Pumping Working Nanay

This week is a riot. I started working again last Monday, 10th August. Everything was just chaos. Few days before I report to work, I had to go to the mall to buy some new office clothes. I had to pump every now and then to have milk supply for Bella so she won't run out.

First day of office was ok. Still nothing to do so I counted the time till 3 - 4 - 5 5:30! Whoohooo! Time to go home. No one was bothering to clear their respective table and everyone seem to be too busy. I waited and waited. Damn. I can't do this. Bella is waiting for me at home. She has to have her milk from nanay in the evening. I feel like crying already. I know she can't find her sleep come evening time. From 5 to 7 PM, she wants to be with me and I with her. This is damn breaking my heart. I want to have my career and at least earn something but I don't want my daughter to suffer in the process. I waited for her all my life and the least thing that I can do is be with her every step of the way. If only I could do something to make ends meet without sacrificing her growing up years. I want to be the first one to see her first smile, her first word, her every first.

I know a lot of moms understands what I am feeling right now. Moms who wants to be the best mom for their kids. Moms who wishes to see their bundle of joy everyday but work and other stuff just won't make it happen. I sometimes envy my mom. She is the one taking care of Bella when I'm at work. She is the one seeing how my daughter's doing everyday. She sees her smile, her cry, her feeding, her eyes that stare. She may even be the one to her ALL FIRSTs. And all I can do is to listen to her story on how my daughter had been on that particular day. I wish I am her. But still I thank her for being a mom to my daughter when I just cannot.

At least, for consolation, my daughter is still purely breastfed. I religiously pump in the office every 3 hours for her next day's feeding and feel guilty when I had to delay my pumping time. I am a new employee. Everyone is still a stranger. But I dont give a damn. This is for my daughter. This is the only thing I can do for her in exchange of not being with her for more than 10 hours everyday.

I will find a way to be a work-at-home-mom. That I promised you bella. Just hang in there my precious.

Avent BPA-free storage bottles

Yey! I got my Avent BPA-free storage bottles.

This box contains four 4-oz. breastmilk storage bottles. This product is made from Polyether Sulphone (PES) – a BPA-Free material with a natural honey-colored tint. The ones I have had white transparent color. I’m not sure though, if that color indicates that it is BPA-free.

This is more convenient for me since it fits my Avent manual breastpump. It is easier for me to express and store. This can also be used directly as feeding bottles by simply replacing the sealing disc with nipple.

I went to SM Megamall (my favorite mall) few days back to check how much this storage bottles cost. It was P1500.00 same price with the multiply seller I bought this from, I just added additional P 50 for delivery for a hassle-free online shopping. For your information, the ones sold in malls are not BPA free bottles unless indicated. “Bisphenol A, a hormone disruptor that can cause reproductive damage and may lead to prostate and breast cancer in adulthood, is used as a building block in polycarbonate plastic, but not in the substitutes, such as polypropylene.”

“Previous study have shown that if your repeatedly scrub, dish wash and boil polycarbonate baby bottles, they release BPA.” This shows that when the same new and and used polycarbonate drinking water were exposed to boiling hot water, BPA, an environmental estrogen, was released 55 times more rapidly than before exposure to hot water.

Make sure that bottles you buy are BPA-free to lessen your contact to these chemicals. We may have been exposed to same substance since childhood but for as long as we can help it, it is better to be safe than sorry.

However, after several research, I am not sure anymore if BPA-free bottles are as safe as we thought it would be. You want to read the whole story?

This is frustrating. We only wanted our child to be safe from this harmful chemicals. Good thing, I only use plastic as storage bottles. On feeding time, I transfer the milk to glass bottle and thaw on hot water as it is the safest way. While I don’t use glass bottles for storage as there are some nutrients from the breastmilk left inside it.

Breastfeeding Station

I just cannot think of a title for this blag! This is again a non-related topic but i cannot help my self but vent this out.

There are some people who are insensitive and inconsiderate. As Pia and I went for a walk in the mall, we encountered not one but two of them. And they are a couple mind you. The woman is a mother. Who’s suppose to understand the need of a fellow mom. The guy of course was a father who should be ashamed of himself.

As a breastpumping mom, I always bring my avent manual breastpump everytime I went out just to be sure that I will still be able to express milk every 3 hours to maintain my supply. Though sometimes this is a hassle for me, when I think of how my bella will benefit from it…all the more I am excited. Especially when I see how many ounces I produce.

Anyway, doing my usual thing, this day is a more exciting one because instead of using the comfort room, this will be my first time to use the breastfeeding station of SM Megamall located at the Ground Floor near Food court, just behind Greenwich area.

Pia and I went inside surprised to find a few people. One, was a lady breastfeeding her child. Then from the look of it, a family. A dad, a mom, her child and a yaya. This irritates me in an instant. I thought this place is exclusively for breastfeeding mothers?!! Why on earth will a man be inside this area?! And you know what he was doing? He was actually using his laptop.

Poor mother who was feeding her child. I know the feeling. It is really awkward doing this in public much more with a man present. We stand there for a while hoping the guy will excuse himself but he never bother. The wife was even more annoying because she was not doing anything at all! Why would she allow her husband to be inside? So thoughtless people! Finally, after several minutes, I decided to pump in one of the CR. The management should put a sign outside the door “exclusively for breastfeeding moms!” I don’t blame them for this incident, I’m sure, they didn’t think some people will have the nerve to stay in this area where they have no business whatsoever.

Hope the next time I went there, I will not come across people like these again.

Breastfeeding Nanay wishlist

We always wanted what’s best for our babies. Through extensive research, I was able to gather a lot of information on Breastmilk. I actually never thought of this while pregnant but chancing upon the benefits of breastfeeding I became an advocate. But to be able to reach my goal in providing may gorgeous little girl all the benefits that she needs, I must have these items, especially now that I will get back to work anytime soon. Though expensive, I am sure the payback will be big time!

This Avent BPA on-the-go breastpump (P4350) and will be convenient for me once I get back to work. I already have a manual breastpump at home that I brought from Megamall with eyes closed. Aside from the fact that it is not BPA free, it was more expensive than online buying. If I did have a choice, I shouldn’t have brought it, but cash is not available at the moment so I need to use my credit card. Once I get back to work, I will buy a new one which is BPA free.

I have already have few pegion bottles at home, unfortunately those were the standard-size bottles and my Avent breastpump only fits wide mouth bottles so it is really a hassle for me to transfer milk every time I pump. So this BPA free bottles (P2500) are must have for me and my baby. The set has 2-4 oz bottles, 2-9 oz bottles 1 bottle brush and 1 milk formula dispenser

I also plan to buy extra avent BPA free storage bottles (P1500)

And these sealing dics (P undisclosed).

My few MEGS friends and I went for coffee to update each other. I just learned how little I produce breastmilk. My other friend were able to pump 12 bottles a day in one session when she was still nursing her first baby. That made me sad. I thought I was already producing enough. Now, I am determined to use every means possible to increase my supply. Though, i still want to have this lansinoh storage bags (P380) for future use.

Prices may vary and availability should be check from time to time. All the above items are available from a multiply seller (http://shopfortots.multiply.com/


This victoria fridge-to-go can fit an air tight lock and lock container with my breastpump inside with 6 bottles for my expressed milk. This is suitable for an 8-hour job with no available refrigerator and can last up to nine hours sorround cooling. For a hassle free shopping, you may visit http://fridgetogo.multiply.com/

Going to the mall is the thing of the pass. With the high technology, shopping is just one click away. Selling and buying online are “IN” thing. Though, one must be carefully in dealing with all these online sellers.

Breastmilk vs Formula

I have a lot to blag! But unfortunately I don’t have the luxury of time right now. I just keep a mental note of it all. I’ll start of with the most recent event and back tracked. Today is first day that my precious little Bella had her formula milk, S 26 gold. As advised by her pediatrician, to finally get rid of the yellowish thingy on her skin… Jaundice in medical term. It is actually a common condition in newborns which refers to the yellow color of the skin and whites of the eyes caused by excess belirubin of red blood cells.

Hers was a mild one but we want to make sure that everything is alright…or else I’ll go panicky again…Paranoid, as what Far-ouT always tells me. Any thing unfamiliar sound from Bella, alarmed me. Anyway, it should have started yesterday or day before, I believe. But I kept on postponing it. I even asked her pedia, if we can go on with just letting her stay in the sun in the morning. But well, pedia knows best than mothers in some ways. Who can blame me for overreacting? Since day 1 we have that bonding moment and it’s hard to let go. I am afraid that drinking formula milk might cause Bella to refuse my breastmilk that would really break my heart as I intend to breastfed her until we are both ready to let go. Even if I go back to work, I swear to be patient to breast pump and store my milk.

I even tell bella when she’s feeding not to like the milk too much because breastmilk is still best for her. Since she can’t drink milk from me, I use my manual pump to take out the milk. I store it in the fridge for future use. When I have time to read, I search the net for some helpful tips and I found this blog, http://milkstation.blogspot.com/2008/07/stash-or-trash-milk-storage-guidelines.html. It's very informative and I was able to get important information with her own experiences. Tomorrow is the last day for Bella’s formula milk drinking and my breastmilk will resume at around six in the evening. I would know by then which milk she prefers. Hopefully she will still choose her Nanay’s milk because Bella will definitely break Nanay’s heart if she will go for the alternative. If she only knows that no other milk can replace Nanay's breastmilk. And I wouldn't trade for anything the bonding and the eyes that stare at me whenever she's close to my heart. Shucks! I’m a breastmilk advocate??!

Yes, indeed.