BREASTFEEDING FREQUENTLY IS THE BEST POLICY

My youngest is already 2 years and 5 months old, but he is still breastfed. I have not stopped breastfeeding, except for the 4 days that I went out of the country last October. I am actually amazed at how much milk I can still produce. There are times that I still get leaks. There really is no secret to having lots of breastmilk. The only thing you need to remember is NEVER STOP BREASTFEEDING. Your body produces milk on demand. Breastfeed frequently and you will continuously have milk available for your baby. 

When I went out of the country, I had to manually express my breast to release (and dump) my breastmilk. I used to use a breast pump with my 2 other sons but with my youngest I did not have to because I just brought him with me whenever I needed to go out. So ever since he was born, until now, he feeds directly from me. 

Anyway, For the first 2 days that I was out of the country, my breasts felt tender because of the milk. But on the third day, since my body knew that nobody is using the milk that it is producing, it somehow stopped. I was kind of worried that it will be permanently gone. But when I got back home, I just immediately breastfed my baby again and it's as if nothing happened. It's like it was just on pause then resumed hehe 

So, what is my point? It just proves that if you stop breastfeeding, your body really stops producing milk. So, if you feel that you don't have enough milk, ask yourself if you are breastfeeding frequently. I am not a lactation expert but I am a veteran. I have been breastfeeding since 2009 since I gave birth to my eldest. So, I guess 6 years (and counting) of breastfeeding can earn me the rank of being a veteran breastfeeding mama haha 

There are products, though, that can help your body BOOST your breastmilk. Take note ha, BOOST and not PRODUCE. They only help in increasing your milk supply but not actually produce if you are not doing your part, which is the most important thing. I have tried a lot of these breastmilk boosters but the only 2 that I really felt helped are the VPharma Megamalunggay capsules and my favorite Mommy Treats lacation snacks. I never had any problem with my supply but there are days when I feel that my milk is thin. Whenever I take these 2 my milk becomes thicker.

During bazaars, Paola of Mommy Treats and I usually have booths next to each other so I have instant snacks hehe I would munch on her lactation brownies (they're calorie-controlled, so hindi nakakataba hehe) and after few minutes, I would feel my breasts getting tender already. For breastfeeding mamas, you would know that feeling diba? When the breasts are producing milk na. That's exactly how I feel everytime I take these.

Vpharma Mega-Malunggay Capsules

Mommy Treats Lactation Snacks

So there goes my long post. 

Moral lesson: 

BREASTFEEDING FREQUENTLY IS THE BEST POLICY.  

Mommy Treats

Vpharma Mega Malunggay Capsules

 

Breastfeeding Unfriendly Hospital and so much more!

My cousin gave birth last week at one of the hospitals along E.Rod (You can take a guess na lang). Mark and I visited her the following night after she gave birth. She had undergone C-section so inevitably, I asked her why she had undergone C-section. She actually did not know she had CS until she woke up! She was not informed. The staff asked for the husband's consent instead. The things that made me raise my eyebrows were the following:

National Breastfeeding Awareness Month

Miranda Kerr

Top Model Gisele Bundchen 

As you all know I am a breastfeeding advocate so all my kids were breastfed. Enzo and Marko were exclusively breastfed until 6 months, and from then on,  they were mixed fed with formula milk. Since they could eat solids already, I figured it would be okay to give them formula milk while still being breastfed. But as I was able to attend several pregnancy talks (due to Urban Essentials either being a sponsor or an exhibitor in the event), I found out that babies have actually no need for any formula milk ever! That is why my youngest, Javi, is still exclusively breastfed even at age 1 and I am not planning to let him have a taste of formula milk. There are still people who argue that feeding formula milk is not harmful to the baby’s health. Formula milk has been fed to babies since before I was born! Even I was given formula milk when I was a baby and I am alive! They actually have a point. What has changed now that led some moms to believe that formula feeding is not good for babies? The answer is education and awareness. When I was a kid, most of the breastfeeding moms that I saw were the ones whom I sat beside in the jeep, moms who are in the streets, moms who had not enough money to buy formula milk. The rich parents before were the ones who fed their babies formula milk. The more expensive the better because paying more could mean providing more nutrition to their baby. These days, everything has reversed.  The breastfeeding moms are the sosyal ones, the ones who could afford to buy formula milk but prefer to breastfeed their babies in style, the celebrities, the bloggers, the famous ones, etc. The mothers who don’t have enough money, they are the ones who work to death to be able to buy formula milk for their babies. What the heck happened? More and more moms are becoming aware and educated of not the just importance of breastfeeding but also of the harmful effects formula feeding can have on their babies. They even pay to attend breastfeeding seminars and lay forums. So you see, this is the reason why the ones who are well-off are usually the ones who are breastfeeding because they are the ones who get the proper education. When I was pregnant with Enzo and Marko, I never attended such seminars because I never entertained the idea that it would be difficult for me to breastfeed. I just researched online so I’d know what to expect. Breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world. Nakaka conscious lang sa simula because someone is continuously sucking on your breasts! But ones you get the hang of it, dere derecho na lang! I am thankful that I never had any problem with breastfeeding and that all my babies never had a problem with sucking my breasts. But I wish I knew then that I did not need to feed my babies formula milk even after 6 months. Kaya education is really important. Everyone knows that breastfeeding is best feeding. What we need to be more aware of is do babies need formula milk at some point in their lives? Does formula feeding have bad effects on my baby’s health? Is mixed feeding okay? Does formula feeding have an effect on my toddler’s appetite and eating habits? Is milk necessary for my kids’ bone formation?

My Secret! Wink! :)

I have 3 kids and all were born via C-section. During my first pregnancy, all I bought and prepared for were baby stuff. Baby wash, baby clothes, burp pads, etc. I did not realize that I would be needing a binder after I delivered. After my surgery, my OB wrapped a hospital type of binder around my tummy to support the incision. That was what I wore until I went home but immediately removed it after a few days because it was too itchy and the velcro was irritating my skin and my baby's skin when he gets in contact with the binder whenever I breastfed him. Aside from that, the binder already lost its stretch by day 3 and I could not feel any compression nor support anymore. It was also very bulky so I could not wear it under my clothes discreetly.

Notice how I inserted my hospital gown inside the edges of my binder because the velcros kept sticking to my skin and it was really itchy and painful!

It was hard for me to walk and move without a binder that's why I went to the mall and tried to look for a comfortable binder that I could wear. All I found was another bulky postpartum binder which was a bit more comfortable than the hospital binder. It was a 2 piece binder. You have to wear the tube like cloth first then wrap the binder over that. It also had Velcro just like the hospital type. It was still bulky but I did not have any choice because that is the only one available. It cost around P3k and I used it for about a month only. It was too hot! My tummy perspired a lot, it was unbelievably itchy and it kept riding up or down. It also lost its stretch pretty quickly. Tiniis ko lang to to wear it for a month because I wanted my tummy to slim down fast. But I just wore it at home because it looks ugly and very noticeable under my clothes. After about a month of wearing it, I had scars in my tummy from the allergy and itchiness.

When I got pregnant with my second baby, I realized that I had to look for a more comfortable and more effective shapewear. One that I would not mind wearing the whole day.There's got to be something out there! I browsed the internet and checked reviews, and there it is, I found Wink Postpartum Shapewear from the U.S. I had to read a lot of reviews about it because I could not personally see and touch it. I learned that Wink's fabric delivers the highest level of slimming power available. In fact, world renowned French plastic surgeon Dr. Yves-Gerard Illouz, M.D. found that only fabric with the pressure range between 17 to 20 mm Hg (found ONLY in Wink’s fabric) delivers true slimming benefits such as the reduction of the appearance of cellulite.

After reading a lot of reviews from moms who used it and swear by it, I decided to purchase it online. After giving birth, I was wrapped again in the hospital-type binder because it was already included in my package. Suot ko lang yun for 1 day. As soon as my catheter was removed and took a bath, I wore my Wink Postpartum Ultra Bikini. And it was such a beautiful relief! Ang sarap ng pakiramdam!The compression was really really strong and yet the fabric is soft and thin. It is seamless so when I got out of the hospital, I did not even look like I gave birth! Mukha lang akong maarteng patient na naka wheelchair palabas ng hospital hehe I wore it day and night and only removed it whenever I took a bath and when I needed to wash it. How I wished I bought 2! The fabric is very cool to the skin and did not make me sweat that’s why I could wear it the whole day. The compression is very strong and yet it did not suffocate me. It stayed in place and I did not have to keep pulling it up and fixing it. I also felt that my posture improved because I did not slouch anymore. After my first CS, I was always slouching because I felt like my tummy was so empty and hollow. Basta if you did not undergo CS, you would not understand. And those who had CS will know exactly what I mean. I showed it to my OB and she, too, approved of it. She even got surprised on my next visit to her that my tummy got small very quickly. She even said na kahit sya pala pwedeng gumamit nun. 

10 days postpartum (wearing my black Ultra underneath)

 It was definitely the best postpartum shapewear that I have ever used. That is why I decided to bring Wink Shapewear to the Philippines as the exclusive distributor. I felt that I had to let other Filipino moms know about this amazing shapewear because there's nothing in this country like it! 

I used my Wink Shapewear for a very long time. I used the same one after I gave birth to my third baby. And it maintained its stretchiness after all the washing and wearing. It's very durable that's why in the long run, it's really more matipid than other ugly cheap binders. This is actually my secret why I get back to my pre-pregnancy shape in no time! The Wink Postpartum Ultra Bikini has 3 levels of adjustments on the sides so I could tighten it as I my tummy shrinks, and it shrinked pretty quickly as compared to when I did not wear it the first time I gave birth. I still wear it now especially when I am wearing a tight fitting dress or skirt because I have a vertical incision and if I don’t wear my Wink Shapewear, it will show. That’s also what I love about Wink. You can wear it not only after giving birth but even years after that! Even women who did not give birth can wear it and benefit from its instant slimming effect.

Wink Postpartum Shapewear has been in the Philippines for a year now and more and more Filipino moms are using it. I love how these moms recommend it to other moms because that is our goal. To be known through words of real moms, real users of Wink Shapewear who personally experienced how fantastic it is!


To know more about Wink Shapewear, visit www.urbanessentials.com.ph

To know about your size, whether you’re still pregnant, have already given birth or if you plan to use this as an everyday shapewear,  you may text, viber, whatsapp me at 09178336967. I am very approachable, kaya text me lang your questions :)


URBAN ESSENTIALS is the exclusive distributor of Wink Shapewar
ask@urbanessentials.com.ph
https://www.facebook.com/urbanessentialsinc
09178336967
5857039

My Breastfeeding Journey

Even before I got pregnant, I decided that I will breastfeed. Honestly, I wanted to breastfeed because it’s nakakapayat. But when I got pregnant already and I researched about it online and on books, I learned about all the benefits both my child and I would get from it. So, I became more determined to breastfeed all the way. I was hitting two birds with one stone! Healthy na para sa baby ko, nakakapayat pa!