Tips In Coping Up Supplies With Breastfeeding
- Krystal M. Estanilla
- Jul 2, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 20, 2020
Breastfeeding is one of the healthy and amazing things we can do for our little ones. As young as I was pregnant, I educated myself the wonderful things of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding isn’t also demanding when it comes to feeding babies, you have two options, direct latch or pump. But it comes with the issues of how much supply you are able to produce for your baby’s hunger needs. Honestly, I wasn’t the enougher mom or the under supplier when it comes to breastfeeding supply. I used to have engorge boobies every 2 hours and my silicone milk catcher was always full of let down. I crave for my daughter’s supplemental feeding since it’s one of the ways to release some supply. There are rough times when my baby can’t empty out the milk and that’s too painful. I can’t bear the pain of not having my little one feed on me every 2 hours or even less than it. I pump for hours everyday just to have relief from an engorged breast. I complain because I was an over supplier. And that was before I used to have an abundant supply of breast milk.
When my baby was around 5 months, I noticed I no longer have engorged bobbies when she was having a nursing strike (blame it on teething). I was able to be comfortable without having fed for like 4 hours, sometimes engorged but not that painful unlike before when she was newborn. I felt happy and delectable because of the absence of pain and unnecessary milk spills which caused me bad odor if my clothes couldn’t be changed every 3 hours. That was when I thought being an under supplier was ideal. Ideal because I don’t have to wake up in the middle of the night and felt the need to express my breastmilk. The problem began to manifest when I couldn’t full my daughter for a 30-minute-feeding. She was irritable and showed hunger cues right after feeding. I panicked and found some remedy to trigger my supply. Weeks have passed and it was still the same, low milk supply and a cry cry baby. I found out stress is one of the contributing factors of low milk supply. No wonder I’ve been up to it, my environment was so toxic and unhealthy; restless days, hopeless nights and unwell thoughts but it didn’t stop me to be determined in boosting up my supply again.
After endless nights of doing research and reading comments and advice in a breastfeeding mommy group based in Cebu, it gave me the hope that I’ll be able to lactate my baby again without worrying about my milk supply. So here are the lists of advises and some milk supply booster that I have been taking:
1. Drink a lot of water
2. M2 Malungay
4. Galactagogues including chia seeds, cacao nibs, granula, tablea chocolate
5. Coconut water blended with coconut milk.
6. Plenty of seashell-soup meals like kaong, saang.
7. More sleep & more rest.
And lastly Prayers. After all the extra effort and frustrations, it turned out great, it improved my breastmilk supply.
Motherhood is a sacrifice but with breastfeeding? Can you imagine sore nipples? Crack and wounded nipples? I did, but it’s all going to be worth it. I never really thought I would have come this far, 8 months and going strong of pure hard work and determination. It’s not easy, they say but as we think of natural yet beneficial, this is the only liquid gold suitable and purposely made for our little ones as they grow in this world full of uncertainties especially in this year of pandemic where breastmilk is considered as healing booster for COVID 19. For me, if given the options to choose, there is no other way I wouldn’t breastfeed my daughter. Grateful for all the amazing and mysterious ways the Lord has shown to me.
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