Breast feeding Struggle

When I was pregnant, I was hoping and praying that I would have breast milk. My SIL who recently gave birth had no milk and I was fearful I would also have no milk. I was lucky to have breast milk. it came on my third day at the hospital, I suddenly woke up with a painful and very big breast. It was really painful, it was hard to get up, turn side to side and face down. I tried to read some hospital material on breast feeding and learned it was called an engorged breast. I also tried to go to the breast feeding section of the hospital and tried to pump the milk out, I got almost 3 oz of colostrum.

The first time I went to the breast feeding section, I was a little shy to expose my breast but when I see all the mothers are relaxed and feeling like a proud cow, I was also feeling like a proud cow. I was there the second day at the breast feeding section and tried the electric pump even if I have no milk, Nada. Nothing came out. I thought if I pumped something will came out.

I had a total of 4 attempts to pump while in the hospital, each use of the pump costs 150. We paid 600 for that then I thought, that is equivalent to 2 cans of NAN milk. Whoa, I will just purchase my own manual pump.

Breast Pumps

I have a total of 4 breast pump, I saw a mother brought one in the BF section and asked Irwin to buy me the same thing, it was a chicco breast pump, I thought it was the old pump I saw my mother used to pump milk in the old days. Remember the glass one that looks like a trumpet? No one is selling that now I guess.
I cannot use the Chicco pump because it was not a regular breast pump but is used to pump out "old milk" from the breast and you are not suppose to feed the milk collected to your newborn.

Ok, so I tried to borrow the electric breast pump of my SIL, It was a Precious Moment breast pump, it works for me, but it was so, so, painful to pump. Next, I had a pigeon manual pump, since it is manual masakit sa kamay. Kasi medyo sira na rin siya, I also borrowed it from SIL, which she borrowed from her cousin.

The last pump was a manual pump similar to the "old" pump but this is made of plastic, Irwin bought it for me, he was so excited to show it to me, and I used it right away, yes, it works but needs a little pressing of the rubber for the suction. Then, the maid tried to clean it and maybe placed it in the sterilizer and the rubber can't pump milk anymore.

Why do you think I am pumping milk? because I have an inverted nipple, I cannot breastfeed because Kiara cannot tell where the nipple is? Mama even bought me a nipple puller and by the time I was able to pull the nipple out, Kiara is already crying loudly and if I offer her my breast she is already crying and would not take it.

We will just mix her formula.

But right now after 5 weeks going into my 6th, I can already breast feed her, my nipples came out and I have an abundant supply of milk, I still use the nipple puller. I knew a technique we offer her the bottle and then when my nipple is ready we will draw the bottle and offer her my breast. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

Conclusion: ang chakit! minsan lalo na pag nakakagat ang nipple after mag pump, Aray! Aray! aray!