I intend to let baby be on total breastfeed for at least 6 months (well, I'm on maternity and unpaid leave, no excuse). My mom will also be giving me a small fridge to store the EBM. I will latch on as many times as possible during the day. At night when I sleep, the confinement lady is to cup feed the EBM, not bottle feed and to play soothing music at the background while feeding.
This is so to prevent nipple confusion and sore nipples. I also don't have to worry about weaning the baby off from the bottle later on.
A lactation consultant demonstrates how to feed a newborn baby using a cup rather than a bottle. Click on the link to view the video. There are lots more videos on youtube on cup feeding infants.
I'm going to look for this Medela Disposable Cup Feeder or the Softcup Advanced Cup Feeder to feed baby.
There is more information on cup feeding here.
Quote "Yes, even newborns can drink milk from a cup. They don't gulp it down like grown-ups. Instead they lap it up like kittens. Infants who are given supplements in a cup are less likely to get nipple confused and more likely to go on to successfully breastfeed. Some nurseries have used cup-feeding in infants with gestational ages as young as thirty weeks. Research has shown that not only is it possible for preemies to drink from a cup, but they also maintain a more stable blood-oxygen level during cup-feeding than during bottle-feeding. " Unquote.
There is also a good breastfeeding log for download via this link. Print out extra copies if necc.
Storing breastmilk
# In a fridge (at four degrees C or colder) for up to five days.
# In a fridge’s freezer compartment for two weeks.
# In a home freezer (at -18 degrees C or lower) for up to six months.
How you store your breastmilk depends on how soon you want to use it. If you plan to use it within a few days, refrigerating is better than freezing.
Breast milk that will be frozen should have at least one inch between the milk and the container lid. Frozen milk expands as it freezes.
Whether you choose to refrigerate or freeze your milk, you should:
* Use sterilised containers. The best choices are plastic bottles, or plastic breastmilk bags.
* Label and date your bottles and bags, and use the oldest ones first.
* Keep your breast pump clean. Wash the parts in hot, soapy water and rinse them thoroughly before sterilising.
* Wash your hands before expressing. Keeping everything as clean as possible.
If your milk has been stored for some time, you may notice that it separates. This is normal. Just give it a gentle shake.
Frozen breastmilk should be defrosted in the fridge, and can be stored there for up to 24 hours. Once it has defrosted, though, it mustn’t be refrozen.
Containers for storing breastmilk
I also need to find out if baby bottle warmer can warm these milk bottles to the right temperature so that baby can be cup-fed.
I just bought online MEDELA Soft Cup Feeder and MY BREST FRIEND Deluxe Wearable Pillow (total SG$151.50) from http://www.babytown.com.sg :))
Some useful reads/resources on breastfeeding here.
