Want more Milk? 2

“Yes I am back”

As I earlier stated in the first part of this series, I would be sharing personal tips on this matter…hehehe…

In the first few days following the birth of Bambie, I started a daily breakfast routine as is almost common with every nursing mother. I started off with a bowl of pap (made from yellow corn) with Nestle Milo. Did it help? “Oh yes it did” but I soon became so tired of it but I kept taking it till I got fed up. But I finished the batch I had because it was gifted to me out of Love from someone who didn’t know me but heard “the pap is for a nursing mother” (God bless her beyond her expectation, Amen).

Well i found out from my experience that within the early weeks of baby’s arrival, you produce so much milk such that one is engorged almost all the time. (I’ll tell you how to handle that as we go on) As baby feeds, the production manager becomes aware of how much is consumed. With this information, the workers are alerted on how much quantity to produce and gradually the supply begins to reduce to meet up with the demand as baby grows and maybe start solids thereby feeding less and less from the breast.

Okay back to my story, I loved oats so i researched and found out it was a very good milk booster so i switched to my delicious oatmeal. I decided to go on plant milk to avoid any form of reaction from my baby should i start using animal milk. I went with the unsweetened almond milk and i continued with it. Every morning after drinking water, my breakfast was always “Fresh Oatmeal Garden” (the name i gave the delicacy), then i went on to eat my regular lunch and had cereal or “Kunun Tsamiya (Tamarind – Millet Gruel)”
as dinner. These helped to keep my milk supply up as i returned back to work. (3-square meal has always been a challenge for me right from time)

How many of you have heard that you have to eat and eat and eat because you are breastfeeding?

“Me too. In fact food became like a threat for me but i decided to eat as i have always eaten but healthy meals at all times. Baby gets what you eat, so eat right please”. 

You may ask, how did you do when you returned back to work?

“Well prior to returning to work, I got me a double electric breast pump as well as a manual one. When i’m home, i express from both at the same time and store in storage bags and keep in the Freezer. (I’ll mention the life span below, so make sure to read to the end) My Manual pump was always in my bag in case i need to express while i’m away from home. I used it at work and brought the expressed milk home to be stored in the freezer. This I did continuously and diligently.”

Was it easy?

“No it wasn’t. I had to set alarms to tell me when to pump because I was determined to give Bambie the best start to a healthy life.”

Fast forward to when Bambie was 5 months and i was totally fed up with the breakfast routine. As much as i loved oatmeal, i got tired of eating it. I got tired! But my milk supply began to reduce as Bambie was demanding so much more. I remember crying that morning while preparing for work and telling my boyfriend (in case you are new to my blog, i’m talking about my husband as that is how i prefer to call him. The latter makes us feel old. hehehehe…) how I don’t think I would be able to achieve the 6-months exclusive feeding. He encouraged me to continue the oatmeal and also express more even when i’m not engorged. I said Okay but i was already contemplating supplementing with formula.

Then while i was alone, i heard within my spirit, “Have you prayed about it as much as you’ve talked about it.” Hmmmm… I quickly closed my eyes and said “I am so sorry Lord for thinking I was doing this all by myself. Forgive me for not trusting you completely to carry us through till the end. Please help me, I need this milk supply to meet up with Bambie’s demand and even surpass it. I trust you to help us and I believe you will because its your desire for us. I hand it over to you.”

And i prepared and left for work. I expressed at work and while I was expressing, a sweet thought came visiting: “google lactating smoothies after all you are a smoothie person.” Oh I never part with my smoothie. You needed to see my smile. As i finished and returned from the factory (what i call where i go to express at work) to my desk, i did as stated and so many came up (the internet is filled with all sorts, do your research please) so i saved as many pages i could for later research and continued the rest when i got home. By the next morning i knew exactly what i wanted to do.

Before, my story gets too boring, I might have to extend these series to a part three. Please do well to watch out for it. You can subscribe to my blog and get alerted when it’s published or you follow me on Facebook. Until then, make today a “Thankful Throwback Thursday”

God bless you and Mrs O loves you big!

“Fresh Oatmeal Garden” Ingredients and Recipe:

• Fruits (I used Pear, Plum and Grapes or any other as i desire)
• Milk (I used Unsweetened Almond Milk)
• Oats (I used Old fashioned oats)
• Water

Wash and dice all fruits.
Put 1.5 cup of water into a pot and bring to a boil.
Throw in a pinch of salt and then 1 cup of old fashioned oats.
Let cook for 5 minutes (i like mine not overcooked)
Layer your serving bowl with some of the diced fruits, then pour in the oatmeal and cover with remaining diced fruit.
Pour in Milk and enjoy. ( I added Milo to mine)

Life Span of expressed Breast Milk (as experimented by me and mine):

• At steady room temperature – 24 hours.
• In a fridge with constant power supply – 4 to 5 day (not on the door please)
• In a freezer (provided it doesn’t defrost at all) – 6 months

Kindly note that frozen breast milk should be thawed either at room temperature or under running water and consumed within 24 hours
Do NOT microwave or use the defrost function either.
To bring it up to human temperature put in a bowl of warm water (NOT more than 55 degree Celsius)
Do NOT re-freeze thawed milk.

©BLArticles2016

DISCLAIMER: The information in this article is written based on personal experience, do well to always check with your doctor and communicate all your concerns to him/her. I am not a Doctor and has no medical background.