I fell in the top up trap

I did my best to supply her with my milk for more than 8 months.

Since I gave birth, I’ve been religiously pumping my milk every 3 hours which actually eats up the time that I am supposed to spend with my husband and daughter and chores in between. Imagine, 8 months of pumping in and outside the house. It’s like I have an inseparable relationship with my breast pump and I am just not yet ready to let go of it. I’ve been doing my best to re-gain the milk supply I had before but I guess there will really come a time when a mom’s milk will start to dwindle. They say that as long as your baby latches on you, your milk supply won’t dry up but my case is different here. (I am an exclusively pumping mom. I breastfeed my daughter through bottlefeeding) :) 

Sounds weird eh? Some might think that I am over reacting, but I am pro-breastfeeding/breastmilk. I feel sad every time I see the amount of milk that comes out of my breasts, and unlike before where I can pump 10-12 oz of milk per session, I am only able to get 1oz of liquid gold right now.  I am not sure what I did wrong, but I know for sure that I fell in the top up trap. So to all breast feeding moms out there, please trust me, because the top up trap is so true.

Here’s a good illustration of the top up trap.

The more you mix feed, the less milk your body will produce. Every ounce of formula you give is one ounce that you told your body not to produce. Do not fall into the Top Up Trap.

When my daughter started taking solids, I've started supplementing her with formula milk to save myself from pumping. There were times that I felt tired and fed up saving milk stash every now and then so it was a relief for me to skip and lessen my pumping session. I was confident that my milk won’t drop because ever since I started pumping, I’ve had a very good milk supply (knowing that I am an exclusively pumping mom).  When I started to mixed fed her, that’s when I noticed that my milk started to dwindle.  I continued my daily routine schedules of pumping milk but I was only netting a total of 4 oz of breast milk per day and I tell you, that amount is very unusual for me. Partly, I'd like to blame myself for losing the supply I had before but I always say to myself that I did my best just to give her the best milk. I had sacrificed a lot of things by pumping milk and I tell you, being an exclusively pumping mom is no-joke and I'd like to commend myself for that.

Take a look at my milk supply before:

Was able to pump this for only 15 minutes; 1 breast only. 

I even donated 90 plus Bags of breastmilk to preemie babies and some baby friends.

and here's how little I get right now. Such a drastic change.

I tried saving my milk by taking lactation drinks and munching on lactation cookies. I’ve increased my water intake and added more pumping sessions. Took some malunggay capsules and eat soupy dishes. But for some reasons, I can not produce more milk.  I've always planned to save milk for my daughter until she turns two years old. I actually look at it as a disappointment because I wasn’t able to reach my goal but what's important is that I was able to give her pure breastmilk until the age of 6 months.

Right now, I am still in the process of re-gaining back my milk supply. I just can't let go and separate ways with my pump.  I still want to give what's best for my daughter. I may not yield enough milk for her, but what's important is I can still give her my precious milk. I tell you, this is not an easy feat for me but I know that I can make it.

 Mother knows best and I know deep in my heart that I gave what’s best for my baby, and will continue giving that to her.  

My Electric Breast Pumps

I've been exclusively pumping for almost 3 months already - and I can pretty tell that it’s more difficult than the real act of breast feeding. Washing and sterilizing of bottles and saving milk stash for my baby can be very tiresome. I also need to make sure to pump on the dot so my milk won’t dry up; and since my daughter doesn’t want to latch anymore on my breasts, I ought to save milk every now and then.

Being an exclusively “pumper”, I’ve tried a couple of breast pumps already. I wanted to have the breastpump that works best for me. Something that has a strong suction but is not painful to the breasts. So far, I’ve tried a total of 5 breast pumps already and the best pumps for me are my Spectra Dew 300 and Cimilre M1. Let me share the pros and cons for the breast pumps I have tried ever since I started pumping. 

Premium 2 in 1 Mimi Flo breast pump - this pumped had helped me increase my milk supply. Contrary to what others would suggest, I have started pumping as early as 2 weeks post-partum. My nipples had bled due to poor latching, and due to the traumatic pain and jumping and shouting while my baby sucks my nipples, I decided to pump right away.

Pros:

·        It has an adaptor that can be attached on the breast shield to hold wide and narrow neck bottles

·        Easy to use. Has its own silicon massager.

Cons:

·        3-5 pump parts to wash

·        The part that holds the spring can easily be removed. There was a time when the cover keeps on getting removed while I was pumping.

·        Breast flange is kind of small; I’m used to with 28mm flanges

·        No available spare parts.

Precious Moments Electric Breast pump - this is probably the worst pump I’ve tried so far. Sorry mommies who are a big fan of this pump, but this pump never really worked for me. Aside from the painful suction, there’s a release button that you need to press every now and then. Using an electric breast pump should lessen the pumping “work load” but having to press the release button every now and then is just useless most especially if you’re using an electric breast pump. I only used this pump for less than 5 minutes, and wasted 1,500 plus for this useless pump. (can you just imagine how much I hate this pump? LOL) DISCLAIMER: Some mommies claim that they can extract 4-5oz using this; perhaps my breasts are not just compatible with this pump.

Pros:

·        Small and really Portable

·        Can use double A batteries

·        It has an adaptor that can be attached on the breast shield to hold wide and narrow neck bottles

·        Easy to use. Has its own silicon massager

Cons:

·        I tested this pump during wee hours and oh boy, the pump motor was really loud.

·        Painful suction (based on my experience)

After my experience with Precious moments, I already became hesitant to try out other electric breast pumps thinking that “all” e-pumps have painful suction. Good thing Mi’Ann of babymama.ph recommended me to get Spectra Dew 300. I am so happy that I purchased this pump and it really helped increase my breast milk supply. With Spectra Dew, I was able to produce more than what my baby can consume in a day, and I was able to save lots of milk stash for Milly before I return to work. Mind you, up until now, the milk stashes I’ve saved for her were left untouched and I’m still able to share my breast milk to other babies who need precious milk.

Pros:

·        Very quiet machine.

·        Very comfortable

·        Closed system - meaning milk won’t come inside the pump.

·        Less pump parts to wash

·        Durable

Cons:

·        Machine is quite big; hence not portable

Since Spectra Dew is not portable; and I know that I need to pump milk at work, that’s where my husband and I decided to invest in buying Medela Swing. What I love about Medela swing is its small and yet can extract efficient milk too. But even if the medela swing is one of the top breast pumps out there, for some reasons, it is unable to empty my breast. I can feel lumps on my breasts after pumping. I don’t know if there’s a problem with the pump parts, but when I checked the membrane, it looks like a part of it got torn.

Pros:

·        Portable

Cons:

·        Many pump parts to wash. Also, you really have to be careful when removing the membrane. Also the yellow valve is SO HARD to remove.

·        Expensive LOL

·        If you didn’t buy your pump from Medela House, they wouldn’t fix it even if it’s still under warranty.

·        No built in rechargeable batteries and you need 4 pieces heavy duty of double a batteries.

After using my Medela swing for a more than a month, I came across baby mama’s website again and saw Cimilre M1. I’ve read a lot of good reviews and I knew right there and then that I need to replace my Medela Swing. So far, I am loving M1’s performance and I am satisfied with the output. This pump can empty my breasts in 10 to 15 minutes.

Pros:

·        Portable; lightweight

·        Quiet motor

·        Has a built in rechargeable battery

·        Strong suction - I am only using level 1 suction and I am able to express a lot of milk.

·        It has a  massage function that enables faster let-down

·        Less pump parts to wash

·        Closed system

·        Length is smaller than a smart phone

·        Very cute design.

·        Battery indicator

Cons:

·        Sorry, but I’m just loving my M1’s performance and I couldn’t think of any cons yet. J

If you’re trying to save milk stash and would like to increase your milk supply, believe me, you can never go wrong with Spectra. Aside from its durability and high-end performance, the price is way more affordable than other expensive electric breast pumps.