On the first day, she had to drink formula for both her feeds there. When I brought her back, she cried and cried (as she wasn’t familiar enough to sleep soundly there yet).

Luckily, I managed to breastfeed and calm her down: I had to rock her to sleep in my arms and hold her there until she was fast asleep. The poor little dear clung onto my t-shirt with her little hand but she managed a sweet smile to my visitor, a long lost friend.

The next day, I timed my pumps at 3-hour intervals but I could only get 1-2 oz per session! Angeleyes sympathized with me when she saw me pumping because I am, ahem, heavy on top.

As it’s 4 years since I have been pumping breast milk, I did a bit of research and found Medela’s guide on finding the right sized breastshield. I also read up on AVENT’s tips and advice for expressing milk.

I used Medela’s checklist below and adjusted my pump:

1. Center the nipple in the breastshield tunnel.

2. Turn on the pump and check the following points:

* Is her nipple moving freely in the tunnel? YES

* Is minimal or no areolar tissue being pulled into the tunnel of the breastshield? YES

* Does she see a gentle, rhythmical motion in the breast with each cycle of the pump? YES

* Does she feel the breast emptying all over? NO – This was what I’ve been doing wrong! No wonder I always get low input.

Now, I know that the milk IS in there – we need to get the method right in order to express it

* Is her nipple pain-free? YES

After having a hot drink and getting the breast pump ready, I set up my baby’s photo on the laptop:

MUMMY, CAN I HAVE MORE MILK, PLEASE?

Smiling at her photo, I started to relax and pump. I could even daydream about Disney vacations

After about 20 minutes, I was happy to see 3 oz! I managed to get that each session and I even stayed up till 11 pm for a last pump (keeping the poor brother waiting and waiting for Mummy to finish).

Voila, here’s my back-up stash:

It’s not much but it’s a start and I hope to build it up slowly since I had ZERO from the day she was born. Now that she prefers EBM to formula milk, looks like Mummy can’t be lazy anymore :p

THAT’S THE WAY, MUM! KEEP IT COMING…

Now, expressing milk isn’t such a chore anymore…

LADIES: If you are NOT getting any (or little) milk from your pump, do ask for help from the hospital nurses, lactation consultants or any breastfeeding mothers.

Remember, ask and you shall receive.

UPDATE:
Since my baby is still small, she feeds on 3 hour intervals (I can’t remember if we ever went to 4 hour intervals for breastfed babies…).

I pump every 3 hours during the day i.e. 11 am and 2 pm. Other times I breastfeed i.e. 7.00-8.00 am, 5 pm, 8 pm, 11 pm, 3 am.

Breastfeed fully on weekends, if possible. A bit tough when the boy’s at home!

However, her schedule isn’t so perfect. She gets hungry faster when:

a) she has some activity i.e. a bath, bugged by people or kept awake too long

b) she has just poo-ed

• 1 single electric pump (convertible into a manual pump),
• 1 battery set
• 1 pack of pump spare parts
• 1 travel kit (bottle & pump cover)
• 1 pack Avent breastpads
• Warranty from AVENT – valid for 2 years (from January 2010)
• AVENT’s Guide to Breastfeeding

What’s missing? The 4 oz AVENT bottle.

Mothers who pump regularly will love these features:

• User-friendly. Just fix the electric motor onto the manual pump, plug in the power, press the blue button a while and you’re ready!
• Efficient. AVENT breast pumps are famous for its gentle yet powerful suction,
• 3 ways to pump. Manual, Electric or Battery.
• Quiet. Yup, no motor boat sounds

Pumping is really a breeze with this baby.

Retailing at RM899, I’m letting the set go for only RM700 (22% discount). Price includes courier charges within Malaysia.

FOR DETAILED VIEW:
1) CLICK ON PHOTO
2) CLICK ON ‘ALL SIZES’

I bought the AVENT Isis Uno IQ Electric Breast Pump with the intention of going back to work full-time. However, our plans changed (only finance jobs available now…) and I will remain a stay-at-home Mum. Thus, I’m using my old Avent Isis Manual pump.

If you’re familiar with AVENT ’s technology featuring a:

“…gentle-draw vacuum that mimics baby’s suckling to create a steady milk flow that requires less pumping.

Patented massage cushions flex in and out, replicating baby’s suckling action and stimulating a fast, natural let-down.”

you’ll love the AVENT Isis Uno IQ Electric Breast Pump!

After you settle into a rhythm, just press the blue button. The AVENT electric pump will “remember” your pumping speed and repeat it. To stop, just press the single blue button again.

I used the electric motor only ONCE with my own pump, massage cushion, petal, handle etc. This means that the pump is NEW and UNUSED

Interested? Email me at kittycat2006[at]live[dot]com

If these two ladies are having a fun time shopping during the Sales! Sales! Sales! going on now, I’m sure they’ll be even more thrilled to find out that they have WON

Congratulations, ladies – have a fun time shopping for sweet and safe 100% organic cotton clothes for your kids The lovely lady from TheBabyOrganicStore will be in touch with you soon.

P/S If you’re taking your kids to the big, big mall, consider getting a portable GPS like the Garmin GPS for them, ok? Keep your eyes on them and hold on to their hands!

“Men makes plans but God decides”

I remember a saying like that, which shows how unpredictable life can be.

I was all happy when the confinement lady said that she’d stay on as a helper (and cook).

For the past two months, I had been hunting high and low for a domestic helper (not stay-in as there is NO room at our place already) and got rejected about 6 times that I gave up.

Since she’s coming in 2 weeks’ time, we all gritted our teeth and got down to do all the work that’s needed as best as we could.

One morning at the market, she called my Mum and said,

“Please tell your daughter I’m sorry. I’m so busy with Chinese New Year preparations because my children are coming home (she’d lamented that she doesn’t have a meaningful Chinese New Year because her kids DON’T come home) etc etc. I will help her to look for a helper.”

She was our last hope. Both of us were puzzled at her change of mind (I guess she’s hoping I was that desperate that I’d offer the confinement rate again!).

I called her to confirm this – I was even too tired to get angry with her. And I resigned myself to the fact that I will have to remain a full-time “stay-at-home Mother” for a few more months.

Then, Giddy Tigress sent me an excited email about a babysitter her babysitter recommended!

I personally prefer a daycare center but I thought I’d give her a chance. She turned out to be a gentle and youthful-looking 55 year old lady (whose husband goes to the market and cooks – wow!).

After a visit and an interview, I decided to try her out. At least I’d have a back-up in case I need it and if I needed to attend meetings etc, I’d be assured of my baby being taken good care of.

However, when it came to packing her things, I felt so, so, so sad! It was even worse when I brought her to the babysitter’s place and talked to her about her habits etc

The babysitter could sense my sadness and she tried to cheer me up saying that my baby was going to be with her for about 6 hours. I was still going to have her at night and weekends.

Still, it’s hard to part with this little cutie who flashes a big smile, squawks knowingly and kicks her arms and legs excitedly when she knows she’s going to be breastfed…

I was quite teary when I left her place but I told myself I had to be strong. My challenge now will be to be able to pump out enough breast milk for her to drink!

(She had to take formula which is a mix of Enfalac and Lactogen completely today. I’m worried she’s allergic like her brother because her poo seems runny)

I bumped into Giddy Tigress and we spent a while exchanging notes on various topics.

I had a stressful morning dropping off one kid after another because the preschooler wasn’t happy his sister is going to Auntie’s place. He’d actually asked me quietly in the car,

“What are you doing with the baby?”

When we reach the kindy, he REFUSED to get down from the car because he wanted to go to the Auntie’s house too. Aargh! I was so stressed because the baby started crying because the car was stationary.

The kindy teacher had to help haul the boy (crying) out of the car sigh, sigh sigh.

In the evening, I had to rush the preschooler through his romp in the playground because the traffic was building up and the girl’s feeding time was coming up.

It was *stressful* (again!) that I even followed a few cars in creating an illegal queue because an annoying and irrelevant traffic light was causing an unnecessary jam.

The baby was crying because she was tired out from the new routine – the poor dear hardly slept at the babysitter’s. Luckily, I could adjust my driver’s seat as back as I could to coax the pacifier into her mouth.

A lady in the car next to me smiled sympathetically and allowed me to go first. I swear I was all ready to get down and fight if ANYONE dared to dilly-dally on the road!

When she got home, I quickly breastfed her but she still refused to settle down. I thought she’s still hungry and made up some formula but she rejected it. I guess she’s too tired and got ready to put her to bed – my Mum still wanted to keep her in the hall to play!

After a very fierce yelling session, she managed to put her to sleep while I fed the preschooler his dinner.

I was really lucky today because I could get home quick enough without both kids having a total meltdown. But I don’t think I’ll be lucky every day.

I know I’ll be able to build muscle fast with this new routine but I think I’ll drop off and pick up each child individually.

That way, my Mum can help the little one settle down at home earlier and I can give the bigger one the attention he still needs.

I’ll need to do this for the next few months until she’s bigger and adjusts to the new routine and new babysitter. Then, I’ll bring her home earlier and she can also join in the brother’s romps in the playground

What brand of formula milk is good nowadays? I have a feeling she’s allergic to Lactogen but she doesn’t seem to like Enfalac. I wonder if I should go back to Similac which she took at the hospital?

Have you walked down the formula milk aisle in the supermarket recently? The number of brands is enough to make my head spin, not to mention the exorbitant prices!!!

Usually, I’d dash home to breastfeed the little girl but since she started fussing before the service ended, I went out to see if I could find a quiet room.

I don’t know many people there so I asked a lady washing up some plates at the sink and she directed me to the room where the kids would have their colouring activities.

Peeping in, I saw a few ladies arranging some chairs and setting up some audio-visual equipment. When they heard I needed to breastfeed, they warmly welcomed me to choose any corner I liked

My baby girl was halfway through when a little girl tip-toed into the room, asking if she could SEE me with the baby:

Girl: What is she doing?
Me: Drinking her milk.
Girl: Where does the milk come from?
Me: (Totally unprepared for this!!! And I hope her parents will approve) Huh? From the breast.
Girl: She can’t open her eyes yet, is it?
Me: She can but she’s sleepy when she drinks her milk. How old ARE you? (I decided to ask some questions back LOL)
Girl: Twelve.
Me: (Amazed at how little and naive this 12 years old is. I believe I knew more and was much taller! Of course, I’m one of the shortest now…) Wow, you’re twelve??? Which school do you go to? Where are your parents?
Girl: Name of school. I followed my grandmother because there’s a free health check today.
Me: They give free health checks here? That’s good…
Girl: Look, she opened her eyes! Wow, she looks like a doll!

Then, a lady came in and I thought she’s the girl’s grandmother. She’s not. I’d finished breastfeeding by then and the baby girl was basking in the attention (she LOVES being with people).

Lady: Are you breastfeeding? That’s good. Keep it up! Just put her to the breast each time she needs it even if it’s hourly. Drink milk and eat yoghurt. Oh, look at the pretty girl! What a beautiful smile!
Me: Ya, she’s very friendly (I got to start getting used to the attention this little girl attracts whenever she opens her BIG eyes, flutters her eyelashes and flashes her cute smile.)
Lady: She’s gorgeous! Have you shown her to the people outside?
Me: Huh? I don’t know them…
Lady: Let me show her off for you. Such a pretty girl and you haven’t shown her off yet???

She whisked the girl out and I was amused by the joke she cracked – she was teasing a friend’s husband by telling everyone the girl’s her latest product by him!

Her friend turned out to be the lady who warmly welcomed me into the room and she was laughing along. This lady is hysterical! And she’s a real life of the party.

She soon gave me back the baby (and was happy to know they share the same horoscope with a wink) but when I turned to leave, she asked if I’d like a drink. She said the refreshments are actually for the meeting but she’d make an exception.

This golden girl then made me a mug of Milo and pushed me pieces of another friend’s home-made carrot cake – MMMMM!!!

When the boy showed up looking all forlorn because I was “missing”, she immediately grinned and said,

“Aiyo, look at you! You are a real Chinese boylah!”

(The boy and the girl look as different as day and night)

Without saying a word, the lady went back into the room. I thought she’d gone to continue with the meeting but she actually came out with a plastic glass and made him some Milo.

She also pushed him a piece of the carrot cake, which he gobbled up (it’s that good even the “I like chocolate cake ONLY” boy loved it)

Then, she passed around a pack of meow pneah (traditional Chinese cake filled with brown sugar), which he wanted but she said, “No, this one is for Mummy.”

But since he wanted it, I gave it to him. She frowned at him playfully and another friend gave me a piece of home-made sugee cake. Wow, I was so spoiled that morning!!!

I’d certainly like to meet this feisty old gal again, who doesn’t need eye wrinkle treatment because she’s so elegantly dressed and beautiful. She put my old Mum (64) to shame when she revealed that she’s 71 years old LOL

Isn’t she an amazing woman? I know I’d like to be like her if I reach that age…