On Vertical Bumpers

Our baby began exploring how to stand on his own in his wooden crib at 9 months. It drove our paranoid minds to the brink of insanity as we figured out how we can protect his head. We leave our son in the crib so we need not worry but this has changed since he started standing up. Of course I have seen the helmets and I know how my baby will never allow us to secure that foreign thing on his head. He can definitely not sleep wearing it and our baby stands on his own as we sleep. How many times have I awoken to a baby standing in his crib staring at me. Yes, this creeps me out at times, and yes, it also makes me guilty every time it does, because, what mother gets spooked by her own baby. I later on learned, it happens to other moms too. I digress.

We do not have conventional crib bumpers because it raises the risk of SIDS which I have blogged about before. We have done okay in the past, granted there were some bumps on the wooden crib but we figured the wood used for the crib is safe enough not to harm his head. However, falling like a log backward from a standing position and hitting his head is not something that we will idly watch happen.

We needed to find a solution and fast. I then went to Google for help but I was dumbfounded. What do I search for? What kind of product are we exactly looking for?! I was able to find Wonder Bumpers by Go Mama Go Designs. These bumpers are special because unlike conventional bumpers that will block air passage into the crib and pose the risk of SIDS, these are vertical. The bumpers individually wrap each railing by zipping the bumper around it. I loved it immediately. This was even before I learned that it has been given multiple awards. Unfortunately, I found out that they are in the US and to have the bumpers shipped will take a while and we need the bumpers urgently. Clearly, our lack of foresight is to blame. I sent an email to Go Mama Go Designs to inquire about a local distributor in the Philippines. It was a weekend so I had to wait at least 2 days for a reply. Meanwhile, I kept on searching while considering a DIY project.

By a stroke of great luck, I chanced upon Forever Mommy on Facebook and they were on a Clearance Sale. I browsed through the selection and lo and behold, I saw the Wonder Bumpers and they were on sale!!! We immediately placed our order and as though Forever Mommy knew about our predicament, our order arrived the following day! You cannot imagine how grateful we were!

We ordered the following:
1. 38 Wonder Bumper A for Alien Vertical Bumper Set (3,800PHP) in cotton fabric that comes with the following:

• 38 reversible vertical bumpers  
• Crib Skirt
• Crib Sheet
• Toddler Blanket

2. 4pcs 2-Pack Blue Damask Vertical Bumper in mink fabric (279PHP each)
    We got these because our crib has 4 thick corners and we also have more than 38 rails. We had to combine 2 vertical bumpers to enclose the corners. All we had to do was to zip together 2 vertical bumpers.

They did not have the A for Alien design for the 2-Pack Vertical Bumpers so we resorted to the Blue Damask design in mink fabric. I later on learned that this belongs to the Luxury Line of Go Mama Go Designs. 

3. 2pcs 52x12" A for Alien teething guard (459PHP each)
4. 2 pcs  30x12" A for Alien teething guard (369PHP each)

We had the Wonder Bumpers machine washed as soon as they got to us and the following day, we were able to install them. Note that it has been raining when we washed the bumpers but they dried the following day anyway.

Forever Mommy gave me the wrong width for the 30x12 teething guard but they delivered the correct width the following day, early in the morning. They also gave us free gifts to make up for it. Now that is customer service!!!

Go Mama Go Designs replied to me on the first working day in the US and the reply I got? They do have a local distributor and it's Forever Mommy!

My son has since fallen four times in his crib twice falling backward. It gives us some peace of mind that the rails are now padded. Being paranoid parents, we reinforced the padding that came with the Wonder Bumpers with Uratex foam that is 2" in width. We just inserted the foam into the vertical bumper sleeve.


What we love about the Wonder Bumper:

• Easy to install
• Reversible
• Quick to dry 
• Machine washable
• Nice fabric
• Well made 

We would have preferred thicker foam but then other parents who aren't us may be fine with the foam. As I have said, we are super paranoid.

I definitely recommend this product to those who have wooden cribs!

Cloth Diaper Review

Though cloth diapers were in my baby shopping list, I only started using cloth diapers when my baby turned three months old. It was around this time that my baby started to poop less so it became more manageable for me to use cloth diapers. I still use disposables at night because I do not want to wake my baby for a diaper change though there was one time when he fell asleep still wearing a Next 9 Pocket Cloth Diaper with an overnight insert and he slept through the night with no leaks. It has been 6 months since I have started using cloth diapers and it has really kept us from having to buy a lot of disposables. There are days when I revert back to disposables and during these days our stock can get easily depleted especially if my baby poops 4 times.

There are so many cloth diaper brands out there. The imported ones can fare for at least a thousand pesos and up. That is a bit pricey for me so I did not buy a single imported brand. Some opt to get second hand imported cloth diapers from different groups on Facebook like Modern Cloth Nappying Pinays. These secondhand imported brands can fetch 850Php and up. Still too expensive for me. I ended up buying Next 9 pocket diapers which are priced at 999Php for every three diapers. I also got Earth Baby All-in-2(AI2) cloth diapers. This is a type of diaper that has a shell and soakers. The soakers are buttoned unto the diaper shell. This allows the diaper shell to be reused because soakers can just be replaced when wet. This made for an economical option.  

Next 9 Pocket Diapers 
Pocket diapers are used as you would a disposable except you do not throw them away. This has pockets for microfiber inserts. The lining is made of microfleece so that your baby's tush stays dry without irritating baby's skin. Never get a diaper lined with microfiber as this will dry out baby's skin. I once saw a diaper like this at a baby store much to my horror.Next 9 comes with one regular microfiber insert but I highly recommend their overnight inserts, I use them even during daytime as this gives me a little allowance in case my baby falls asleep for hours.

Pros

• Easy to use - just snap on like you would a disposable diaper 
• Cute and fluffy 
• Does not leak 
• Adjustable so it grows with baby 
• Absorbent microfiber
• Protective microfleece that feels dry even when microfiber insert is already wet
• Overnight insert is effective for baby 
• Cheap 
• Durable (been using mine for 6 months and diapers are still great) 
• Easy to spray off the poop

 Cons

• A box of 3 offers the same print 
• Takes a longer time to dry compared to AI2 Inserts have to be stuffed into the diaper (since it's a pocket diaper) 
• You have to put in the insert inside the pocket

 Earth Baby 
My Earth Baby diapers are All-in-2 (AI2) diapers. These diapers have shells and inserts allowing one to reuse the shells. I reuse the shell twice as it may not be hygienic to use more than that. I just hang the shell to dry after. 

Pros

• Multiple use on shells - I use mine up to two times, I just replace the soaker when wet
• Easy to snap on the soaker 
• Adjustable so it grows with the baby 
• Does not leak if put on correctly 
• Has double gusset to help prevent leaks
• Soakers are absorbent
• Durable 
• You can choose from different designs available on their website
• Free delivery for a minimum purchase

Cons

• Harder to spray off the poop as it sometimes get into the shell 
• There is a button at the back that may be uncomfortable for the baby though my baby does not seem to mind 
• The shell has no comfortable lining and may come into contact with baby's skin 
• Hard to use multiple inserts
• The loop and hook type can scratch baby's thighs as the rough part is too big and can come in contact with the skin. I stopped using the loop and hook type and just used the snap on type

Spectra Review

Before I got a pump, I scoured the Internet for reviews and other information I can get about pumps in general and about the different brands and models of pumps out there. To pay it forward, I would like to contribute to the pool of resources available online.


What I love about Spectra in general:

• Cheaper than other brands, their hospital grade pump is still cheaper than those of other brands that are NOT hospital grade
• All the pumps use a closed system which means there are no backflows I wrote about this here a few months back.
• Quiet motor
• Great reviews online
• Easy to assemble
• Great service via BabyMamaPH
• Spare parts are easy to purchase online with one day delivery
• Cheap bottle system
• Cheap milk bags
• Cheap nipples
• All the parts are made in Korea

 What I hate about Spectra in general:

• Storage bottles are terrible. For some reason, the locking disc becomes loose. 
• Threading of the bottle to the flange sometimes become loose. We have associated it to temperature. When bottles tend to be warm, it seems to be more loose. We have tried so many experiments. At first I blamed the flange but now I am down to just the Spectra bottles. Avent works with the pump but it does not screw on completely which made me not use Avent for pumping. I have seen others use Avent though and they seem to be happy with the setup.
• Threading of the bottle to the nipple becomes loose sometimes. How many times has my baby had an unplanned milk bath because of this. Again, when the bottle gets heated, the lock becomes loose causing spillage. 
• Wide neck bottles only come in pink.

As you can see, most of my problems stem from the bottles. I could have opted not to get them because as I have said, Avent wide neck bottles work with the pump but the bottles were cheaper and they were supposed to work perfectly with the pump. I have also read one comment online complaining about the threading so it is just not me.

To date I have been able to use the following pumps:

Spectra S2 
I love this pump because it has helped me build my milk supply without giving me much pain. Initially, there will be some discomfort because you have to find the best vacuum and cycle settings. Vacuum is the suction strength and the cycle is the frequency of suction. This feature helped a lot when my nipples were cracked from my baby's incorrect latch. It also has a massage function that mimics the way the baby sucks. This is meant to encourage your body to give more milk. What I found to be most effective is to first use the usual vacuum and cycle I am accustomed to. When I feel my milk slowing down, I use the massage function until I see more milk come in again. I then switch back to the usual vacuum and cycle. I can experience multiple milk let downs this way. Another milk booster is the silicon massager that can be bought separately. This also makes the pumping process more comfortable as the silicon massager is soft.

What I love about Spectra S2:

• Hospital Grade
• Quiet
• Cheaper than other known brands
• Dual Electric
• Less parts to assemble
• Parts work with the Spectra 9+ and Spectra Wideneck Manual Pump
• Gentle
• Settings for Vacuum and Cycle
• Auto shut off after 30 minutes
• Can be used 12 times a day (according to BabyMamaPH)
• Nice design
• Multiple awards
• Backlight
• Easy to use
• Works well with the silicon massager

What I do not like about Spectra S2:

• Its weight: 3lbs

Spectra S1
I do not have this pump but the only difference between Spectra S2 and Spectra S1 is that S1 is battery operated. I was told by a friend that Spectra S1 can be used while charging. My friend used this pump for 2 years and it is still working perfectly. She only had to get the battery replaced because it would not charge anymore. 

Spectra 9+
We eventually decided to get the Spectra 9+ two months after I got back from work. The Spectra S2 was very bulky to carry plus I worry I might damage it in transit. The deciding point was when I was asked to travel for two days and I could not bring my Spectra S2 for fear that I might damage it during the flight. I had to make do with a manual pump during which time, my milk supply declined. Also, I ended up spending twice the usual time pumping.

We figured it will be great to have the Spectra S9 because this means that I can now pump in the car because it is battery operated. Rather than finding a way to make the Spectra S2 work with our car charger, this is a safer way to go.

What I love about Spectra 9+:

• Very light, less than 1 pound
• Very small, it fits into my tote bag
• Quiet
• Backlight
• Settings for Vacuum
• Battery operated
• Battery from my experience can last for 3 30 minute sessions
• Less parts to assemble
• Parts work with Spectra S2 and Spectra Wide Neck Manual Pump
• Auto shut off 
• Dual Electric Pump
• Massage Function
• Easy to use
• Works well with the silicon massager

What I do not like about Spectra 9+:

• Not as gentle as Spectra S2
• Does not have settings for Cycle
• Can only be used 5 times per day (according to BabyMamaPH)
• May not be used while charging (according to BabyMamaPH)
• Battery should not be drained (according to BabyMamaPH) 
• Must not be overcharged 

Spectra Wide Neck Manual Pump
We got this when I was 1 month post-partum. It dawned on us that if ever there was a power outage, I will be unable to pump. I tried hand expressing but I only get a little and it is very messy. I mean push comes to shove, if I need to do that again, I will but given a choice I'd rather not.

What I love about the Spectra Wide Neck Manual Pump:

• Very light
• Less parts to carry 
• Quiet
• Sturdy
• Less parts to assemble
• Easy to use
• Cheap

What I do not love about the Spectra Wide Neck Manual Pump:

• Silicon Massager does not work well with it or you have to get a bigger flange
• Not as gentle as the electric ones
• It takes twice the time to pump using this
• Can get messy
• One breast at a time
• No hands-free option

At the end of the day, the most important thing to ensure that the breast pump will not hurt is the flange size. I initially thought that the 28mm flange size will be perfect for me because that is the size that comes with the pump. I later on discovered that my size is 24mm. Here is the size guide from BabyMamaPH. I checked this before I got my pump but I thought feeding will increase the size of my nipple. It did but the change was not dramatic enough for me to change flange sizes.

I hope this will help you in searching for the best pump for you.

Motherhood According to a Neophyte

I was asked to give a talk on Motherhood at an event. Here was my talk.

I am a neophyte mother as I have only been a part of the sisterhood of mothers for a little over four months so when I was asked to share about motherhood, I felt ill-equipped, much like how I felt when I found out I was pregnant. I was excited but at the same time, I was uncertain if I will be good enough. I also knew that just like when I learned I was pregnant, I needed to be ready when the time came.  

And the time has come.

PUSHING

By this, I just do not mean the huffing and the puffing in the delivery room. I also do not mean pushing around the stroller although these are all part of the job description. I mean really pushing the limits of one’s physical strength, stamina and sanity. You see, while babies look seemingly vulnerable and helpless, they are also a perceptive bunch. They always know you can do more. If you have stayed up until 4 in the morning, the baby would know you can do at least 3 more hours. If you have sung a couple of lines, the baby would know you can do a Broadway production number with matching shimmies. On my baby’s second month, I was trying to build my stash of breastmilk, raise your hand if this is too much information, I will pretend not to see you because then I would have nothing to say anymore, I wanted to rejoice because I pumped enough milk plus some extra. The baby would know you can still do more and would demand more milk. I have a renewed sense of appreciation and respect for cows. Milk production is hard work.

The magic of motherhood is that it provides you that extra strength, stamina, and sanity to always go the extra milk, I mean, mile. My baby has taught me that the limits I have defined are limits that I can defy.

BOUNCING

Fellow mothers would probably know what I mean by bouncing. Giving birth makes you bounce in places you never have. I hated it at first but now I know I just have to accept it. I mean bouncing from a sad place to a happy place and then back to a sad place. When I gave birth, I did not huff and puff like other mothers. I was told by many mothers I interviewed that CS gave you the least pain. They forgot to tell me they meant during the delivery. They forgot to tell me that the day following the operation they will take you off the morphine and then the pain sneaks up on you like a holdupper so upset he decided to slash you instead of your bag. I had to bounce back right away though because my baby needed me. Also I needed to walk to the bathroom but more than that I had to attend to my baby who had to be exposed to billy lights because of his jaundice. I sat on a stool so low so the baby continues to get his phototherapy as he latched. Or tried to. This part is too much information so I will leave it as that. Sitting down hurt and standing up with a baby was probably painful as well but at that time, I only thought about how bad I felt that my baby is being baked under the lights.

Motherhood has been a series of peaks and troughs. My baby has given me the opportunity to emerge as a hero every time I bleed, feel pain, because I know I need to overcome everything  for him. 

LOSING

Motherhood has taught me that it is about losing oneself in so many ways. First I lost my collarbone, then I lost sleep, time for myself, and then my mind, my memory, at one point, I could not even remember my phone number. I lose my things, no thanks to the anesthesia I got. The one thing I would not mind losing, is the one thing that I cannot seem to lose, my weight. Seriously though, motherhood made me understand what the true meaning of losing oneself is. My baby made me realize that my body is no longer just mine. What I do with myself is now my baby’s business as well. When I put myself at risk, I risk him and his future as well. In my book, it will always be baby, husband and then myself. Not because my book is a dictionary but because becoming a mother I have been entrusted another life. My baby 

knows this too and he makes sure that I do not forget this.

LISTENING

As a mother, developing an uncanny sense of hearing is a must. For some reason, you just learn how to listen to the baby and be able to interpret what it means. Nature has its way of teaching the mother to hear the baby’s cry no matter how deep her slumber. Also, it is impossible to ignore the cry of the baby, at least from my experience. Something from deep inside compels me, no matter how exhausted, to get up and care for the baby.

 It’s this or the baby develops an uncanny skill to train a mother to bend to his will. Either way, the system works.

GAINING

Aside from the weight, motherhood allowed me to gain a renewed appreciation for my own mother. I have read books, watched videos, attended seminars but all these did not prepare me enough for the challenge that is motherhood. I continuously learn from experience, from fellow mothers, and most of all from my baby. My baby continues to teach me how to be a mother to him.

CHANGING

As a mother, one does become an expert in changing diapers but more than wiping the baby’s bottom while keeping his restless hands and kicking feet from getting into his soiled diaper, a mother must struggle to handle change. My life changed when I learned I was pregnant. From that time to this day, it has been one change after another. I need to learn to adapt but at the same time, keep all these changes in my anesthesia-ridden brain. I know that the sleepless nights, dirty diapers, milk spit, cries will not be forever and one day, I will miss all these. Just four months ago, my baby was a newborn. In a while before I know it, he will become a toddler. If I let time do its thing, he will be a teenager before I know it. Hopefully, by then, all the years of mothering would prepare me for that.

Motherhood to a seasoned mother, cannot be summed up in a few minutes. I guess this is why they asked a greenhorn like me to share.

I do not know what purpose this may serve, perhaps it is a warning/inspiration to those who are planning to become mothers, a tribute to the mothers or an ode to those who have been around the block and back. For me, this was a reminder that motherhood is a celebration of love and life.

Latching for Short Nipples

I have short nipples. I only learned about this after I gave birth and my baby struggled to latch. At first I worried that my baby might be tongue-tied or lip-tied so I had him checked. He had an excellent suck so it was me. My nipples, as the medical experts described them, are cute.

It is frustrating that lactation nurses, breastfeeding books, seminars and videos do not anticipate that others may have short or inverted nipples. This is my way of helping people like me, the unfortunate ones who go about life thinking they have good old regular nipples only to find out during delivery that they in fact, are not normal. 

Here are the ways I used to let the baby latch. Some did not work for me but who knows, maybe it's just me.

Nipple Puller Lactation nurses used a makeshift nipple puller made out of a syringe. They used two kinds, one with a small diameter and another with a big diameter. The first pedia, he has had four so far, of my son advised me to pull my nipple for five minutes, which easily translates to forever because of the excruciating pain. By the time I give the baby my nipple, it has gone back to its original cute state.

Tugging and Pulling Another technique the lactation nurses did was to put my nipple into my baby's mouth and tug and pull until my baby is able to suck. This worked a total of two times. I could never replicate it so needless to say this did not work for me.

Ordinary Farlin Nipple This was suggested to me when I got home. This is just a very small nipple. You just place the nipple atop your nipple and let the baby suck. This works but there is just too much blinding pain involved. The hope is to elongate the nipple but my nipple remained cute, only this time, it was also flat.

Medela Nipple Shield I read about this from a breastfeeding book. My baby liked this because he was really able to get some milk. I did not like it because the Medela name is embosed on the thin film of silicon that can either rub on my son's upper lip or chin depending on the orientation we prefer. This also hurt like crazy. At one point, when I pulled out my breast from my son's mouth there was blood. I do not mean a tinge of blood. I mean blood pouring out. You would think that would be the last time I would use it but in my desperation, I still used it at least three times more.

This is not recommended by lactation experts because this can cause nipple confusion. 

Breast Shield I never got to use this but I read that this helps those with short or inverted nipples as this pulls out the nipple during the day for as long as you wear them. I almost bought a pair for myself. I am glad I did not.

What worked?

Good old plain trying.

When my baby is calm, meaning, he is not kicking and screaming for milk, I try to latch him using different positions. The position that worked for me are as follows:

Laid Back Position I laid down with pillows supporting my neck and head and I had my baby on prone position atop my breast. I squeezed my breast flat like a sandwich, or at least as flat as I can so it fits my baby's mouth. I made sure he can breathe and then I let gravity do its thing. Just like that, my baby was able to latch.

Side Lying Position I did not want to try this before because I felt it was a complicated position. It is not. My baby was able to latch using this position as well.

To help the baby latch, I push the underside of my breast into my baby's mouth so he can get a good latch. I keep my hand there so the breast does not slip out.

The more I latched, the more the baby learned to adapt to my short nipples. I am happy to say that now we can do the cradle position and not have any problem. I can now take my baby anywhere and not have to worry that he might starve.

I still bring pumped milk in bottles just to be sure though.

Giving Up

When I learned I was pregnant, I started reading books, online materials and watching videos to learn about what to expect, how to take care of the baby and how to breastfeed. Nowhere in the books does it say what you will need to give up when you become a mother. Here are things I had to give up when I became a mother:

• Sleep This is a tad bit of an exaggeration. I still get to sleep but not the kind of uninterrupted sleep I used to get. The most difficult was when my baby was a month old because he had to eat every 2 hours but he gets hungry an hour before that. He could not latch directly yet so I had to carry him to soothe him. After feeding, he needs to be upright for 15 minutes and then a while after that he will need to be changed because newborns poop every after a feed. I had to pump in between to collect the 2oz he needed to take in. Between the pumping, burping, calming and feeding, I was left with almost no sleep. 
• Shopping I did not heed the advice of a friend who advised me to shop for bigger sized bras (2 cups bigger than the current) because I was unsure what my size was going to be. By the time my baby joined our tiny family, I could not leave the house anymore caused in part by my C-section and my inability to drive but mostly because I needed to express milk for my baby. I could not wear my smaller bras because tight bras can give you breast lumps that can develop to mastitis. When I was single, I hated the feeling of not wearing a bra, when I gave birth I was without them for almost two months! 
• Going Out Because of my C-section, I could not go up and down the stairs, this meant I could also not go out. The first time I went out, not counting two quick trips to the OB and another to Medical City, was when I attended a seminar for my son's Christening. This was two months after I gave birth. It is with no exaggeration when I say, the light outside at 3:00 PM was blinding. 
• Haircuts I do not get haircuts often. In fact, when I got married, I have not gone to get a haircut for a year. They said it would be harder to fix my hair if it were short. When I got pregnant, I did not want to go inside a parlor for fear of inhaling chemicals that may be harmful to the baby. After I gave birth, my hair was already up to my waist. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever be able to find the time to get a haircut. Almost four months after I gave birth, I finally was able to get the needed haircut. I now understand why some moms chop their hair really short after having a baby. 
• Baths I still take baths but what used to be a bath that can last up to an hour now cannot extend beyond 20 minutes. Any longer and my baby starts to cry. 
• Make-up, Moisturizer and Sun block People who know me know that I cannot step out of the house without sun block and cannot sleep without moisturizer. This is long gone for fear that the baby might lick the gunk off my face. 
• Nice Bras I do not know why nursing bras that provide good support are so hard to find. Particularly for my size. I am now making do with bras that are a cup smaller because they do not have my cup size. The brighter side is, my bra is now a fifth of the price of my former bras. 
• Movie Dates When I was pregnant we stopped watching movies  as soon as we realized how risky it is for me to catch certain diseases. When in a movie house, you never know who you are next to and what disease you can contract. Nowadays, we do not watch movies because leaving the baby at home seems unfair. We already work on weekdays and the hours on weekends are hours for the baby. 
• Eating Out My husband and I used to eat out when we need to go home late because of a meeting or what not. We now rush home after a meeting regardless of time because we want to be with the baby. 
• Going Out with Friends Friends have been inviting us for get together dinners but we just have too many constraints. Dinner has to be near our place, it must not end too late, the list goes on that we just say we are not going to not inconvenience people. 
• Travel I have a bad case of wanderlust. Have had it since I was a kid so I jump at every chance I get to travel. Recently, I was given an opportunity to go to the US for two weeks. I would normally say yes without batting an eyelash. This time around though, I had to say no. I could not be away from the baby for too long because I need to feed him. While travel used to be something I sought after, it is now something I try to avoid as much as possible.

The list goes on. Had I read about these things I had to give up for motherhood, I still, without a doubt, would not change a thing. A smile from my little one is worth everything that I had to give up. For now. Eventually, I know things will normalize and get easier. In the meantime, I will revel in the sight of a baby who looks up to me anticipating the milk I give to nourish him, the warmth and comfort my arms provide and the smell (no matter how bad) that calms him.

Bringing Milk Back

Just recently, I was on a two-day hectic business trip. I only had time to pump at around 4am and then at 5pm. Recommended intervals between pumps is 4 hours, 3 hours if you really want to maintain your milk supply because milk supply works based on supply and demand. While away, I also got dehydrated. I was not able to take my Moringga supplement (Natalac), was not able to drink Milo nor was I able to take in soup. I was also without my trusty Spectra S2 dual electric breast pump. I was afraid I might damage it in transit so I just brought with me a Spectra Wide Neck Pump. Towards the end of the day, I was so engorged, it was difficult to focus on what people were saying. I just knew that my breasts were hurting. I could already feel the lumps forming. The manual pump did its job,helping me express 12oz after the first working day. On the second working day, I had to pump in the van going to the airport, I was able to get 9oz. Needless to say, my milk supply took a hit. 

My milk supply is still not like before I left but steadily,  I think I'm getting my milk back. Here are things that I did:

1. Drink lots of water. During the time that I was away, I had access to very limited water supply. On my first night, I had to make do with just 500mL. In the morning, I got to drink a few glasses of water and then went on until 1pm without water. My body got used to this a bit so it was difficult to force myself to drink many glasses of water in a day when I got back but I knew I had to. 
2. Take moringga supplements. I did not overdose. I still took 3 capsules per day as prescribed by my son's first pediatrician (He has had four but this deserves a post of its own). 
3. Sleep. Or at least I tried. I had to attend to my son when I got back so sleep was still elusive but I tried to steal a few winks here and there with the help of my husband. 
4. Drink Milo. In the absence of soup, I take in hot Milo. I drank Milo during breakfast and dinner. 
5. Drink Ginger Tea. I drank a mug of ginger tea every lunch when I can. 
6. Pump every three hours. This was a challenge because each session, I produced so little and that was disheartening and stressful. I had to wake up at night to pump. At work, this turned out to be quite a challenge. I would pump in the morning and then again after lunch and on the way home. My electric pump does not have a battery so I had to use a manual pump in the car. I did not mind but recently, my husband asked me to buy a Spectra 9 Plus portable dual electric pump (this also deserves a post of its own). 
7. Try not to get stressed. Before I left, my three month old baby was downing 5oz per feeding. When I got back, my baby seemed to need more than 5oz per feeding which means, a bottle now had to have 6oz. I was only pumping 3oz per session after the trip. My stored refrigerated milk went from 13 bottles to a mere 3 bottles. It was a race I had to win. My husband tried to calm me down by telling me there is a lot of frozen milk bags in the freezer. This comforted me a little but I did not want my baby to consume the frozen milk as breastmilk when frozen loses its vitamin C and other micronutrients. 
8. Let the baby latch. I let my baby latch on to me whenever he can so that he can stimulate my breasts to produce milk. I could feel his frustration and disappointment whenever he latched as he tugged at my breasts for more milk. 

It has been nine days since I got back from the trip and while I am not yet freezing milk again, at least I now have 12 refrigerated bottles at 6oz each in stock again. There is hope.