Breastfeeding

With the birth of Baby Rae-anne, I thought that breastfeeding would be a breeze because I have successfully breastfed my two other children but it was not as smooth sailing as I thought it would be.

Rae-anne is the biggest baby at birth among my children. She weighed in at 3.93kg; Ariel at 2.835kg and Rachel at 3.655kg. (somehow mummies seemed to have super memory when it comes to remembering such figures!!)

She seemed to want to drink more and I placed her at my breast whenever she wants to suckle (feeding on demand). But that suckling need seemed to go on and on... In the day it was alright as I have my parents to stand in if I needed a toilet break or a rest from carrying her.... but comes night time, I am all alone. It was very tough the first night I got home from hospital. I didn't sleep a wink as she was very cranky and wanting to suckle. I couldn't place her in her cot to sleep as she will awake minutes later. I couldn't rest and was exhausted.

I know that lack of rest will affect my milk supply so I decided to top up with formula milk for the night feed. It went on alright for the next couple of days. I managed to rest and more milk came in. I stopped the topping up of formula milk for another two days and she started to be cranky again in the night. In the end, I thought to myself that I would top up the night feed with formula milk and get some rest.

The recommended feeding of formula milk is 120ml for a month old baby every 4 hourly. (That means you can feed her that amount of milk 6 times in a day). I fed Rae-anne 60ml at night. I thought that if that amount could last her 2 hours, it would be enough for me to catch some rest. That was what I did and so far, she managed to sleep for 3 hours with 60ml of formula milk. The rest of the feeds are all breast milk.

I am taking fenugreek supplement pills to help boost my milk supply. My mum also makes papaya fish soup for me (lunch & dinner) and I am downing that red date longan drink every day. 

I am looking forward to seeing Rae-anne getting more and more puffed up. Her two siblings can't wait for her to grow up so that she can join in the fun (or nonsense) with them. 

I can't wait for confinement to be over!! I need my cold shower!