Tuesday 20 March 2007

Allergies in Breastfed Babies

I was wondering if my sudden intake of eggs (at least one a day or more) for a week could cause my baby to have an allergic reaction with his whole body getting covered in hives. My baby is now 7 months old but I had not really eaten eggs up until now. Nothing else in the baby's routine or diet changed. Is it possible for food that I eat to filter through my body to the extent of giving the baby an allergic reaction? Are there other foods to avoid?

If a baby is sensitive to a certain food then, yes, they can have allergic reactions to food that the mom has eaten. You can try cutting eggs out of your diet & see if your baby's condition improves. There aren't absolute specific foods that everyone should avoid. If you know of any foods that other members of your family are sensitive to, then you could try also avoiding those foods. If you notice that your baby seems to be developing any symptoms of allergy after you have introduced any new foods to your diet, just discontinue that food for a while & see how things go.

Will Baby Ever Take A Bottle ??

recently, I have problem getting my 4 months old baby OFF my breast. She needs to be breastfed to sleep. And if I took out my breast, she will start looking for it after 10 minutes. I've tried many many nights not to give in but she kept screaming so loud as if she's in so much pain (well I know she's not). I've try took the breast out before she sleep and try to pat her to sleep, still not working, she will cry after a while and wanna suck on the breast. That way, she will doze off very fast. But my breasts need to be there, "standby" for her when she suddenly woke up to look for her walking pacifier. Also, she rejects all kind of feeding method of expressed breastmilk, I've tried bottle, dropper, syringe, spoon... nothing work, she only want direct breastfeed. I can't go anywhere else because I am totally stucked with her demand.Is there any way to get her drink from the bottle and not sleep on my breast?
Usually if baby is used to mom being around she will obviously prefer the breast. Many babies (much younger than 4 months) will refuse a bottle if they are not used to it & particularly if mom is nearby. Do you really mind that she needs you there all the time at this stage? If not, this is a short phase of your baby's life & it helps meet her need for security if you are there. Later on, you may look back & treasure these times nursing your baby to sleep!
If you really want someone else to put her down to sleep or give her a feed, then it would be helpful if you remove yourself at least to another room.
Ask the person giving the feed to wrap your baby in a piece of clothing that you have worn so that your familiar smell is still there
Try initially introducing bottles at a time your baby is still drowsy - often before they are fully awake babies will start to suckle on a teat.
Put your expressed milk in the bottle.
Ask the person offering the bottle to hold baby close in a position similar to the one you use for breastfeeding.
Try rocking the baby while offering the bottle.
Some babies never take a bottle, but once they start solids in the second half of the first year you can try encouraging other drinks in a cup !!

Any tips from other moms with similar concerns ??

Wednesday 14 March 2007

Breastfeeding Support Group March 2007





Contented breastfed babies !



Moms able to relax, feed their babies & chat

Breastfeeding Support Group

Mother to mother support can be very important for new & experienced breastfeeding moms. We meet once a month on the 2nd. Thursday morning. Nursing & expectant moms are all welcome. Get togethers are relaxed & informal & babies enjoy it too!
If you are working & unable to get to our meetings please feel free to discuss your breastfeeding issues on this blog!!

Working Moms

Hi....I have been breastfeeding for 7 months now. I am also a working mother. I find that my milk supplying is reducing. Would like to continue breastfeeding until the baby is at least 12 months old. How do I maintain my milk supply?

Hi Meing Chaan,

Basically your milk supply works on demand & supply ie the more you take out the more you will make. When you are working there are sometimes restrictions on how long or how often you can express your milk & if you are not able to express frequently enough the milk supply will reduce. Also expressing is not as effective as a baby suckling at the breast.

To increase the milk supply you may like to try the following:

If possible increase the frequency of expressing while at work.
Try to relax while you are expressing.If you are stressed it will affect the actual milk flow.
If you are pumping one breast at a time try double pumping.
Increase direct breastfeeding with your baby when you are at home.
At week-ends, revert to full breastfeeding & only express on work days.
Check that you are taking a well balanced diet (while you are breastfeeding you should be taking extra calories & plenty of good quality unrefined carbohydrates).
If the milk supply doesn't increase to meet your baby's needs you may want to consider taking Fenugreek. The capsules are not always easy to obtain but you can enquire at GNC shops. Other wise buy the fenugreek seeds. You can make a drink by adding approx 8 oz boiling water to a heaped teaspoon of fenugreek seeds. Let this steep for a few minutes & then drink the liquid. You can repeat this approx 3 x per day.If you like the taste of the seeds you can also eat the softened seeds.
If you have any medical conditions you may want to check with your doctor before doing this.
Alternatively there are medications your doctor can prescribe if the milk supply is very low.

Over the next few months your baby will gradually take more solid food & will require less of your milk but up to one year your milk is still your baby's staple food.

Comments & tips from other working moms would be very welcome.

Working Moms

Hi....I have been breastfeeding for 7 months now. I am also a working mother. I find that my milk supplying is reducing. Would like to continue breastfeeding until the baby is at least 12 months old. How do I maintain my milk supply?

Hi Meing Chaan,

Basically your milk supply works on demand & supply ie the more you take out the more you will make. When you are working there are sometimes restrictions on how long or how often you can express your milk & if you are not able to express frequently enough the milk supply will reduce. Also expressing is not as effective as a baby suckling at the breast.

To increase the milk supply you may like to try the following:

If possible increase the frequency of expressing while at work.
Try to relax while you are expressing.If you are stressed it will affect the actual milk flow.
If you are pumping one breast at a time try double pumping.
Increase direct breastfeeding with your baby when you are at home.
At week-ends, revert to full breastfeeding & only express on work days.
Check that you are taking a well balanced diet (while you are breastfeeding you should be taking extra calories & plenty of good quality unrefined carbohydrates).
If the milk supply doesn't increase to meet your baby's needs you may want to consider taking Fenugreek. The capsules are not always easy to obtain but you can enquire at GNC shops. Other wise buy the fenugreek seeds. You can make a drink by adding approx 8 oz boiling water to a heaped teaspoon of fenugreek seeds. Let this steep for a few minutes & then drink the liquid. You can repeat this approx 3 x per day.If you like the taste of the seeds you can also eat the softened seeds.
If you have any medical conditions you may want to check with your doctor before doing this.
Alternatively there are medications your doctor can prescribe if the milk supply is very low.

Over the next few months your baby will gradually take more solid food & will require less of your milk but up to one year your milk is still your baby's staple food.

Comments & tips from other working moms would be very welcome.

Working

Hi....I have been breastfeeding for 7 months now. I am also a working mother. I find that my milk supplying is reducing. Would like to continue breastfeeding until the baby is at least 12 months old. How do I maintain my milk supply?

Thursday 8 March 2007

Less milk in one breast than the other

See Doreen's post under IBCLC Day. Any other tips from moms who have experienced this problem

Tuesday 6 March 2007

On a totally different note - Design competition short list

Well this is one proud mom. My son Adrian & friend Nicholas entered a design competition for FIAT 500 & were shortlisted. Not bad for 1st attempt !
If you are interested in design you may like to look at www.designboom.com
See fiat 500 & look under lifestyle section !!!!
Will try to stick to birthing & breastfeeding in future !!!

About Lactation Consultants

IBCLCs are trained healthcare providers who must meet specific educational & practical requirements before sitting rigorous exams. They possess the specialised skills & knowledge to assist moms & babies with breastfeeding. They are required to recertify every 5 years & to resit the certifying exam every 10 years. Currently there are 7 IBCLCs within the whole of Malaysia. Many others are calling themselves Lactation Consultants without actually having the qualification, & therefore it is always in your interest to check their credentials. For more information on the training requirements & the role of the IBCLC check www.iblce.edu.au
There is also a list of those in Malaysia who hold this qualification on this site.

What do IBCLC's Do
They teach the how to's of breastfeeding & offer reassurance that breastfeeding is going well. They help moms & babies overcome difficulties such as nipple or breast pain, latch on difficulties, flat or inverted nipples, low milk supply, slow weight gain, or a colicky baby. They assist mothers with breastfeeding a pre-term baby, breastfeeding multiples, relactation& adoptive breastfeeding, breastfeeding & returning to employment outside the home, pumping & storing milk & breastfeeding babies with special needs.

Need to find an IBCLC !

International Lactation Consultant Association provides a directory of Lactation Consultants:
See www.ilca.org

IBCLC Day March 7th

March 7th is the day that Lactation Consultants around the world will celebrate International Board Certified Lactation Consultants Day. The theme this year is " IBCLCs :- Providing Unique Care for Breastfeeding Mothers & Babies"
More & more moms around the world are choosing to breastfeed their babies. Having a Lactation Consultant as part of your healthcare team, both pre & post natally is a positive step a mother can take towards achieving her goals. Moms need access to evidence based information & support to make breastfeeding work in their lives.Whether gathering information during pregnancy, making plans to return to work, or experiencing breastfeeding concerns, when it comes to breastfeeding assistance, Lactation Consultants provide that unique care for mothers & babies.
At Mamalink we will be holding a breastfeeding support group on thursday 8th March from 10am til 12md. Open to pregnant or nursing moms or anyone interested in breastfeeding.
For directions to our centre see may under About Us on www.mamalink.com.my
Look forward to seeing you. If you can't make it please put in your topics for discussion to this blog. Lets make it a great place for breastfeeding moms in Malaysia to communicate