breastfeeding 202 class on saturday, may 23, 2009

the breastfeeding club would like to invite you to breastfeeding 202: sustaining breastfeeding on saturday, may 23, 2-5pm at the medela house, 29 1st st. new manila.  topics to be covered are:

1.  at home with baby

2.  pumping and storage

3.  returning to work

4.  introducing solids and nutrition

5.  teething

and much much more!

samples and snacks for registered moms and dads.  P500 membership to the breastfeeding club entitles couple to attend 2 other classes (breastfeeding 101 & 303) plus discounts to partner organizations.  breastfeeding club members are free to attend.  just pre register for a proper head count of participants.  there will also be limited free slots to the first ones to register.  

to register, please text your name, age of baby (or expected due date), contact number and email address to 09228292268.   

please pass on to breastfeeding and expectant parents...

2.5 Years Old and Still Breastfeeding...Everywhere

Kyle,  now in toddler school, 2-1/2 years old, still breastfeeding and no signs of weaning.  Even in their most favorite place, Hongkong Disneyland,  when hunger strikes, she drops everything to breastfeed.   JM, Kyle's kuya, now almost 5 years old, stopped breastfeeding when he was 3 months short of his 4th birthday.  I started weaning him gently on his 2nd year but unsuccessful.  So, I continued to breastfeed, at times loving it, at other times wishing he'd stop already.  Even as I got pregnant with Kyle, I continued to breastfeed him despite doctor's advice.   And tandem fed both JM & Kyle for 15 months.  Surprisingly one day, JM just decided not to breastfeed as he said, "I'm a big boy now, mom.  Breastmilk is only for babies."  That brought tears to my eyes with so much pride for what my little baby boy has become.

As my mind begins to wish that I would stop breastfeeding soon after continously doing so for almost 5 years now, my heart softens at the sight of my little girl, my only princess, asking for milk.  Hence, I know that both of us are not ready yet.  Besides,  we still enjoy the many wonderful benefits of breastfeeding...

by Abbie Yabot

Salma Hayek Breastfeeds An African Baby

SALMA HAYEK BREASTFEEDS A STRANGER'S BABY IN AFRICA AFTER THE MOTHER RUNS OUT OF MILK by Simon Cable

The typical Hollywood superstar may be surrounded by fawning flunkeys wh

o do absolutely everything for them.

But Salma Hayek, it seems, is cast in a different mould.

Touring a hospital in war-torn Sierra Leone, the 42 year old actress came across a mother who was unable to provide milk for her malnourished one week old son.  Without hesitation, Miss Hayek took the stranger's baby and began breastfeeding it, despite the presence of several camera crews from American news network ABC, who were accompanying her on the African charity mission.  

Mexican born Miss Hayek, who at the time was breastfeeding her own one year old daughter, said, "The baby was perfectly healthy, but the mother did not have any milk.  

'He was very hungry - I was weaning my daughter Valentina, but I still had a lot of milk, so 

I breastfed the baby.

'It was amazing because he was really looking at me and he's very little.  My baby is one year so he can suck a lot harder.'

Miss Hayek, who has starred on screen alongside George Clooney and Colin Farrell

, 

was signed up as a spokesman for Unicef last year. 

Her trip was organised to help raise awareness of tetanus in Sierrra Leone, the country with  the highest rate of infant mortality in the world.

After the breastfeeding incident, she admitted she had mixed feelings. 'I thought about it,' she said.  'Am I being disloyal to my child by giving my milk away? I actually think my baby would be ery proud to be able to share her milk.

"When she grows up, I will make sure she continues to share and be a caring and generous person.'

Wetnursing or cross-feeding was common practice at the beginning before the Second World War until the introduction of artificial milk.

Miss Hayek said that she had been inspired by a story of her great grandmother.

She said, "My great grandmother was in a Mexican village and they found a 

woman in the street who was inconsolably crying and the baby was also crying.

'My great frandmother asked what the matter was and the mother said, 'She is very, very hungry and I have no more milk.'

'And in the street, my great grandmother breastfed that baby who instantly stopped crying and went peacefully to sleep.  I was really

 impressed by that story.'

Milk Oversupply - Generous Donor

by Abbie Yabot

I normally get calls and text messages on moms who need milk and moms who are willing to donate.  But never have I encountered a donor who was able to donate this much in just one pick up schedule.

Believe it or not,  she gave over 100 6-8 oz containers of milk.  When I asked the driver to pick it up, I sent two coolers,  one small one which we normally use to collect and transport breastmilk (normally can hold about 20-30 milk bags) and the other bigger one, just in case the donor has a lot of milk.  But I only expected either to be filled.  So when the driver returned and showed me this, I was happily shocked.  He even said that he wasn't even able to half the supply of this mom and asked him to bring a bigger cooler next time.  Whew!  Talk about lots of milk.

Around 20 moms and babies benefited from this donation alone.    I believe that one reason why this mom is blessed with an abundant supply is because she is a generous giver herself.  

Thank you very much!  You know who you are...

DIY hands free kit for pumping

by Abbie Yabot

I've actually encountered this over a month ago but had been slumped with many things.   Wanted to applaud who thought about it (you know who you are) and share to others how interestingly resourceful we are.

There really are hands free kit that can be bought from other countries.  But aside from being pricey, it takes a while to ship.  Plus, you don't really know how it looks like until you actually see the product (and you've paid for over a month ago).

These ones are very creative.  It's actually a bra bought from the market.  Then,  she asked her yaya to cut an "X" on each side and do hemming to avoid seams from falling apart.  Then she put the breast shell under the bra and the other part of the pump on the outer portion and when she wears this, voila!  a hands free kit.  It works very well.  

Those of you having a hard time pumping and would like to multi task.  Try this one out...

Drinking Water - Harmful to Smallest Babies

by Anne Harding

Babies younger than 6 months old should never be given water to drink, physicians at John Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore remind parents.  Consuming too much water can put babies at risk of a potentially life threatening condition known as water intoxication.  "Even when they're very tiny, they have an intact thirst reflex or a drive to drink," Dr. Jennifer Anders, a pediatric emergency physician at the center, told Reuters Health.  "When they have that thirst and they want to drink, the fluid they need to drink more of is their breastmilk."

Because babies' kidneys aren't yet mature, giving them too much water causes their bodies to release sodium along with excess water, Anders said.  Losing sodium can affect brain activity, so early symptoms of water intoxication can include irritability, drowsiness and other mental changes.  Other symptoms include low body temperature (generally 97 degrees or less), puffiness or swelling in the face, and seizures.

"It's a sneaky kind of a condition," Anders said.  Early symptoms are subtle, so seizures may be the first symptom a parent notices.  But if a child gets prompt medical attention, the seizures will probably not have lasting consequences, she added.

Water as a beverage should be completely off limits to babies six months old and younger, Anders and her colleagues say.  Parents should also avoid using over-diluted formula, or pediatric drinks containing electrolytes.  Anders said it may be appropriate in some cases to give older infants a small amount of water; for example, to help with constipation or in very hot weather but parents should always check with their pediatrician before doing so, and should only give the baby an ounce or two of water at a time.  If a parent thinks their child may have water intoxication, or if an infant has a seizure, they should seek medical attention immediately, she advised.

My Little Breastfeeding Machine

by Abbie Yabot

This is my long awaited daughter Kyle.  She's my princess and upto now, I still fall in love with her everytime I hold her.  Long awaited...yes!  After 3 kuyas, I finally have an apprentice...one I would be shopping with, go to the spa with, share rants and raves with...soon!

But for now, at 21 months, she is a total breastfeeding machine.  One of her favorites is breastfeeding during trips.   And so, I have mastered how to breastfeed while driving (not advised and not safe definitely).  Eventually, my mommy schedule drove me crazy so I had to get a driver which also made it easier for me to breastfeed Kyle.  Once she gets in the car, her routine is to nurse, no matter how long the travel time is.

She also is an acrobatic nurser.  She can nurse in all sorts of positions and can even move around while doing so.  Sometimes, you'd imagine she was doing yoga or ballet while she was at the breast.

This morning,  I just realized that she truly is addicted to breastfeeding.  Her yaya went home for vacation for a week and I guess she is also coping with the change.  For 3 days now, whenever we're together, all she'd like to do is nurse.  Sometimes, to my delight.... other times, it plainly is exhausting.  Imagine, her taking a bath while breastfeeding.  Sitting down on the non slip mat on the floor, she lay down (didn't want to stand up) and only allowed me to shower her if she was attached to the breast, hay!  I was very careful not to put water in her eyes, nose or ears but it really felt so weird.  

I actually enjoy nursing my kids and have been nursing for over 4 years now.  That is why somehow, I know I am also looking forward to weaning at least after Kyle turns 2.  Till then,  my little breastfeeding machine will still be my priority :)