I did it! I can now easily pump 8 ounces at a time. It comes as a bittersweet victory. I was diagnosed with a hyperthyroid. It pains me to stop breastfeeding as I need to take PTU. No wonder I had difficulty producing more milk than what my dear baby needed.
It isn't that difficult once I hurdled the 8 ounces. Somedays, it's just 4 ounces, other days, I can make it up to 9. I still find joy in putting 2 full bottles of fresh breastmilk in the refrigerator.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
The Road to 8 Ounces
I didn't really worry much about my breastmilk production until my yaya (nanny) of 1 week mentioned casually that her previous amo (boss) produced 8-12ounces of breastmilk each time she pumped milk. Whaaaattt??? 8 ounces??? I only produced 4 ounces on an extremely good pumping session (and both breasts already)!
After slowing down on the work front, my type A personality surfaced once again. If others can do it, so can I. But how on earth do I do that?
Step 1: On the day I proudly announced to the world that I was ready to go back to work... I took it back. Stress, apparently, slows down production. And I am not the best manager of stress. My uber supportive husband took on my work load on top of his as his vote of support.
Step 2: Drink more water. Aha, easy peasy. I drink 1 glass of water each time I nurse or pump. And on top of that, I take in as much hot soup as I possibly can which means I eat more at my mom's house than at mine since my refrigerator and pantry are still quite empty.
Step 3: Drink tea to increase my milk. Despite rain and sleep deprivation, I make a sidetrip to Healthy Options to pick up Mother's Milk Tea by Traditional Medicinals. It tastes good but I don't know if it works.
Step 4: Schedule a massage with a local "hilot". It costs a hefty P1,000 per visit but I set it up just the same. It's worth a try.
Step 5: Pump like there's no tomorrow. From pumping only when my breasts felt full, I try to pump religiously every 3 hours. My nipples are already a bit sore from all the pumping so I slowed it down a bit. Plus, my daughter seems to want milk AFTER I pump.
As luck would have it, I got to talk to a mom who pumps 8 oz per session and she gave me a host of tips (including the number of the hilot). She also recommended the pumping bra from Amazon. I was so excited at the prospect of being hands free while pumping that I improvised a hands-free pumping bra. I roadtested it at breakfast today. It worked quite well though the site of it made my husband laugh out loud.
So far, I've only been 2 days into my 5 step plan. It's still 3 ounces per pumping (less in the evening). But there are still many tips I have not tried. I will get to the coveted 8 ounces per pumping. Until then, I am counting the hours until my manghihilot arrives.
After slowing down on the work front, my type A personality surfaced once again. If others can do it, so can I. But how on earth do I do that?
Step 1: On the day I proudly announced to the world that I was ready to go back to work... I took it back. Stress, apparently, slows down production. And I am not the best manager of stress. My uber supportive husband took on my work load on top of his as his vote of support.
Step 2: Drink more water. Aha, easy peasy. I drink 1 glass of water each time I nurse or pump. And on top of that, I take in as much hot soup as I possibly can which means I eat more at my mom's house than at mine since my refrigerator and pantry are still quite empty.
Step 3: Drink tea to increase my milk. Despite rain and sleep deprivation, I make a sidetrip to Healthy Options to pick up Mother's Milk Tea by Traditional Medicinals. It tastes good but I don't know if it works.
Step 4: Schedule a massage with a local "hilot". It costs a hefty P1,000 per visit but I set it up just the same. It's worth a try.
Step 5: Pump like there's no tomorrow. From pumping only when my breasts felt full, I try to pump religiously every 3 hours. My nipples are already a bit sore from all the pumping so I slowed it down a bit. Plus, my daughter seems to want milk AFTER I pump.
As luck would have it, I got to talk to a mom who pumps 8 oz per session and she gave me a host of tips (including the number of the hilot). She also recommended the pumping bra from Amazon. I was so excited at the prospect of being hands free while pumping that I improvised a hands-free pumping bra. I roadtested it at breakfast today. It worked quite well though the site of it made my husband laugh out loud.
So far, I've only been 2 days into my 5 step plan. It's still 3 ounces per pumping (less in the evening). But there are still many tips I have not tried. I will get to the coveted 8 ounces per pumping. Until then, I am counting the hours until my manghihilot arrives.
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