The Mummy Chronicles

I  haven’t blogged in a while because it has been hectic juggling full-time work and an infant. But now that I have a little pocket of free time, I thought I’d share my experience about keeping up with breastfeeding while working. I am quite determined to continue breastfeeding because of the many benefits breast milk. Minimally, I aim for 6 months of breastfeeding, with a stretch goal of 1 year. Thankfully, my workplace has a few nursing rooms that allows me to pump comfortably.  My pumping schedule Unfortunately, work can get quite busy for me and I only am able to pump once while at work. Here is my nursing / pump schedule for an average work day-  12am- pump at home (~150ml) 4am- nurse (if baby wakes) 7am- pump at home (~200 ml) 11.30am- pump at work (~200 ml) 6pm- pump at home (~200 ml) 8pm- nurse (part of our baby’s bedtime routine) The toughest portions of the day is when I don’t get to pump for a long stretch between 11.30am-6pm. Engorgement did set in for me a nu...

Image by sketchify from Canva While I was preparing for the big day, many people asked me if I was going to get a confinement nanny. Quite early on, we decided against getting a confinement nanny. Perhaps it was the skeptic in me. There had been a spate of news articles of accidental deaths of infants under the care of confinement nannies which really spooked me. A few of my acquaintances also shared negative experiences ranging from rigid routines (not being allowed to wash hair or drink plain water) to lackadaisical care of the baby (baby dressed too warmly, developed bad diaper rash, rough handling). Even though we were going to be clueless first time parents, we still did not want to bear the stress of dealing with a stranger who may have a different approach or style in caring for the baby than us.  Though I did not have a confinement nanny, I still had plenty of help. We hired a helper a month before I delivered and it was one of the best decisions we made (we lucked out...

The umbilical cord is the “supply line” that connects the developing fetus to the placenta, delivering oxygen and nutrients that the developing fetus needs to grow. At birth, the umbilical cord is cut and clamped. It will usually dry up over the next few days before falling off on its own. Many parents (including my husband) are not comfortable handling the umbilical cord. However, umbilical cord care is actually very simple. The most important thing to remember is that your job is to keep it clean and dry, and allow it to fall off by itself. That's really it! Here, I share some tips to care for umbilical cord stump. What the umbilical cord stump looks like After birth, the baby’s umbilical cord is cut and clamped (with a plastic clip). Bub was discharged with the plastic clip still clamped to the cord. (We had left the clip on when we brought bub home, but in retrospect, it would have been better to remove the clamp earlier because that would make handling the cord easier. Tha...

Image by New Africa Studio from Canva In the early days of breastfeeding, I was a low supply mama. It took about 2 weeks for me to produce sufficient milk to support bub's needs for an entire day and build up a freezer stash. Having trawled the internet and turning to fellow mamas for advice, here are the things that helped to boost my breastmilk supply: 1. Pump/ nurse regularly This is by far the single most important and effective thing, trumping any diet or supplement you can take. Pumping or nursing regularly helped to increase and maintain my breastmilk supply. I usually did it every 3-4 hourly while I was on maternity leave. However, this schedule was not sustainable after returning to work, where I could only pump 4-5 hourly. As a result, my breastmilk supply took a hit and we had to increase the number of formula feeds per day.  2. Drink lots of water Since the body is producing milk, it is key to keep ourselves well hydrated! I made a habit of drinking a glass of wate...

Image by oksanahufrych from Canva All breastfeeding mothers I have spoken to have at some point experienced engorgement. I intermittently develop engorgement, with the worst bout lasting for nearly 5 days! After trying all sorts of remedies, here are the 4 best things that worked for me: 1. Nurse or pump ASAP Nothing beats the baby at emptying the breast. If you are engorged, nurse as soon as you can! I also found that varying the position of nursing depending on where the clogged duct was to be helpful.  Pumping ASAP is the next best thing to do. Combining it with heat and a lactation massage (see below) bolsters the chances of clearing the engorgement. 2. Use heat Don’t underestimate the power of heat at opening up a clogged duct. Whenever I warmed my breast, engorgements could be cleared much more effectively.  One method I’ve tried is taking a hot shower or bath and manually expressing. Sometimes, I also use a warm towel to cover the breast and nipple for a few minutes p...

  Image credit: Photo by Jaspe from Canva When a baby turns three months old, It marks the beginning of a precious and fun time where they learn to master control of their little bodies and interact with the world around them. Here are some activities I did with bub that you can try: 1.  Read to baby It’s never too early to start reading. At this age, comprehension is not the main point. Using books with big pictures, high-contrast colours, and interactive elements captures baby’s attention and develops the brain. Cuddling with baby and letting him/her listen to your voice helps them bond with you. Bub’s favourite book is a book from NLB’s free Early Read program called “My Little Fish” by Lucy Cousins. It has beautiful, colourful pictures and a finger puppet which makes her giggle. Sign up your baby as a library member and collect your baby gift pack! More deets  here . 2.  Talk and sing to baby Talking and singing to babies exposes them to language, rhythm, and...