Stuff that Helped me Breastfeed

Ok so as I said before, I needed a lot of gadgets to help me get through all the challenges that nursing my tenacious little infant presented. Below is a list of the ones that helped the most and where I got them. 

1. Nipple shields. The ones I used often were Avent brand that my mother-in-law found at SM Megamall (around P800 for a pair). I’ve also seen them at the Hypermarket in libis and in Rustan’s. They were recommended by the midwife at the hospital when she noticed that baby J just couldn’t latch on properly. Frustrated and scared, I asked my mother-in-law to find me nipple shields so these were sort of an emergency purchase, no time to read reviews or comparison shop. Eventually I found a better kind, Medela brand available at Rustan’s (I think 1,200 a pair), but by then the baby wasn’t using them as much anymore. Take note that these things have sizes! I made the mistake of buying smalls and ended up never using them, buy the mediums to be safe.

I used these not so much to prevent soreness, they don’t do a good job of that, but to help baby latch. For latch these are great. You place them on top of the nipple and the baby’s suction will pull your nipple into the shield’s shape. For us the problem I think was that my nipples were flat and almost inverted, then the baby’s mouth was too small. So I credit these shields for my success in nursing, used them until he was about 3 months old. There are certainly downsides to these, including inefficient milk transfer (see kellymom for a full discussion), but women like me just cannot nurse without them. Just wean as soon as you are able, when baby is big enough to learn how to nurse without them.


For more see: Medela site on nipple shields

2. Breast shells. Great invention these things. Also used Avent brand since these were cheapest at Amazon when a friend was able to bring them home. I have seen them at SM stores as well for P1200, really expensive considering they were $12 on Amazon. When nipples get sore from friction with the baby’s tongue as he nurses, the pain sometimes gets worse when it then chafes against your bra or top. The shells protect your boobs from friction against clothing, giving them time to heal up and you some freedom to move around without pain. Put on some Lanolin (available at most baby sections in department stores and possibly Mercury Drug) after nursing then wear the shells.

3. Manual breast pump. I had an expensive brand electric pump which I used at home, a Medela that a friend gave me, that one is for the everyday pumping. For travel and overall mobility, have a manual pump. I bought a cheap one at Shopwise (P700), it doesn’t even have a brand, but it works well. These actually feel like they have more suction than the electric pump. You will need it for when you’re on road trips, on weekends out of town, for dealing with plugged ducts when you need stronger suction.

4. Warm compress. Warm wet heat is best for dealing with plugged ducts and mastitis. Believe me these are a b*tch to deal with and you want to make sure you are vigilant about checking for them and getting to fixing them before they get infected. If you don't feel like spending, make your own: put some bigas (uncooked rice) in a couple of socks, sew up the open ends, microwave for 30 seconds until warm. 

Some of these are tricky to find the Philippines. If you are not in a terrible hurry I suggest going online and checking if you can find these on the many mommy sites on multiply.

Breastfeeding for this ManilaMom was hard

Breastfeeding is hard. It may be easy for many, those who repeatedly say “it is the most natural thing in the world,” but for people like me, it is HARD. There are many reasons why I was able to survive breastfeeding and believe me it was a survival thing as every day I was pondering whether it was worth all the pain and frustration of both me and my baby. I’m not at the end of it either, 7 months of exclusive breastfeeding, I still deal with some pain and a lot of inconvenience. 

I don’t mean to harp on how hard bf is to discourage others from doing it, I want more women to breastfeed! I do think though, that if more women come into it prepared, knowing it could be hard and where the difficulties will come from, they will be more likely to stick with it. So below is a summary of what worked for me in terms of survival tactics:

1. Turn to your mom friends, those who have been there before and are kind enough to take the time to write you an email every now and then to share survival tips. Those with some “technical knowledge” and those who are supportive and not all oh-it-was-so-easy-i-don’t-understand-why-more-people-don’t-do-it.
2. Read read read. I read blogs, babycenter, baby books, videos and all other manner of information transference. I learned how to latch the baby properly by watching videos on YouTube, learned about oversupply on kellymom, learned about weaning from the bottle from ... somewhere. Arm yourself with information because you are your best advocate, you know what you can and cannot deal with and you are the one who knows what is bothering your baby. 
3. Do not rely on your pediatrician or OB for lactation and nursing advice. They know next-to-nothing. What they know can be summed up in the following sentence: breastfeeding is best for babies, keep doing it. Most of the information you will need is online, or if you’re not a reader, with a lactation consultant or midwife.
4. Buy and use the gadgets and meds. I used a lot of them: nipple shields, breast shells, lanolin, saline solutions, hydrogel packs, etc etc. I even cling-wrapped my nipples once. Believe me, you’ll do anything to deal with the pain.
5. Sleep with your baby. This one is not for everybody and is truly a personal choice based on what you and your partner are comfortable with. After around a month of sleepless nights I finally did it, put the baby in the bed, lay down beside him and breastfed him until he was asleep. It changed everything for me. I got more sleep, the baby got more sleep, my husband got more sleep. Everybody was happier. Plus I really believe that it increased my milk supply having the baby around me all the time. 

Breastfeeding did not “come naturally” to me until month 3, when I could whip out my boob with no additional equipment (i.e. nipple shield) and know that wherever we were and no matter how hungry he was he could latch and get a good feed. Now I feel like a pro, but still feeling pain as the baby starts growing teeth. Overall it was a struggle worth going through. Keep your eye on the prize and don’t hesitate to ask for help.