had the milk taken out via fnac, but within an hr, they came back.

Now they are sort of hardened... Will do something after I stop Bf'ing next.

Ha? I hope so I can hav so much.... If really got.surplus, I think i'll store for the babies... Have to stock up for them juz in case I dun hav enough...

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Thank you purple lotus and ceetee,

I will continue giving him my EBM. I think I might be using water that is too hot to heat it up. I will use warm water from now on.

For the past few days, I had been struggling with a 'pimple' on my areola! I might have been using too much pressure on my electric pump when pumping milk. At first, it was slightly swollen, and pumping was so painful as it's very close to the nipple. The next day, it became bigger, it looked like I have a second nipple! I tried squeezing it but no luck. Two days later, it's not so swollen anymore but I can see the little bump is still there. Worse thing now, it's no longer painful but when pressed on the areola, I could feel a lump(not inside my breast tissue). I think it's a blocked areolar gland.

Do I leave it as it is or I have to drain it out? Anyone face the same problem before?

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Thank you purple lotus and ceetee,

I will continue giving him my EBM. I think I might be using water that is too hot to heat it up. I will use warm water from now on.

For the past few days, I had been struggling with a 'pimple' on my areola! I might have been using too much pressure on my electric pump when pumping milk. At first, it was slightly swollen, and pumping was so painful as it's very close to the nipple. The next day, it became bigger, it looked like I have a second nipple! I tried squeezing it but no luck. Two days later, it's not so swollen anymore but I can see the little bump is still there. Worse thing now, it's no longer painful but when pressed on the areola, I could feel a lump(not inside my breast tissue). I think it's a blocked areolar gland.

Do I leave it as it is or I have to drain it out? Anyone face the same problem before?

Sorry, but I didn't encounter this problem before. Maybe you might want to see a doctor and see what he says?

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I had a painful sensation on my left breast when I pumped last night. I can feel the pain even when I get a letdown. There's no lump but when I squeezed my breasts , I can feel the pain from

underneath my armpit and it goes all the way the areola. I had mild fever this afternoon 38C. Did anyone encounter this before?

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I had a painful sensation on my left breast when I pumped last night. I can feel the pain even when I get a letdown. There's no lump but when I squeezed my breasts , I can feel the pain from

underneath my armpit and it goes all the way the areola. I had mild fever this afternoon 38C. Did anyone encounter this before?

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Mommyandbaby,

Ya, I think u shud go n see a Dr.

Purple lotus,

I hav never encountered your prob but it sounds like mastitis to me.

Visit your gynae or a LC asap, u might hav to be prescribed antibiotic.

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Latching on my baby helped relieve some of the pain but the fever is still there on and off. I'm taking Panadol for the fever. Will do as you suggest. Thanks.

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Latching on my baby helped relieve some of the pain but the fever is still there on and off. I'm taking Panadol for the fever. Will do as you suggest. Thanks.

Hope you are feeling better now.....

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