Breastfeeding for Working Mummy!

It is NOT IMPOSIBBLE! :) I have been receiving emails regarding breastfeeding… breastpump, EBM, storage and etc… yesterday while I was blogwalking, I came across a ‘problem’ of a blogger (I assumed) can be considered more as luahan hati, from a mother who is working… and struggle with time management between work, baby and husband… 

Link is here… I don’t know her (of course) but I felt triggered to write this post as from reading it, I feel her… I know how stress it is on wanting to give your baby the best yet you feel that 24hours per day is not enough… so here, I want to share my daily schedule throughout the week… if she reads this, or other working moms read this… I hope that she/ they will have some idea on how to get things done… if I can do this, so do you… :) and please share with us your schedule… and help ourselves.. so that we feel that we are not alone… :) 

Weekdays

0600 – direct feed baby and change diaper. Baby will sleep again and so do I sometimes.. heh

0700 – pack EBM to bring to MIL’s. Drink Milo/ Horlicks.

0730 to 0800 – pump

0800 – get ready to work and play with Armand while waiting for daddy to get ready

0830 – off to work. Daddy will send Armand + maid to his mom’s place. Daddy will have his bfast there

0850 – at the office (my working hours is 9am to 5.30pm).

0900 – check email while having bfast (oats, bread, cereal, milk, cheese = my stock in the office pantry… stock weekly)

0930 to 1100 – work (and snacking)

1100 to 1130 – pump

1130 to 1230 – work (and snacking)

1230 to 1330 – lunch

1330 to 1430 – work

1430 to 1500 – pump

1500 to 1730 – work (and snacking)

1730 – heading home

1800 – reached home. Kiss kiss Armand.. :) defrost chicken/meat for dinner

1815 to 1845 – pump

1845 to 1915 – cook dinner

1915 to 1930 – getting ready to be in my ‘night uniform’

1930 to 2000 – direct feed baby

2000 to 2030 – dinner with hubby

2030 – watching tv with hubby and play with baby

2130 – direct feed and tuck baby to sleep

2145 – continue watching tv, talk2 wif hubby or play games on his iPad

2330 – usual time for us to go to bed.. and we're co-sleeping with baby.. easier for me to bfeed him at night

0330 to 0400 – direct feed (if baby wakes up for his night feed…)

Notes:

1. If my work is less in the office, my pumping time will be 11am, 2pm and 5pm. By hook or by crook, I will finish my work before 5.30pm so I won’t be staying late at the office. Hendak seribu daya.. :)*wink*

2. Our dinner ~ if baby taking a nap, then we’ll dine together or else we’ll take turns

3. On Wednesday/ Thursday, I will go to gym at night for 7.45pm class (usually) and MIL will pack food for our dinner, so I don’t cook on my gym night

4. If hubby and I want to watch movie, then MIL will take care of baby at night :)

5. Before going to bed, put clothes in the washing machine and iron clothes for tomorrow’s work. Dry clothes first thing in the morning

Weekends

- We normally stays over MIL's during weekends. Pumping frequency will be less as baby will be more on direct feeding. But baby will still be fed using bottles during daytime so not to confuse him. Timing of pump also changed but i will somehow pump at least 3 times
- I don't usually cook on weekends, only saturday morning breakfast
- Sometimes hubby and i go outing or shopping or hanging out with our friends. Baby will be with MIL. And i'll bring my Medela Mini Electric so that i can pump in the car

Yep... that's our weekly life... no matter how busy we are with the baby around, we'll always make time for ourselves. Sometimes hubby will hang out with his friends and baby will be with me at home or I'll be in the gym and hubby will look after the baby at home... we try our very much to make the baby PART of our life rather than making our WHOLE life around the baby.... *wink* Tired? yesssssssss.... of courseeeeeee..... so many times i felt like giving up breastfeeding as to many types of stress... and so many times i'm very sad when my milk production is low... however, i keep telling myself that i need to be stronger each day... put more effort... and more Doa to Allah... alhamdulillah.. until now, i'm still going strong and insyaAllah to at least a full year of breastfeeding.... Because of this tight schedule, i can't really maintain my fruits/vege intake in my daily diet so i do take supplements... :)

my daily supplements:
1. New Obimin (balance during pregnancy.. hehe)
2. Calcium pills (also balance from pregnancy.. )
3. Shaklee trial set - Vitalea + Bcomplex + VitC + Alfalfa

yes... i do believe these supplements keep my milk production stable... because, logically if our body is tired, stress then our milk production will become low... i'm not a Shaklee product agent or anything but i do believe the science behind it.. you can substitute VitC, Bcomplex and multivit with other brands... but i could not find Alfalfa in other brands yet... So mothers... listen to your body and starts to learn your lifestyle.. if you have a hectic/ active lifestyle like me, then taking some supplements do help a lot...

if any of your need any help/ anything.. do email me.. i will try me best to share my experience... no charge applies.. heheh...

LEONORA

p/s: i'm taking personal training from a friend to help me to manage my weight... hhuhu... i'm hoping to at least workout 3 times a week... let's see how and i'll share the experience with you ya.. :)