Not Your Ordinary Mommy Blog by Mhow

Hi Mommies,

To start this blog, I am really lucky to be blessed with an ample supply of golden liquid. I was able to exclusively breastfeed Edmund for 2 years and a half. Although this blog may seem to be late because I'm mixed feed now, still I have a good amount of time and with that time, I learned so much as to how to increase my milk supply and my journey with breastfeeding.

For some, who may now have been successful in feeding their kids, that is OK as long as our babies are not hungry, wem as mothers are doing very well. A well-fed baby is already a gift from God and not being able to breastfeed due to unforeseen circumstances, that will not make us less than a mom- that's a fact.


Let's get this straight

Edmund was exclusively breastfed and I started to wean him in 2019 (this topic will be talked about in a different post) when I gave birth, I didn't have much problem in my milk supply or as to how Edmund will latch on my nipple. He immediately latched on my right boob. As far as I can remember, as early as 6 months, I noticed that I already have colostrum. My officemate told me that if my boobs are already swollen, try pressing it, there will be milk coming out of my nipples and she's right. There was milk coming out!

Pregnancy Stage

To be honest, my diet just consists of vegetables, lots of eggs and meat when I was pregnant. Having just enough money to survive I wasn't able to have so much budget for vitamins and supplements but I remember, I drank a lot of milk and my favorite was Alaska and Bear Brand.

I think, this also helped my body generate enough milk supply for my little one who is on the way.

First Few Months

As I have mentioned a while back, as soon as I gave birth, Edmund immediately latched on my right boob and it became his 'familiar' boob (if that makes any sense) of course, just like any other breastfeeding moms, I experience leaking. To illustrate, when I'm feeding on my right boob, the left boob is leaking and vice versa.

One of the things I did was having a 'lactation massage' which was an old wive's tale but there's nothing wrong with following for the sake of the baby, right?

But what angers me is that the masseuse has a heavy hard touch especially on the joints of my shoulder. It didn't give me comfort at all, all the while, I am expecting a relaxing postnatal massage but it was torture for me. HAHAHA!  When she started massaging my breasts, she told me that I have lumps of milk that were needed to be mashed (if that makes any sense) and while she was doing that, it was really awful of course but my milk was overflowing from my nipples and she said: "Wow, andami mong gatas, napakaswerte mo". I was supposed to have another run of massage as she recommended but because of the discomfort, I decided not to.

Toddler Stage

Toddler Stage was the happiest one because carrying the baby was becoming easier and easier because he is already growing and his bones are getting stronger. But one thing that I noticed is that Edmund doesn't like to feed on my left boob anymore.

Some said to offer both boobs but since I'm mostly doing the side-lying position wherein I always offer my right boob, that became is more dominant and familiar boob so when I offer my left boob, he is uncomfortable. Another thing is that I noticed that my nipples in the right boob are getting bigger and my areola doesn't change at all maybe because he is always feeding there- it made my boobs extra bigger. HAHAHA!

This stage is what I call "insecurity stage" because my boobs don't have the same size! My right boob is bigger than the left boob. So during this period, I opt to wear more loose clothing, it is also because easier for me to let go of my boob when Edmund needs to be fed whenever and wherever.

Most of these parts are seamless but the hardest one is the teething of Edmund, my nipples became a teether! I didn't expect cracked nipples during his infancy but I definitely experienced bloody nipples because he bites then pulls my nipples, sometimes he nibbles on it.

I have to be honest, there were times that the pain is so hard, I have left with no choice but to pinch him so he can immediately cry and let go of my hand. If I tend to pull my nipple away from his mouth, I feel like my nipple will be ripped off so that is the best shot- it's for the best of us.

I remember when he was around 7 months or 8, I was crying one early morning and my mom woke up with me sobbing like crazy and she asked why (of course) and I said: "I don't want to breastfeed anymore, I'm so tired, I'm so hurt- my nipples are bleeding". Mom was very understanding because she knows how painful it is to be bitten; with words of encouragement, I was able to surpass that stage.

What supplements I took?

Well, I only took a few supplements because my mom and Lala Doll always prepare viants that are good for breastfeeding such as Nilaga, Tinola, Tahong; these are my favorite just to name a few. They always recommend me to drink milk and eat more so that my body can reproduce more milk to offer to my baby.

For supplements, Natalac was the first. It helps my body reproduce milk but in my experience, it didn't make my milk supply better but I know that it helped my supply somehow.

On a side note, always know that the effect differs from different bodies.

My favorite will be M2 Concentrate Tea it is a concentrated tea drink that increases milk supply and has amazing benefits for the body. I can remember clearly the first time I tried it, my boobs are about to explode because my milk supply tripled. It was amazing. Also, know that I also drink Natalac while taking this.

On the contrary to what I have said a while ago, the time I was taking Natalac, I'm just taking it alone so these two worked well and made my milk supply even better.


And even though I am already mixed feeding, I am still struggling with sleeping in just one position. My body is actually strained in sleeping on my side and my nipples tend to feel less painful because it is already numb *haha* but I'm really enjoying this journey.

Image from Philippine Star

I know everyone is freaking out because of the recent phenomenon that involves the Taal Volcano eruption and the heavy ashfall that literally covered almost over the Philippines. It's understandable that mothers would take into consideration first more than everything is the safety of our kids.

I'm blessed enough to be located in an area wherein ash fall is not severe but for my folks who are located in severely affected areas, there are so many things that I have realized that I would like to share with you.

1. Never panic
   Although yes, it is very normal for us to experience panic feeling when this phenomenon occurs we need to have an open mind to think of possible solutions to save ourselves and our family as well.
   
2. Never go to your kid's school immediately
   This is one of the most common reactions that most parents to when there's a natural phenomenon going on but, on side note, we must know that the school knows exactly what they are doing to ensure the safety of everyone in the school.
   
   Come to think of it, if we will go there, we will add stress to the school's administration.
   
   What we can do instead? Call the school first and assure that everything is under control in that way we can prepare our kid's needs when we fetch them such as bringing proper protective clothing, masks, and umbrellas to keep them and ourselves away from the harmful effects of ashfall. 
3. Always be prepared
   I am always prepared but for some, they are not familiar that they need to have an emergency kit (with complete supplies) and keep an ample supply of food and water.
   
   Although this situation may come surprisingly it is best to be prepared so we would avoid ourselves from the shortage of supplies like the ones recently- the shortage of the need for face masks and most people are doing panic buying.
   
   To me, it is very important to be prepared for the events that we don't see coming at any moment.
   
4. Always have cash
   This I don't follow often, but it is essential to have cash because although we have ATM everywhere, little did we know that there are several possibilities that may happen such as ATMs running out of cash or the ATMs don't have a power supply at all.
   
   Emergency money is very very important not only for health purposes but also for calamities.
   
5. Stay indoors
   We and/or our husbands may need to work even if there's a natural calamity going on but we must know and always remember that HEALTH IS WEALTH.
   
   My partner, Jerico is living in Paranaque wherein the ashfall is really heavy and I can see from the video chat that it is too ashy and they can barely breathe. So I said, don't go to work the next day because your health is very important.
   
   But if you really need to go out, you need to perfect in the sense that you are supposed to wear protective clothing, with proper mask and eye gear. 

As a mom, there are so many things to take in consideration for the wellness of your family. If you're a lucky mom and got everything figured out last year well, I'm happy for you but if you're just like me who's trying to keep up. This 2020, we need to make things better!


Here, I've listed down 3 things we need to prepare for 2020:

1. Budget
   This is one of the most common factor we need to prepare for the entire year. It is the main source of everything- from the food we eat down to the leisure time with our family.
   
   My take for budgeting is not as strong compared to others because although I have work and business, my income is not really stable compared to others. So what I tend to do is forseeing the income I will be getting for the entire month and prioritize my son's needs, followed by debt and then savings.
   
   Yes, this may not be the most ideal way to save but I have no choice. So my budget plan is to prioritize the most important things first then take a part of the money that was left and then make it as my savings and the money that will be left will be the things I will be using on a daily basis.
   
   For some, who has awesome partners and husbands or in short- you have a stable income and even if there will only be one who procures money in the household, saving first and paying the debt and treat your family may be doable.
   
   In short, making the budget ideal is essential. When you do budgeting, don't worry about how much you save first, what's important is that your family can be able to eat well at the right time, you don't have debt and your family can live a very comfortable life.
2. Security
   It is very important that your family has security not only in terms of financial but also when uncertain events occur (like sickness, accidents and clamity)
   
   To me, as a freelancer, it is very important for me to have this 'security' because I don't have someone to rely on apart from my parents and although I may have a partner now, I cannot depend on everything because he has a life on its own.
   
   My personal goal is to open Edmund a health card in order for me to be prepared whenever he got sick
3. Fun and Education
   As we all know, we are only 2 months away before the summer vacation. As moms, we don't want our kids to have an idle momens on their vacation so it's better to plan things ahead to avoid stress not only for our minds but also with our budget.
   
   What we can do is research for activities they can enjoy such as voice lessons, cooking, swimming, etc. We can inquire so we would know how much we will be spending on each activity (you may include the fare and food expenses here) afterwards, we can let our kids decide which one they would love most.
   
   After the summer vacation, it's now back to school- it's better to be prepared on the upcoming enrollment. This season can be quite overwhelming because the expenses are back and forth which is why we need to think ahead.
   
   One of the things we can do ahead is to purchase school supplies ahead (when it's not on season), although the prices won't make much difference, atleast, you won't be stressed with long queue on checkout counters- make your time precious and your budget even more important.

Aside from a well-balanced, nutritious diet, giving your child a glass of milk has been shown to help support your child’s well-being. Aside from being a source of calcium, a glass of milk can also provide essential and important nutrients for growth and mental development.

As parents, however, it is important to take a closer look—beyond the promises—at the nutritional values, ingredients, calorie counts, and even the sugar content of your child’s milk to better understand how it factors into his or her nutrition. One way of doing so is by getting accustomed to reading the labels.

According to Food Scientist Dr. Lotis Francisco, milk labels provide the necessary information that would allow you to check and balance the ingredients and other nutritional facts of the milk.
“By taking time in reading and understanding the label, it helps you make smart choices in identifying the best milk for your child,” added Dr. Francisco.


What’s on milk labels? 

Dr. Francisco said that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires labels on all prepackaged food, like milk. These labels must provide a complete list of ingredients, as well as its nutrition information in readable type. Usually, these are located at the back or side of the packaging under the “Ingredients” and “Nutrition Facts” headings.

When reading the Ingredients label, you must take note that the items listed are in descending order of proportion: from most to least. This means that the first ingredient in the list is also the main component of the milk.

For instance, some formula milk, like PROMIL® Four, have non-fat milk as their first listed ingredient, and this is their first component. Dr. Francisco noted that this component is preferred for children over 3 years old since it eliminated unnecessary fatty acids and kept the other milk components like lactose.

Other milk brands, meanwhile, use other key ingredients like hydrolyzed cornstarch that serves as an agent to retain milk’s sensory properties, and functions as a source of carbohydrates with also its sucrose content. With these ingredients, your child’s milk would look and feel like that of a regular one when consumed and is much sweeter than the recommended.

How do you read the Nutritional Facts? 

The Nutritional Facts label, on the other hand, appears in a tabulated form that declares the protein, carbohydrates (including dietary fibers and sugars), fats (including saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol), sodium, as well as the caloric content of the milk. Added Vitamin A, Iron, and Iodine, as well as other vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids are also included in the tabulation.

“All of these nutrients are expressed through the Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intake (RENI) of children, based on the guidelines of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI),” explained Dr. Francisco. “So, if the Protein Content in the milk indicates 30 percent, then, your child needs 70 percent more from other food sources to meet his or her daily RENI."

How do you know the sugar content? 

When it comes to formula milk’s sugar levels, most parents may find it confusing, especially that the Nutritional Facts label only indicates an aggregated sugar content. That is why high sugar levels do not necessarily imply poor quality.

Among the types of sugar added in formula milk include sucrose, also referred to as table sugar and starches. These are added to replace some or all of the lactose naturally found in milk. Given the case, Dr. Francisco noted that it is still better to check the type of sugar used in your child’s milk. For your child’s proper growth and mental development, PROMIL® Four is predominantly lactose with its non-fat milk as the main ingredient.

What other nutrients should you look out for? 

To ensure that your child gets the essential and important nutrients for proper growth and mental development, it pays off to check if milk’s macronutrients—protein, fat, and carbohydrates—are at the right level for children over 3 years old.

Based on FNRI’s Philippine Dietary Reference Intakes, your child’s milk per serving should have Protein within 6-15% of total energy, Fat within 15-30% of total energy, and Carbohydrates within 55-79% of total energy to be within the acceptable macronutrient distribution range (AMDR).

Below recommended range may stunt a child’s growth and drain energy, while above may cause the risk of obesity. To support proper growth and mental development, it is preferred for these nutrients to be within range. For PROMIL® FOUR, it gives 15% total energy from its protein content, 30% total energy from fats, and 55% total energy from carbohydrates.


PROMIL® FOUR is also the only formula milk with NUTRISSENTIALS®. It contains DHA, AA, Lutein, Iodine, and Iron to help support brain and visual development. It also has Vitamin A, which supports healthy eye development; Zinc for normal growth and maintaining a healthy immune system; Niacin, which aids in metabolism; Biotin, which enhances energy for physical development; and Potassium, which promotes healthy muscles.

“In some cases, it’s easy to identify the right formula milk for your child if you take time to read and understand the labels. It might seem complicated at first but, it can help you make good choices for your child’s growth and development,” said Dr. Francisco.

For many years, PROMIL® FOUR has helped parents nurture the gift through proper care, parenting, and nutrition.

To learn more about PROMIL® Four, visit their website at www.promilnurturethegift.com.ph.

When you became a parent, little things do matter. Even the smallest smile of your little one makes a huge impact in your life. So how much more if your kids will achieve their little milestone like having their first haircut.