I am unsure of the nutrition value in the breast milk after a year. Do I have to supplement with formula milk?

My paediatrician, Dr Cheang, said that after 6 months of age, a baby should be weaned off to solid food and by then, the baby will slowly depend on the solid foods for the nutrients he requires, especially carbohydrates to put on weight and grow.. Mothers should not have any worries about the nutritional value of their breast milk because we have been engineered by nature to produce what our young ones need.

But, if you are worried if your child is not getting enough calcium, iron and Vitamin D (these are the few things lacking in human milk), then see that your child is taking a balanced meal. You can provide yoghurt, milk pudding, cheese and other dairy food. The important thing is, never stop breastfeeding because you thought your milk is not good enough. – Lilian

I’m breastfeeding my child, and now I’m pregnant. Do I stop breastfeeding?

Dr Koe told one of our moms through an email that during pregnancy, the milk is still catered for the older child until a few weeks before delivery of the new baby and your superiorly engineered body will change the milk into colostrum for the baby. As long as you have milk, as long as you want and can nurse and as long as your baby wants milk, your breast milk is still the best of the best! – Lilian

I’m too busy at work to express properly. What do I do?

If you’re too busy to pump even during lunch time, you can do it before you start work or before you leave for work. You can also pump when you are home feeding your baby, nurse on one side and pump the other. This way you would be able to collect enough milk for next day’s feed. If you are not driving, you can even pump during the car ride. I did that using Ameda pump with the car adaptor when I used to travel in/out from JB/SG – the ride can take up to 2 hours if the causeway is jammed! When you running low in supply, you can pump during the non working days too. But be prepared as your baby will nurse longer to be satisfied. I’m not sure how your office is set up, but there are mothers who put up curtains around their work area so that they can pump while doing their work.

Mothers with more than one child usually have a hard time balancing their time, especially when they need to nurse their baby. I came across a mother who have no help at all, alone at home with a 2 yo and newborn. She is determined to nurse her baby. One of the options given is to use the sling to breastfeed your baby while taking care of the older child. This option is good for her since a newborn tends to cluster-nurse – nurse more frequently. The other option is to get help from other relatives or friends. – Anna Teoh, Mama to Alison (9yo), Audrey (6+yo), Arrick (20 mths). www.blessedmums.com

What is reverse nursing?

Reversed nursing is when baby wakes to nurse more often at night. This usually happens to nursing mothers who are working, as they are not around during the day and direct breastmilk then is limited. It is very important to learn to nurse while lying down. This way both of you would not miss any sleep. – Anna Teoh, Mama to Alison (9yo), Audrey (6+yo), Arrick (20 mths). www.blessedmums.com

How do I continue breastfeeding when I return to work after confinement?

It is not impossible but takes a lot of planning. During maternity leave, pump out as much as you can and store in the freezer for contingency – in case you could not pump out during office hours or you did not manage to get enough EBM for the next day feed. Not sure if you have two months maternity leave, but if you do, start pumping in the second month to collect and make frozen EBM. When you have a freezer full with frozen EBM, you have less stress keeping up the quota for your child EBM feed. – Anna Teoh, Mama to Alison (9yo), Audrey (6+yo), Arrick (20 mths). www.blessedmums.com

More on successful breastmilk expression and breast-feeding advices from paediatrician/lactation consultant, Dr Koe are available on this site.

What is a good breastmilk expressing schedule?

When you start work, you need a few pumping sessions of about 20 minutes each
(using dual pumps) during office hours. The number of sessions depends on how
much your baby needs during your absence. This you can find out during the last
week of your maternity leave. If with 2 sessions you can get enough EBM,
then spread out your sessions with 2-4 hours in between at least. Normally,
most mothers start with 3 sessions. What I did was, pump when I come in for
work (normally in early), during lunch and at 3-4pm as I prefer to have a
fuller breast when I reach home at 7.30pm to feed my ds. Mothers who work
late will need more pumping sessions. – Anna Teoh, Mama to Alison (9yo), Audrey (6+yo), Arrick (20 mths). www.blessedmums.com