Hi Excited Mummy,Hi Shiawase,
Thank you for sharing. Jiayou, mummy! Indeed it's not as easy as what I had thought.
I have just started taking fenugreek supplements and the milk flow has improved.
Increased pumping to 5 or 6 times a day. Recently, my Philips Avent single electric pump is getting cranky! It tends to stop rather often during my pumping... the power just goes off and I have to try to turn it on again and again and again...
This morning, I am so happy I managed to hit a record high of 160ml in a single pumping session... but after that, the flow went down to 80 / 90ml during next few sessions... Sigh... warming the milk up is also a guess game. Some times I warm it up in anticipation that baby will be hungry but he isn't... actually it's not good to warm it up a 2nd time but to throw the breastmilk away is such a waste!! Some times too slow to warm up & baby is crying... so give baby a little bit to soothe him first while waiting for the rest to be warmed...
How often do you sterilise your breastpump? I am using Philips Avent steriliser for the teats, bottles & breastpump... but as I have 4 bottles for baby, i only sterilise the breastpump after i use it twice, within 4 hours or so. is it ok? or shld i be sterilising it after every use? I read from a website that direct latch on is best as some good things are lost as they are stuck onto the breastpump & bottles... but expressed breast milk is 2nd best to direct breastfeeding...
Some breastmilk is better than none, right? So we should persevere and jiayou for the sakes of our babies!
Best wishes to all mummies!
Glad to hear that your supply is increasing! Just keep on maintaining the pumping sessions and supplements, hope your supply can be stabilised soon.. for me, sometimes the volume will go cranky too... on certain days, it will be low then suddenly it will be about the usual amount again... i also have no idea why... you can keep record of your daily pump volume to better monitor... think its more effective than comparing every single session...
I have a fren who is using the same pump as you and hers broke down 3 times already... do you still have the warranty? i think its better to bring down to get the problem resolved asap so that it does not disturb your pumping sessions...
Try to learn the signs of hunger that your baby gives... if you see your baby's mouth moving and turning his head from side to side, he is probably hungry... ^^ at night i try to anticipate when he is hungry too, if not he will cry so loud and disturb everyone's sleep... :s
Last time i used to sterilise after each pump which is super tiring... i read from the instruction manual that only need to boil for the first time usage and i stop to sterilise it... read somewhere that breastmilk is supposed to have antimicrobial properties so we actually no need to sterilise so often...