Just My Tots

The initial months of bfg is the hardest. After getting used to bfg the baby at home, the stressful cycle starts again when I have to pump at work.

Our company has a bfg facility for the employees. The stressful time is when I open up the fridge and find bottles of full ebm and my bottle is no where near full.

I used to tell other new mothers not to compare the EBM output but it is hard leh. How not to see (and compare) when I am placing my own bottle of milk in the fridge. How envious I am of other mothers who are able to pump full bottles each time. I know one mother who is able to pump 2 full 10 oz bottles at each session. Jeles-nya!!!!!

I am currently pumping 3 times a day. Once in the morning before I leave for work and twice during the workday. The volume is just ngam-ngam for his next day’s feed.

I have to keep reminding myself that what I am going through now is similar to Bryan’s time. My output is still the same but yet I managed to stay off formula until he is past 1 year.

The last few nights, I have been using some of my pumped milk to feed Dylan. Why? To try to see if his difficulty to fall asleep is due to inadequate milk. He takes the EBM from bottle without any fuss but he still need me to nurse & cuddle him afterwards.

I just found out at Kellymom that this behaviour is normal. It is very common for babies to be fussy and cluster feed in the evenings, particularly in the early months.

“It has nothing to do with your breastmilk or your mothering. If baby is happy the rest of the day, and baby doesn’t seem to be in pain (as with colic) during the fussy time - just keep trying to soothe your baby and don’t beat yourself up about the cause. Let baby nurse as long and as often as he will. Recruit dad (or another helper) to bring you food/drink and fetch things (book/remote/phone/etc.) while you are nursing and holding baby.

Does this mean that baby needs more milk than I can provide?

No. Don’t give baby a bottle — supplementation will only tell your body that you need LESS milk at this time, and that will not help matters. Also, keep in mind that formula fed babies experience fussy periods in the evening, too — fussy evenings are common for all young babies, no matter how they are fed. The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine spells this out in their supplementary feeding guidelines:

There are common clinical situations where evaluation and breastfeeding management may be necessary, but supplementation is NOT INDICATED including… The infant who is fussy at night or constantly feeding for several hours

(Read more here.)

Perhaps babies simply need to nurse more often at this time — rather than consume more milk.”

Alamak…seems like I have been doing the WRONG thing. Wasted my EBM that could have been used for his day feeding or to store! (I am obsessed with stocking up EBM in the freezer.)

Guess I just need to tell myself what I have been telling other mothers….JUST RELAX!