Sun Angel Malunggay Tea

I found this on the website of Sun Angel Malunggay Herb Tea here on Multiply  (read the original post here).  I wanted to highlight, in particular, the text in orange.  It's something i really wanted to do when i gave birth to joachim last august in makati med.  but... the doctors and nurses didn't do it, despite reading my Birth Plan and verbally agreeing to it.  they did their usual thing of taking him and cleaning him up, etc., etc. then presented him to me for kiss-kiss and picture taking then brought him to the nursery.  i feel that they should have followed what i wanted to happen - it wasn't going to take too much time, anyway.  and i don't think that it would have harmed anyone if they had put joachim on my tummy (supported him) and then allowed him to nurse right away.

after being discharged and settling in at home, i saw pictures of joachim in the nursery (as i was in the recovery room, so this is at about an hour after being born) and because my mom and tabby were taking sequential shots, you could see joachim opening and closing his mouth.  it seemed like he was looking for me and wanted to nurse.  i felt so bad because i could have started giving him colostrum already.  instead, he was alone in his bassinet in the noisy nursery of makati med.  >sigh<

anyway, here's the post =) 

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The mother's 'breast friend' that comes in a tea bag

  During the recent World Breastfeeding Week in August, Filipino moms and moms-to-be were presented with staggering statistics and realities about breastfeeding.      

The most impactful message however was from recent studies that proved that first hour breastfeeding can mean life or death to a newborn, possibly saving more than a million babies worldwide if properly initiated. 

A  recent study published in Pediatrics in 2006 further showed that when infants are placed skin-to-skin on their mother’s abdomen and chest immediately after birth, they exhibit remarkable capabilities. They are alert, they can crawl, stimulated by mother’s gentle touch, across her abdomen, reaching her breast. This first gentle touch of a baby’s hand or head at the breast stimulates the release of maternal oxytocin, thus beginning both the flow of milk and enhancing the feelings of love for the baby. Then the baby smells, mouths and licks the mother’s nipple. Finally, he or she attaches to the breast and feeds. This sequence of events is important for the survival of newborn babies. 

The study also noted the following: (worldbreastfeeding.org)

*  That babies who do not start breastfeeding until after 24 hours of age are 2.5 times more likely to die than babies who started within the first hour of life, whether they were partially or exclusively breastfed.

* That 30% of babies in the study who were fed solids or other milk before one month of age were four times more likely to die than babies who were exclusively breastfed

* That 16% of newborn deaths could be prevented if newborns were breastfed exclusively from day one

* 22% of newborn deaths could be prevented if newborns initiated breastfeeding within one hour of birth.

'BAGGING' THE MIRACLE PLANT

In the Philippines, breastfeeding advocates join hands to promote breastfeeding,  creating awareness among mothers, pregnant women and other concerned agencies. In fact, breastfeeding stations have been opened in various malls even as the Philippines bagged the first Guinness World Record on Simultaneous Breastfeeding in Multiple Sites when 20,000 mothers in more than 400 sites were initiated to let Filipino mothers realize the all-important role of breastfeeding in the family and society.  

It is thus very important that mothers keep their breast milk both healthy and plenty.  

This is what inspired Imee Garcia, a mother of one and a staunch breastfeeding advocate, when she thought of helping nursing moms produce more milk through a most convenient way. 

 “I was having trouble while trying to breastfeed my first child, and my mom and other older relatives would always suggest to try boiling malunggay and take it as a soup. But I found that its taste was really bitter,'' Garcia recounts. 

For generations now, the malunggay vegetable has been relied upon by lactating moms to help them in breasteeding. Its high calcium content helps mothers produce more milk for infants.

Dr. Lydia M. Marero of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) in her article ''Malunggay is Miracle Vegetable'' wrote that ''malunggay is one of the world's most useful plants.  It is used as food, effective flocculant or water treatment, antibiotic, source of oil, and coagulant for turbid waters.''

Loaded with nutrients. each ounce of malunggay contains seven times the Vitamin C found in oranges, four times the Vitamin A of carrots, three times the iron of spinach, four times as much calcium from milk and three times the potassium of bananas.

It is also called mother's best friend, and miracle vegetable by many who know malunggay's beneficial uses. Traditionally in the Philippines, lactating mothers are advised to eat malunggay incorporated in soups such as chicken tinola, mongo or halaan (clam) soup. But the nutrients malunggay offers are far from being maximized this way.

  Garcia and her mom also know all the benefits of malunggay too well. 

''But I also know that there is a better, more convenient and more pleasant way of taking malunggay everyday,'' she says. Like many modern mothers,  Garcia goes to work and her busy schedule does not allow her to always ingest the nutrients of malunggay through soups everyday.

Yet,  they won't do it the shortcut way, knowing how beneficial the nutrients of malunggay are. “We know that's why we did it the hard and slow way because we wanted to preserve all the goodness and the nutrients that the vegetable has to offer. No additives, caffeine and other preservatives were added in our tea,” she assures. 

Their determination has paid off, slowly but surely succeeding in ''tea bagging'' malunggay and all its goodness as she came up with Sun Angel Malunggay Herbal Tea, an instant yet effective response to busy breastfeeding women.  With the seal of the Bureau of Food and Drug (BFAD), this malunggay tea can be taken anytime and anywhere, precisely how Imee envisioned it to be.

''I know this will be most appreciated by mothers like me. But what is more important is that more and more women will be convinced that breastfeeding can now be more convenient, on top of the many benefits it gives our babies. There is no more excuse not to breastfeed - that we have no milk or that we are busy. We are gifted with technology to make things easier for all of us and we are making the most out of it, with our babies taking all the benefits,'' Garcia says.

(Sun Angel Malunggay Herb Tea is in Mercury Drug Stores. For inquiries call 776 3895 or 787 047, or check their site at malunggayherbtea.multiply.com and email malunggayherbtea@gmail.com.)

 

“My Milk Is All My Baby Needs” -Sherrie Mae Siy Ong

From Planet Noah's site (read the original post here).  It's a very inspiring read and one that I agree with wholeheartedly! There are so many things that go against breastfeeding and I sometimes feel like i'm fighting an uphill battle. It shouldn't be something that I should apologize for.  And then there's the (non-)support that I get from certain people who pay lip service to "yes, it's best for your baby. but nanny... it has been more than 7 months now.  don't you think it's time to stop?  pwede na, you already gave him lots of milk!  you can now give him formula."   who said that there's a time limit on this?  i'm so happy that i've lasted this long!  imagine, he's still fully breastfed at 7 months and 3 weeks?!  who would have thought?!  be inspired by her article, people... i know i am!  

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I'd like to share my friend Sherrie's inspiring piece on her breastfeeding experience. It's one of the entries that were chosen and posted in the lobby of Cardinal Santos Hospital as part of their celebration of Breastfeeding Month. I hope it will encourage more mothers to breastfeed despite the odds.

When a mom gives formula to her baby, no one gives it a second thought, but when a mom breastfeeds her baby, a slew of questions will immediately come her way: “How can you go back to work?”, “Why do you make it hard for yourself?”,°°“Why don’t you supplement with formula?”. And of course, that most often asked question which would strike at the hearts of even the most self-assured of nursing moms, “Do you have enough milk? Baka walang nasususo iyan.”

As all breastfeeding mothers know, the 2 most important truths in nursing are:°°1.All mothers have sufficient milk for their babies. 2. Breastfeeding works by supply and demand and the more we let our babies suckle, the more milk we produce.

Confident that I knew my basics, I got down to the actual business of breastfeeding which to my dismay, was even more demanding than being pregnant!°°

The first few times I experienced milk letdown, I felt a peculiar sensation of weakening°°as if the nutrients were being leached from my body. I persisted to discover still more things the breastfeeding books never mentioned (probably so as not to scare new mums!): sleepless nights especially the first couple of nights when I was desperate for sleep but could only nap for 15-30 minutes before my newborn would cry out again to be fed or cuddled.°°
 
And while the books did mention that breastfeeding would be every 2-3 hours, the reality is that in between burping, changing diapers, washing breastpumps, bathing baby, rocking baby, there is hardly time to do anything else besides breastfeeding. Forget about cooking or other household chores. Many times, I didn’t even have time to eat or take a shower!

I coped by multi-tasking. Checking my email while breastfeeding, bringing my son with me everywhere even to work°°(which is a major production entailing bringing a lot of baby gear heavier than baby himself) and pumping milk while working. In fact, pumping milk anywhere I could: at the back of a bus, in washrooms, in backrooms of exhibition halls. I even pumped while driving.

Even with all of this effort, people started to comment that my son was thin.°°While I knew that breastfed babies are normally leaner than formula-fed babies, I couldn’t help but worry myself.°°I went to a lactation consultant who commented, “Anong payat?”. He was healthy and thriving and that’s what matters, she said.

So here was another irony. It takes more effort to breastfeed, but the result is a leaner baby whereas if a mom formula feeds, she can just hand over the job to the yaya and people will look at the chubbier formula fed baby and nod in approval.

And then of course, there is work and the rest of your life.  In theory, pumping milk while being away from baby will maintain your milk supply, but as I discovered when I went on a 5 day business trip to Hongkong and a 3 day marriage retreat, not hearing baby’s cries made it so tempting to skip pumping sessions. In fact, even if baby just spent the day or night over at his grandparents’, out of fatigue, I would not pump according to schedule (which of course reduced my milk supply and I would have to relactate.)

So one thing I learned is that you can’t hurry nature along. The more you let your child suckle from you directly, the more milk you will produce for him. 

Why do I breastfeed despite all these challenges?  It is simply the best gift I can give my children.°°The gift of health. The gift of my time. There is°°no shortcut to breastfeeding, and while that is its biggest drawback, it is also its greatest virtue. Breastfeeding encouraged me to spend time with my babies and to slow down the pace of life from the hectic urban jungle to the natural rhythm of eating, sleeping and playing with baby. And isn’t that a more meaningful way of spending one’s time?

I must mention though that a good support system is critical in our breastfeeding journey. I was blessed to find support in family who assisted me in taking care of my son and in friends who shared their breastfeeding experiences with me. My friend Judy even lent me her breast pumps and would answer my breastfeeding questions even at 2 o clock in the morning.

Although breastfeeding asks of us a great deal of our time and patience, we must remember that this time to breastfeed our children will never come again. Never again will they turn to us for their complete physical and emotional nourishment. When I see my baby growing bigger each day, it is with a sense of awe knowing that my milk is all he needs to grow.

Breastfeeding may be tiring, monotonous, time consuming, but through it, I have experienced motherhood to its fullest. It has allowed me to be the best mom I can be by giving the best milk I can to my children.
 
Note: The writer breastfed her firstborn exclusively for 8 months until she got pregnant again. She is now breastfeeding her second born and has more realistic expectations of breastfeeding and resolves to minimize separations from her baby until he is weaned =).

Judy: I've posted this article on other mommy group sites with Sherrie's permission and have been getting overwhelming responses from like-minded moms. we love reading your breastfeeding stories and anecdotes =)

here are other readers' comments:
http://breastfeedingmums.multiply.com/journal/item/79
http://breastfeeding.multiply.com/journal/item/27
http://mommysrus.multiply.com/journal/item/211
http://workingmoms.multiply.com/journal/item/34/34

what to do...

i've figured out why my milk supply dipped... it was because i kept forgetting to take the motilium!  that's one of the side effects when you stop taking it - your milk supply dips...  it took a while for me to figure out what the problem was, but when i did, i became more conscious of taking motilium and i'm taking natalac twice a day na.  i had stopped taking it because i thought that the motilium would suffice...

my guess is that it's like this:  motilium will facilitate multiple let downs and natalac will help with producing the milk.  am i making sense?  so now, i'm taking 2 natalacs 2x a day and 1 motilium 3x a day.   and it's working!  i'm happy to say that my milk supply is back to normal

but now... i need to have a ct urogram for my kidneys. (i have kidney stones.)  but they'll be giving me something via iv that may not be safe for lactating mothers.  their protocol is to tell the mother to stop breastfeeding for 2-3 days.  so... i refused to have it done.  but my urologist said that he really needs that test done.  so he suggested i just pump and store milk (enough for 3 days) and then have the test done and then feed joachim via bottle (expressed breastmilk) for 3 days while i pump and throw away the contaminated milk. then i can go back to feeding him directly. 

BUT... i'm not sure that that's a good idea for me.  i feel like my body will give up making milk if i'm not feeding him directly.  it doesn't matter how great or efficient your breast pump is.  it's still no match for your baby drinking directly from you.

so... i'm torn.  i know i have to take care of myself (by getting my kidneys fixed) and i have to be ok so that i can take care of my family, but at the same time, if i do that, i'll be compromising my providing milk for joachim.  what to do?  what to do? 

supply and demand

i remember that i breastfed micael purely for 4 months and then had to supplement because my milk supply was dwindling.  with the twins, i lasted for 2 months of pure breastmilk before i had to supplement.  i know that breastmilk is all about supply and demand - for as long as your baby demands, your body should supply the milk... and i was trying to figure out why my milk supply ran low. 

joachim is almost 4 months.  at this point, he's sleeping for longer periods of time.  at least 3 hours. and this is adversely affecting my milk supply.  i'm taking natalac and motilium, lots of buko juice, squash soup and other soups... but i feel like my supply is, once again, dwindling.  i'm fighting it, but honestly, i think that this is one battle i'm going to lose.  i'm so sad... 

i can't naman pump in between feedings because it's an alanganin time interval.  it's happened where i pump just to keep up the supply and then he got hungry 30-45 minutes after that.  and it was hard because my milk didn't let down right away (because i had super emptied both sides!) and he was screaming... poor kimi... and only after a while did it let down.  after that, i've been hesitant about pumping in between feedings. i don't want to have him bitin again.

if you know of any suggestions to help me with my milk supply, please let me know!  like i said, i'm fighting the fact that i feel like my milk supply is going down...

What to expect when you're breastfeeding

An awesome post!  I read this on Jane's blog "Milk Station"  click here if you want to read it on her blog =)  it's really relevant and so true!  if you plan on breastfeeding, read this =)

One of the books I read over and over again when I was pregnant was "What To Expect When You're Expecting". Well, I wish somebody had written a "What To Expect When You're Breastfeeding". I'm sure it could save some trouble for a lot of moms. So, why not write it myself?

Based on my own experiences, and on the experiences of moms that I know and talk to, here's what (and not) to expect when you're nursing:

1. Expect breastfeeding to be a rewarding and fulfilling experience. But, it takes time and commitment, and a lot of practice and patience.

2. Don't expect milk to be flowing out of your breasts the moment your baby is born. During the first few days, they will be producing colostrum, which is a thick, yellowish substance full of antibodies. A few teaspoons per feeding is all your baby needs at this time. Mature milk usually comes in on the 3rd or 4th day. In my case, my milk came in on the 5th day.

3. Don't be disappointed if you can barely pump an ounce of milk. Just as Rome wasn't built in a day, milk supply takes time to increase, too. As long as you're nursing frequently, your supply will build up over time.

4. Don't compare the amount that you can pump with other moms'. Just as breasts come in different sizes, storage capacity differs, too. Some moms may have more storage capacity, some may have less. But storage capacity has nothing to do with the amount of milk that you can produce. Moms with smaller storage may just need to nurse more frequently.

5. Breastfeeding can help you bond with your baby, but if you're expecting a gush of wonderful maternal feelings, so much so that you'll positively radiate with a warm glow, well, don't be surprised if instead you're up at 3 am, tired and frustrated at your baby's inability to latch, or seemingly insatiable appetite, etc., etc. Don't worry, just hang in there, and think, "This too shall pass". It will get better!

6. Expect your nipples to feel raw and tender for the first few weeks. As long as your latch and positioning are correct, the soreness will eventually disappear. In my case I think I had sore nipples for about a month.

7. When your milk comes in, expect to look like you just had a boob job. They will become a little smaller once your milk supply is established.

8. Expect your baby to be "hungry all the time". Unlike formula, breastmilk is digested easily, which is why it's the perfect first food for your baby. Of course, this means that breastfed babies need to be fed more frequently, every 2-3 hours, or by demand. However, don't always assume that if your baby is crying, then it means he's hungry. Babies cry for a whole lot of reasons. Sometimes you won't even find a reason. Well, that's what babies do. They cry. It's normal. No need to panic (and give formula).

9. Expect to be "hungry all the time" yourself. After all, you are still eating for two. Always have a snack and a glass of water ready.

10. Expect your baby to use your breast as a pacifier. While your first instinct might be to object to this, in my opinion, it's better to just surrender to it. It's good for your milk supply, anyway. Plus, it's better for your baby to get comfort from you than from plastic and silicone.

11. Don't be surprised if your baby often falls asleep at your breast. Don't be surprised if you find yourself nodding off, too. Breastfeeding releases hormones that relax both you and your baby.

12. Expect your baby's poop to change from black to green to yellow. It will be soft and mushy, and it's normal to have some stuff that look like seeds. Expect around four to six wet diapers a day, and at least two poops a day. Some breastfed babies poop after every feeding. That's normal.

13. Don't worry if you get stomach cramps, especially while you're nursing. Breastfeeding helps contract your uterus, bringing it back to its original size. That's what's causing the cramps.

14. Expect your baby to get better at latching as time goes on. It took my little S about a month before he learned how to latch. At 3 months, I didn't even have to guide him anymore. There were times when I'd be moving around, and look down in surprise to see him latched on already.

15. Expect your baby to get more efficient, too. Starting around 7 months, what used to take little S an hour (or two) now takes him under 10 minutes to finish.

16. As your baby grows older, expect him to get easily distracted. This started at 3 months for baby S. If you find this irritating, nurse in a dim, secluded area.

17. Expect your older baby to be able to nurse in positions that will amaze you. (And lift your shirt up himself, too!)

18. And the warm gush of maternal feelings? Yes, they will come, especially when your baby caresses you while nursing, or smiles at you after he's full. My little S likes to be tickled while (comfort) nursing. It's our way of bonding, and I'm sure you'll create your own special nursing ritual, too.

I hope this helps some first-time breastfeeding moms out there.

Happy breastfeeding!

breastfeeding

breastfeeding has been a difficult and rewarding experience for me.  much easier now than with mica, gabe and rafa.  maybe because i'm older and know my mind... i am really sticking to my guns about it.  there are those tell me that i should give him water or that maybe my breast milk is not enough - he might be malnourished!  hello?!  have they seen my boy?  he's almost 8 kilos!  at 3 months!!   

funny din my yayas because they have all these pamahiins about breastfeeding!  i told you guys na about the feeding from the left breast first before the right because that's the ulam and the right is the water (or was is the other way around?)... but there's also the one about how i shouldn't feed joachim right away when i come home because i'm tired.  i should express some milk first - kahit konti lang - before feeding him para he doesn't get tired.  ok ba?!    hay naku!  I just sigh and tell them to give me my baby na so i can feed him.

they keep insisting that i should buy formula for him - "just in case" daw - kahit a small can lang. i keep telling them no.  not only is it against what i'm trying to do (which is to purely breastfeed), it'll be too tempting for them and they won't text me when he's hungry if i'm not home.

i'm really lucky that i have enough milk for him.  i've been taking the malungay pills (natalac), drinking buko juice, having squash soup and taking motilium (yes, the medicine for your tummy) to help increase my milk supply. 

micael (he's 5 years old now) is getting over a cold - lots of phlegm, coughing and slight fever for 2 days.  not fun.  the poor boy's paos and he's matamlay.  so i had the bright idea of giving him my breast milk to help boost his immune system.  this worked with joachim and so i told the yaya to mix it in with his regular strawberry-flavored milk.  of course, i didn't tell him   mostly because he'd refuse because the milk is for joachim. and, to be honest with you, i'm not sure what i'd do if i offered to feed him and he said yes!  (he's kinda big na, you know?!)  and guess what! he's much better. although he's still coughing, his eyes are clearer and he's more active! 

amazing talaga the way God made us!  i'm so grateful that i have milk now and that since i am producing antibodies, my other kids can benefit from it - not just joachim! makes me even more determined to keep on breastfeeding and storing as much as possible for when i have to go back to the office!  my mom's being really nice and told me that i can work from the house first because i'm still breastfeeding joachim... i'm so lucky that she's my boss and she has vested interest in him! haha

Bad Breastfeeding Advice

http://www.mother-2-mother.com/bad-advice.htm
This is an awesome site! There are a lot of well-meaning advice going around out there about breastfeeding. This site will give you the reasons why they're wrong and will help you with successfully breastfeeding your precious bundle of joy! If you are pregnant, or know anyone who is pregnant, please forward this so that they can also benefit from it.

They've got other pages with topics too! Ranging from storing breastmilk to topics just for dad... Enjoy! =)