Breastfeeding Journey from 10 weeks to 16 weeks (4 months)

Milestone
Our breastfeeding journey have reach the 4 month mark, up till today we have not gone back to formula and we are 100% breastfeeding. To me it's like a huge accomplishment coz I seriously never thought I would see myself breastfeeding this far, this journey isn't over and we are constantly facing challenges, experiencing it and making it better as we go along. Now I am so motivated to see each month of breastfeeding.

I am already back to work, which also means I am currently a FTWM that do 100% breastfeed this can only mean one thing, I am TIRED! and my time are spend on latching and pumping. I am still feeling positive and know all this will be worth it. I am trying to pump as much so that I am able to keep up with the demand as Sofia now drinks about 120ml per feed. Even thou I don't have a gigantic amount of frozen stash in the freezer at least this breastfeeding journey is doing well. My aim right now is to keep up with supplement that helps boost my milk supply and also to make sure that I have enough feeds for the next 3 days.

Each morning before I leave for work, 5 bottle of 100 - 120ml of milk must be prepared and don't ask me but every night I have to wash and sterilize it such a hassle, that is why I always encourage mummies to always direct latch. But salute to mummies who express breast milk from day 1 coz every day I wish I can bring Sofia to work and just latch her. But on most days Marion will always help me with the washing so I could have a little time to eat, latch, take a decent shower and rest.

Amount of Milk
At work I have manage to pump for 3 session and yield about 100ml - 140ml per pump, I am also using the manual hand pump at work as the electric one is just too noisy, I am still thinking about getting another pump that is much silent, so that I am able to pump in peace and the office won't be to disturb with the pumping noise. Still considering it..... will update you more on my pump session soon.

Ohh! I don't carry Prada, Louis Vuitton or Chanel, every time I go to work I carry Fridge-To-Go it's a must have to carry breast milk. 

Challenge
There is a new challenge this month, I have been experiencing the pain of block duct which happens at least once every 3 weeks (I notice a pattern), I really can't pin point what is causing it but I do highly suspect that Sofia isn't emptying my breast well and I have been too tired to pump in the middle of the night. Also Sofia have been teething a lot lately and she constantly wants to bite on something and of course my nipple is one of it that she wants to bite when we latch. Those gums felt like teeth! Ouuuuuch! So I read from kellymom.com that I need to bring her closer to the breast when she is biting so that she will release the nipple instead of biting and I think it works coz I tried a couple of times she ended up latching properly. I am so worried that she will go on nursing strike, which is causing the blocked duct again and I don't want her to stop latching.

Anyway back to my blocked duct, I manage to clear it by 2 to 3 days  by massaging it and making sure Sofia latch on the block breast properly helps too. So far I have manage to eliminate the blocked duct from becoming worst I heard some mummies out there need some medical attention as it can get pretty bad and fever can spike. I am so glad I didn't reach that stage. But each time a blocked duct comes, it becomes a nightmare for me. My mum would be the one helping with the massage, I make sure to pump and latch as much as possible.

Supplements
As for my supplements, I have been sticking to Yogi Nursing Tea to drink though out the day. But I also have added new supplement with Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO), Aurawhite (Collegen Supplement) and Oats into my daily diet.
The VCO is to make my milk fatter and creamier and to help boost milk supply, there have been many mummies review about VCO and the benefits it gives, so 2 weeks ago I started taking them. Surprisingly this Aurawhite is working like a charm too there is a huge boost of milk supply if I drink this in the morning, I usually yield about 100-120ml but with this I now yield 120-140ml plus it also give me extra collagen to my skin and balance the nutrients that I need. All this supplement helps with supply, making my milk creamier and making me healthy at the same time. I notice a detox feeling will happen every time I eat to much junk, I suppose its good for me and of course on top of all this I drink about 2-3 liter of water.

Not forgetting the good old Rolled Oats which I always love to have with my milo at work and home, it's easy to make and I always love Oats.

Oh yea, I am kiasu like that.... what to do I spend the money on supplements that give me benefit and my milk rather than paying few hundreds a month on formula. What ever it is we working mums will definitely need supplement since we don't have the luxury to latch all the time. I think this is just a small investment compare to formula (FYI: I am not against formula just that Breastfeeding work best for me)

So if you have any thing to share about being a full time working mum who pump at work and juggle life do share them in the comment box down below.