What LCs Say...

this is the compilation of among the LCs advise on my current problem (for my friends' and my future reference [if this happen again]):

from Rita (Moms Little Ones)

Please understand that pregnancy does affect milk supply. So, technically, do expect your milk supply to dwindle over time. However, you can still continue to breastfeed your older baby.

May I suggest that you ensure the 11mth old baby gets more solid food and perhaps introduce Organic Soya for him to drink? It would be better than giving cows milk since it does not contain cows milk protein which is bad.

from Vivian (Fabulous Mom)

Your milk will slowly decrease as you progress in your pregnancy. That’s what happened to me when I was pregnant with my second child and was still nursing my first.

We had no choice but to offer other forms of milk like soymilk, oatmilk, formula milk until I delivered my baby and which my milk comes in and enough for my first child and the new baby.

from Teglene (La Leche Legue)

Women who breastfeed while pregnant often find their milk supply decreases around the fourth or fifth month. If your breastfeeding baby is less than a year old, watch his weight gain to be sure he is getting enough to eat. It's also not uncommon for the flavor of your milk to change. These changes may prompt some older babies to nurse less often or to wean entirely.

Some moms are able to increase their production by nursing more frequently.

This evidence backs up the rule of thumb that states that, when a mother nurses during pregnancy, her nutrition stores go first to the baby in utero, second to the nursing toddler, and last, to her. That's why it's so important to eat a healthy diet. There's nothing in particular you have to eat or shouldn't eat, but it is very important to eat a balanced diet.

when finding the solution, i came across these:
from Vivian (Fabulous Mom)

For now, you can consider taking the Biogreen oatmilk which is safe for pregnant moms and help in maintaining milk supply.


(already made the order!)

from Judith (Mother Love)

The only Motherlove product that is safe to increase milk supply while pregnant and nursing is More Milk Two Alcohol Free.

(but only available in US)

we just decided to follow the flow. let Hafiy on Isomil, at least until Adik is here. then hopefully can continue breastfeed him.

Time to Take A Break

Hafiy tibe2 pandai minum dengan straw. Mami tak ajar pun.

dalam 2 hari ni Mami dalam blues yang panjang. i'm not OK!

yesterday i put the status "mampukah kubertahan", sampai beberapa orang msg & sms "what happen?"

now that we're in the middle of our pregnancy journey, still has half way to go. but now my milk is not even half from the history.

1. pam sehari dapat setitik. setitik? i'm not kidding. just imagine you fill a bottle with milk, then your pour it into another bottle. sisa2 yang tertinggal dalam first bottle is what i managed to collect these days.
2. Hafiy menangis & meraung tengah2 malam lagi and when i hand him plain water, he drinks and back to sleep.

yes, actually since my milk drop, i already noted it. an LC advised me that my milk will drop, and i can't take any lactogenic herb, and even lactogenic food won't give any effect.

and i started to supplement Hafiy with cow milk since 2 weeks ago, but not everyday. could be once or twice a week, with not more than 2oz of cow milk. but one day when he drank more than that, he got diarrhea. so i stopped.

now we planned to buy soy based milk (advised by LC), and as recommended by others, Isomil.

even if my milk drop and i said before that i'm not going to give him formula, i will provide him what a baby/toddler should get, MILK! i won't substitute my breastmilk with other drink like juice, etc. milk is not only drink, it provides nutrient for that little body. breastmilk is the best, but fruit juice will never replace milk richness. so we opened our mind to accept that, our baby need milk for his growth. we can give him supplement from the drugstore, but to me, how good or natural the supplement is, if we able to give natural source for him, we will go for it first. he's only a baby, he need not only the nutrient but also to enjoy the food.

Abiy said about wet nursing with other BF mothers. but it's impossible to do:
1) we dont have any friends or relatives who are BFing & stay close to us.
2) if we send to other mother to stay away, we hav to pay for babysitting.
3) i still want to nurse Hafiy at night

so again i get help from LC, and nanti we will get soy based milk for Hafiy. just for supplement, while i'm still breastfeeding him.

chatting with teman seperjuangan, Mama Danish she said "susu tu rezeki anak tapi Tuhan dah bagi rezeki lain, so kita kene bertanggungjawab, bersyukur jugak dengan rezeki ni". then i remembered Abiy's advised "jangan terlalu fikirkan Hafiy, fikirkan juga Adik tu. kesian adik, dalam perut lagi dah kena abai"

uhuhuhu oh tidak.. oh tidak anak2ku.. Mami tidak pernah sekali2 mengabaikan sesiapa. i love you all!!!

so, i take this as a break for me. maybe Dia nak Mami berehat, sit back & relax sekejap. nanti tahun depan kita tandem nurse lagi :) insya-Allah.
and Mami sangat happy & puas hati dengan usaha dan pencapaian Mami setakat ni. syukur pada Allah atas nikmat-Nya yang tak terhingga (Dr Seri pun salute Mami still BF Hafiy tau!).

*even if i've been breastfeeding for 1 year now, but i'm still referring to LCs for breastfeeding matters.

What to Expect When You Are Expecting + Breastfeeding

this is purely from my experience and my friends', with mimimun reference to other reliable sources i.e. LCs, doctors and reading materials.
***ZIILION THANKS for all your comments & supports. so sorry for not being able to reply 'em, but we truly appreciate YOUR WARM MESSAGES! hug hug hug.

what you have to know before 'getting excited' of having or trying to have another one while the elder one is still nursing:-

THE YAY!
1. breastfeeding while pregnant won't harm the unborn child nor the nursing baby/toddler.

2. uterine contraction is common (the uterus contracts since ever but it wasn't noticed if we're not pregnant for it's very small) even so the contraction during sexual activity is stronger than breastfeeding/milk pumping.

3. many mothers are actually did this!

THE HUH!
1. some mothers will develop tender nipples than ever, this can be reduced by changing position during nursing.

2. milk volume will decrease and at second trimester, colostrum started to form, makes the milk taste changes. colostrum is different than regular milk we produce in term of taste and its richness, at some stage, the toddler needs other source of nutrition.

3. for mothers with premature labour/ miscarriage/bleeding history, it is advisable to wean the baby off for it might trigger to another miscarriage. or, please get your doctor's advise.

4. mother needs to eat more. breastfeeding needs 500 calorie and pregnancy requires 300 calorie, make it total 800 calorie/ day! and this varies for different mothers, depending on body size, climate and activities.

5. once the milk drop, it's almost impossible to recover it to the previous state.

6. morning sickness, no appretite to food, vomiting, etc. those lead to dehydration will slow down the milk and let down, some mothers 'lose' the milk at all.

7. prolactin is directionally proportional with estrogen, but inversely proportional with progesterone. this imbalance hormone will slow down the milk, even if there is high demand, it is more depending on the hormone. when the baby is born and the estrogen back to its state, the prolactin will be induced by demand from those babies and the milk will increase again.

8. the body is no longer same with the non-pregnant breastfeeding moms. any lactogenic food will gives only minimum effect.

9. no pills, no herbs, no no, or they will harm the fetus.

10. some toddlers wean themselves off during the stage their mothers starts to develop colostrum.

THE YAY! AGAIN
1. most toddlers who wean during the second trimester started to nurse again as soon as the little ones are born!

on top of that, this is the most precious experience in my life. and i won't let it go!

TN & Orang Tua

dulu kami di Miri, hidup berdua (bertiga) saja. tak ada orang kecoh2 suruh buat itu ini. itulah satu bonus hidup berjauhan dengan keluarga (cons-nya banyak la pula). alhamdulillah, sejak balik Miri, Mami tak pernah berhadapan dengan karenah orang2 yang lebih dulu makan garam. cuma sejak2 ada Bibik, ada la sikit2 dia 'menasihat'. yang tu tak apa, boleh diabaikan. kalau dia cakap banyak2 kita potong gaji dia. hahaha (gelak kej*).

bila di KL, Mami expect lah apa yang akan berlaku. sebab kita akan tinggal kat rumah Tok Ma. dan Mami jamin PASTI akan ditegur sebab menyusu Hafiy. since benda ni memang kontroversional, even sebelum ke KL pun dah beberapa kali mendapat 'teguran' seperti:-

Auntie B : kau menyusu Hafiy lagi? tak takut dia dapat penyakit ke????
Mami : kenapa kau cakap macam tu?
Auntie B : orang kata..
Mami : itu kata orang tak sekolah, aku sekolah :P

Bibik V1 : kalau dah ada isi nggak usahlah menyusu Hafiy lagi nanti membahayakan kandungan.
Mami : tak ape Bibik, doktor kata tak apa...

Bibik V2 : orang kata kalau menyusu semasa mengandung nanti anak yang menyusu akan sakit.
Mami : tak adelah Bibik, itu cakap orang kampung Bibik ajelah..

tak kisahlah sangat sebab mereka2 tu cuma melukut di tepi gantang saja (hahaha). tapi untuk menghadapi orang makan garam dalam family ni kena ada sedikit ilmu 'menjawab secara berhikmah' dan support daripada Abiy yang cukup. yela, silap cakap nanti bole buat orang tua sakit hati, tak baik tau! tambah2 lagi mentua, hati yang perlu dijaga, sebab mereka ibu bapa suami kita. hak ibunya lebih dulu ke atas suami kita.

memang betul, sampai2 di KL Tok Ma cadangkan Mami bagi Hafiy FM. Mami kata Mami larat lagi nak menyusu Hafiy, dan tak bagi apa2 keburukan pun pada Hafiy mahupun Adik. tapi yang bestnya, Bibik pun turut sama sebab dia pun against BFing during pregnancy kan. hehe, kelakar bila ingat. Tok Ma kata, risau Mami tak cukup zat pula nanti.

mujur Abiy backing. Abiy kata, Mami dah ambil banyak supplement, mana boleh tak cukup zat. dan gynae pun menggalakkan Mami teruskan menyusu.

akhirnya semuanya tamat bila mereka semua menerima hakikat yang Hafiy tak suka minum susu dalam botol. sekarang ni bolehla, siang2 minum la sikit2, bila malam boleh mengempeng sampai pagi. kalau Mami dah stop BF, dengan sapa Hafiy nak mengempeng? Hafiy mana suka minum botol, kang lagi tak cukup zat susu :) alhamdulillah, sekarang semua berjalan seperti biasa.

dan sebagai supporting element, Mami beli magazine Pa&Ma bulan Ogos, letak kat ruang tamu untuk Bibik dan sesiapa yang ada baca. dalam tu ada kisah tentang tandem nursing dan banyak benda pasal penyusuan ibu. semoga sesiapa yang membacanya (especially Bibik) terbukak sikit mindanya.

support memang tak adalah, kalau bukan dari diri sendiri & Abiy. lagipun, alhamdulillah so far Mami rasa cukup kuat, walaupun tiada kata2 perangsang dari orang2 sekeliling (kata2 perangsang suh stop BF je ;P). tak ape.. Mami takkan berhenti dengan kejian dan tidak teruskan sebab pujian. semuanya dari dalam diri sendiri je. ecehhh...

bagi Mami dengan orang2 tua ni (tak kira siapa especially parents sendiri & mentua), walaupun kita betul dan depa salah, kita jangan tunjuk 'degil' sangat sampai buat mereka kecil hati. perlu pendekatan yang bijak, sebolehnya biar depa fikir sendiri, "betul juga cakap anak aku ni". ataupun, libatkan orang ketiga, macam masa dalam pantang, Mami kena marah kononnya sebab susu Mami, Hafiy jadi macam tu macam ni, Mami bawak depa sekali jumpa paed, tanya sendiri paed tu. then, dari situ mereka tahu tabiat baby menyusu badan cemana.

orang tua memang akan sentiasa komen, pada mereka 'nasihat sebab sayang'. macam Mami jugakla selalu bebel2 kat Hafiy sebab Mami sayang. tapi sebagai anak2, kita nampak benda tu sebagai 'membebel, berleter, menyibuk, etc'. untuk komen2 yang biasa, bolehla raikan, contohnya "buasnya anak kamu ni", Mami jawab saja "yelah, saya penatlah, mak tolong jaga dia pulaklah" (contoh saja). benda yang tidak boleh diubah, bolehla diraikan begitu. yelah, mana ada ubat nak menghentikan ke'buas'an budak2. lainlah kalau bagi ubat tido atau ubat batuk.

untuk benda2 yang boleh diubah, kena buat sesuatu supaya mereka 'jangan buat'. contohnya bagi anak FM. kalau kita tak buat sesuatu (supaya mereka berfikir dan tak buat dah), entah2 belakang kita depa pegi beli FM dan kasik anak. jadi, kita kena bagi hujah2 yang buatkan mereka pun tak hingin nak kasi anak kita FM.

tapi benda ni bergantung pada sikap dan perangai orang tua juga. ada yang jenis boleh dibawa berunding, jadi senang berbincang apa2. ada yang jenis dia saja yang betul. anak menantu cakap apa pun semua tak boleh terima. tapi apa-apa pun, tak ada masalah yang tak boleh diselesaikan. kalau cakap direct dengan diorang tak berjaya, cuba minta pertolongan, dan paling utama, mintalah pertolongan dari Allah SWT.

bagi Mami, walau macamana pun orang2 tua kita, cuba jangan sakitkan hatinya. sebab nanti kita akan tua juga. mungkin hari ni kita boleh kata "bila dah tua aku takkan jadi macam mak/mak tiri/mentua/nenek/makcik aku", tapi ingat, hati, roh, jiwa kita ni Allah yang pegang. besok2 kita tak tahu macamana, entahkan jadi lebih teruk dari mereka tu. bagaimana perasaan kalau anak2 kita pula yang sakitkan hati kita. life is very fair and square.

(bila terasa hati dgn orang tua, siaplah beberapa teman terima sms bertalu2 dari Mami :P)

Hafiy dan Susunya

i went to Dr. Aida to check Adik, and she confirmed that i was about 5 week saja.. ahahaha.. sungguh down sangat masa tu. bercampur baur perasaan, sebab Mami expect i was 2 months++ hehe. dahla Abiy tak ada.. mujurlah ada Aunty Aida, Auntry Eryn & sebagainya, hahaha. morning sickness, go away! syoooo~

Dr Aida wants to see us next 2 weeks to determine the EDD. disebabkan besar Adik (nampak sac 1.6cm je baru..) tak match dengan LMP, so dia tak bole decide EDD from last period date lah. tp probably Adik bakal lahir end of February tahun depan, insya-Allah. ahah. Dr Aida kata Adik baru je 'jadi'. :D so next check up harap2 Abiy ada sama lah. tak best la pegi sorang2. balik xde orang nak share storrriiii.

malam tu Abiy call, Mami bgtau update tu. Abiy suh Mami cari nama. hehe. Mami cakap nak nama ni kalo boy lagi & kalo girl... hehehe... excited macam nak timang anak sulung OK! neway semua anak special belaka... cuma yang second ni maybe ada '2nd child syndrome' sikitlah. bila inform atok2, semuanya selamba je, tak macam time Hafiy dulu :D diorang pun terkejut agaknya...

sesungguhnya keadaan sekarang menguatkan lagi keazaman Mami utk terus BF Hafiy. alhamdulillah skarang Mami rasa cukup kuat membina self-motivation to tandem breastfeed. ramai yang suruh Mami start FM kat Hafiy. RAMAI OK. tapi itu semua cuma jadi bunga2 di telinga saja :D lainlah kalo mereka itu yang mahu membeli, membancuh, membasuh dan sebagainya, mungkin Mami bole consider, provided Mami nak FM yang PALING MAHAL, botol yang PALING MAHAL, air bancuh dari PENAPIS yang PALING MAHAL.

maafla, bukan Mami menyombong tentang FM tapi selagi bole (selagi diizinkan Allah), Mami akan terus BF Hafiy. kalo kita bole bagi anak kita kelas A, kenapa nak bagi kelas B pulak kan? (sori i'm not saying that FM is class B but to me it's not a choice).

tp ape yang buat Mami bangga dengan pencapaian Mami ialah Mami dah tak 'berkecil' hati dengan mereka2 itu :) sungguh, sudah tidak berasa apa2. cuma Mami suka la sharing2 dgn beberapa orang kawan.. tp bukan mengadu sebab Mami tak kisah pon... kecuali kalo orang2 itu datang bawa FM paling MAHAL, botol paling MAHAL, air bancuh PALING pure, & offer macam2 perkhidmatan utk meng-FM-kan Hafiy tu agak tergugat jugak gamaknya. hehe.

susu Mami sekarang mengalami peruduman yang jelas lagi nyata. tp Mami tak bersetuju dgn idea 'bila pregnant susu kurang'. it's just kind of psychology to me. bila selalu piki macam tu, memang susu akan kurang. & Mami tak fikir peruduman itu adalah sebab pregnancy since Mami dah mengalaminya since 3 months ago. tp Mami mengakui mmg ada ibu2 yg menghadapi situasi demikian, 'rasa'nya bertukar, supply drop, efect kandungan, etc. but it is not necessarily SHOULD be faced by everybody. & if benda tu berlaku, we have to redha la kan. tp cemanapon, berpantang maut sebelum ajal :)

semalam Mami cakap ngan Abiy "Biy, kalo Mami tak larat BF Hafiy, kita hantar Shah Alam nak? (rumah Acif) :P" tahu Abiy jawab apa? "ha... biarlah dia duk sana sebulan dua" huhuhu. sungguh Mami lagi sanggup cari ibu susu utk Hafiy daripada kasik FM. bukan sebab anti-FM ok, tp ada banyak sebab seperti:
1) KEDEKUT nak kuarkan duit beli FM - memang Mami kedekut. drp beli FM, Mami nk beli pam lagi satu.
2) MALAS nak bancuh2 susu - nak bancuh minum sendiri pon malas, inikan pulak nk bancuh minum orang... mujur kat ofis ada orang tolong bancuhkan. haha. TQ kakak tealady!
3) paip kat umah TAKDE FILTER - kitorang pon minum air mineral hari2. nape tak beli filter? sbb kami KEDEKUT.
rasanya 3 alasan tu dah cukup kot. :D unless ada orang nak sponsor laa sumer2 tuhhhh. bolehh laaa dipikirkannnn :)

oh Mami nak share satu conversation ni. tak berniat mengaibkan sesapa, cuma utk panduan kita2...

"dah bagi FM ke Hafiy?"
"insya-Allah tak nak. teruskan BF lah"
"kenapa taknak? tak eloklah pregnant BF"
"tak apa..."
"janganla nak memandai-mandai"
"saya tak memandai2, saya baca, belajar, tanye orang, tgk praktis orang..."

Mami bukan BF bodoh2 je... since before Mami pregnant Hafiy, Mami dah belajar sikit2. masa pregnant Hafiy lagi lahhhh Mami belajar..sampailah sekarang, Mami terus belajar. mmg ada silap, kurang sana sini, tapi itukan namanya belajar... tapi Mami belajar. ada banyak source of info, bak kata BD* (ada benda menarik tentang ini), "semua google saja". free infos. & buku2 pun banyak.... & zaman skarang semua di hujung jari, bole consult sapa2 online saja, xpayah call2 atau jumpa2.

masa jumpa Dr Aida (she's pregnant too!), dia pesan kat Mami supaya BF Hafiy. dia sendiri pun tandem nurse, tapi dah stop 3 minggu lepas sebab anak 2nd dia dah 2 tahun. cuma dia pesan supaya makan banyak sikit sebab perlukan banyak kalori utk BF & pregnancy.

BF ni orang kata nasib2. tak kisahlah nasib ke apa, yang penting, buat lah selagi terdaya. kalo dah tak daya jangan dipaksa, nanti lain pulak jadinya. huhu.
(abg Acif nak Hafiy tak? :P)

*rupanya2 ada somebody di ofis (sgt somebody!) reads this blog! segan i~ tp seronok sebab dia puji "good la u tulis blog utk anak u, nanti ur little girl (little girl????) besar dia akan ingat mak dia tulis dia punye journey" ahak-ahak. rasa nak buat special entry pulak utk BD :P ampun... ampun...!

video masa Hafiy baru masuk 8 bulan.. tgh belajar2 sebut Mama. skg dah jadi "Maaaaaak"
tadi Bibik kate, susu dlm botol ada sikit lagi, Bibik suruh Hafiy habiskan, Hafiy jerit "daaaaah!"
biar betul Bibik ni....

Tandem Nursing : A Choice

thank you for all the CONGRATS wishes!

i need more than a day to accept the truth that i'm expecting, again :) oh i planned to be in pregnant mode at least after Hafiy is 2 YO. but we just planned.. :) but i'm very happy cos i got my target weight of 45kg!

the nite that i went to the panel doctor to check my BP, i said to Abiy "i dunno what makes my BP so low lately. i eat so much, plus the supplement. could it be, because i'm pregnant?" Abiy replied "it is impossible"(with kambing grin). but we went to Guardian at Bintang, just hoping it was negative so that we can proceed to any treatment or medication to bring my BP back to normal.

the test kit was safely preserved in my bag for 2 days. but on Friday morning, i just 'did' the test bcos Abiy's going to Lumut on Saturday, and maybe for a week. so anything, i wan't gonna face it alone.

and there it goes...

we went again to the clinic that nite, to confirm. yeah i am pregnant! but how many months, how many weeks, i can't tell the exact. i felt the symptoms since 3 months ago, i missed my period for 2 months, and the panel doctor wrote 5/52 in my referral letter, meaning i am only 5 week. so, wait until i see the gynae, when Abiy's back from Malaya.

the first thing Abiy asked me after i showed him the 2 lines kit was "nanti Hafiy kene bagi formula ke? kan sian Mami sakit2 & tak larat".
i told him that i WILL continue breastfeeding Hafiy despite the pregnancy, as long as ia tidak memudaratkan Mommy & adik.

and yes, it's the decision i HAVE TO make because not everybody agrees (nor educated) about tandem nursing.

i got some responses about breastfeeding during pregnancy:
my fren A : "so Hafiy nanti nak kasik formula la?"
my fren B : "wean la Hafiy kan?"
Bibik : "sudah ada isi, tak payahlah menyusu lagi"

but my answer was like what i told Abiy, except Bibik i said "doktor kata tak apa.." (satu cara tutup mulut utk makcik2 begitu ialah ckp 'doktor kata..'). but i'm not lying to her cos my gynae's wife, Dr Awang, did tandem nursing and just stop the BF during the birth.

i think tandem nursing is unusual in our region, since many moms i knew will stop BFing the elder child when having a new ones. actually, this is very personal and nursing two at a time is definitely challenging. there's some myths about tandem nursing:-
- pregnant ladies shouldn't breastfeed.
- the nutrient is imbalance since it has to adjust for 2 different ages babies.
- the newborn deserve the milk.
- mom will malnutrition for 'sharing' with the other two.
- BF won't benefit the elder child.
- etc.

as long as tidak memudaratkan, either me or the little one here, insya-Allah i will continue breastfeeding.

There is no evidence to suggest that nursing while pregnant endangers the fetus during a normal pregnancy. If a mother has previously delivered a premature baby, develops signs of pre-term labor, or is carrying multiples, there is concern that a hormone released during lactation (oxytocin) may stimulate contractions and trigger a premature labor. In these special situations, mothers are often advised to wean their older child. Research suggests that the uterus is not receptive to hormonal stimulation from oxytocin until around 24 weeks gestation, so it is generally safe to consider nursing until about 20 weeks, even in these special situations. There is almost never a need to wean abruptly during pregnancy.

Nursing during pregnancy will not deprive the fetus of essential nutrients, and will not create a harmful "drain" on the mother's body. During pregnancy, it is always important to eat nutritiously, gain weight appropriately, and get adequate rest. A well-nourished mother should have no problem providing enough nutrients for both her unborn baby and her nursing child. Breastfeeding provides several opportunities each day for the expectant mother to take breaks and rest while her toddler nurses or naps.

this is really tough. right now even i have to strengthen my determination to tandem nurse, since the B become so tender lately and often sooooo painful. and i start to feel so-called morning sickness. oh i hope it will over very soon! Abiy's role is very important now to encourage me to continue nursing Hafiy until he is at least 2 YO, or until he's willingly wean himself off.

yeah this is a very personal decision to made. hopefully, adik Hafiy is as strong as his/her brother, and willing to share... :P maybe this is why He chose me to get pregnant even before my first child is 2YO, He wants me to tandem nurse!