Monthly Meeting Minutes

taken from mother to mother peer supporter in Penang.
(thanks to sis Shida aka charantya)

Date : 5 April 2008
Time : 4.30 pm
Venue : Caring Complex Meeting Room 3

Agenda 1 - Introduction

1.1 The meeting commenced at 4.30 pm.
1.2 The chairperson Dr. Balkees chaired the meeting.
1.3 Dr. Balkees started the meeting with a welcoming speech and a brief explanation about the formation of the Mother-to-mother Peer Support (MMPS) group.
1.4 Introduction continues where core members and new mothers briefly introduced themselves.

Agenda 2 – Myth Busting

2.1 Dr. Jamie started this month topic – Myth Bustings – top 10 myths.

2.1.1 Myth #1 – Breasts will sag.
Mother’s breasts will become bigger and bigger over the 10-month pregnancy period. If the mother didn’t breastfeed the baby, the breasts size will go down rapidly and sag. If mother breastfed the baby, the breast size will go down gradually. So the mother who do not breastfeed, the breasts sag more than the mother who breastfeed.

2.1.2 Myth #2 – Baby too attached to mommy.
Mother is the first person the baby sees, and breastfeed 12 times a day, needless to say, baby will be very attached to the mother. But it’s just last for 2 years, maximum 3 years or 5 years. Think about the baby’s lifespan, 70 years? 5 years out of 70 years, just very short. And breastfed baby is more independent compared to formula-fed baby, cause breastfed baby is being held more, he feels more secure, cry less, and more independent.

2.1.3 Myth #3 – Mom’s milk not as tasty as formula.
Tasty thing doesn’t mean its good for the baby. KFC and Char Kuey Teow are tasty, but it’s not good for you. Mother’s milk has way more nutrient. The sugar in breastmilk is 6.8g whereas formula is only 4.8g. More sugar in breastmilk, but its simple sugar, easily absorb by the baby. Whereas the sugar in formula is complex sugar, would not absorb as fast as simple sugar, baby would not get the nutrient fast.

2.1.4 Myth #4 – Formula have more nutrients.
Breastmilk has 300 over nutrients. Some even scientist doesn’t know their name yet. Not only nutrients, breastmilk has antibody, enzymes and protein that cannot be duplicated by formula milk companies at all. Mother’s milk is from human, formula milk is from cow.

2.1.5 Myth #5 – Small breast = No milk.
All mothers makes enough milk for the child and all child drinks only 75% of the mother’s milk, so all mothers can keep the 25% of their milk. Bigger breast, bigger capacity, baby drinks more, and sleep longer. Smaller breast, smaller capacity, baby drink less and sleep shorter. Small breast not equals to no milk, just that the small breast mother, her child has to nurse more. Bottom line, all women have enough milk.

Fenny, the core mother, successfully breastfed her youngest daughter for 3 years, shared her experience by saying that even though her breasts are small, every time when she’s breastfeeding her youngest daughter, she kept saying ‘mommy no milk already.’ But the daughter kept saying ‘no no, still have still have, a bit a bit’ and keep suckling.

2.1.6 Myth #6 – Colostrum is dirty.
Colostrums is yellowish. All mothers have 2 weeks of colostrums. First 4 days only few droplets, and very sticky. Formula can’t copy human colostrums. There are cow’s colostrums sold in the market, but not allowed to the children. In colostrums, there is antibody which protect baby’s gut, nose and eyes to make baby stronger. Colostrum is very tasty and very healthy. It’s not dirty, don’t throw away.

2.1.7 Myth #7 – Cannot take cold drinks/food limitation.
If the mother eats healthy and balanced diet, there is no food limitation. All in moderate.

Question #1: Can drink coffee?
Coffee will pass to the baby, and make the baby very alert, cannot sleep. But 2 cups of coffees a day is OK. If the mother still has to drink coffee (more than 2 cups), the mother can feed the baby first, and then only drink the coffee. Next feed would be 2 hours later, the coffee would have diluted by then.

Question #2: How long the coffee dilution will take?
It depends on how much you drink, and the concentration of the coffee. If more concentrated, need more time to dilute.

Question #3: After taking alcohol, the next pump must throw?
If the mother is social drinker (once a week), if the alcohol level is very high, if the mother is very worry, then the next pump can throw away. Otherwise, can still breastfeed. Mother who is chronic drinker, drink everyday until hang over, the baby will get alcohol syndrome.

2.1.8 Myth #8 – Breastmilk too watery.
If the expressed milk (in the bottle) sit on the table, after awhile, you will see 3 layers, which are grey watery colour at the bottom, yellowish milk colour in the middle and a thick fat layer on top. Whereas the formula is vice versa. The watery level is on top; the very thick formula is at the bottom. It’s not the way it should be. Its watery cause 80% of the breastmilk is water. Baby drinks for thirst. Breastmilk consists of foremilk and hindmilk. Foremilk is watery. Because it has more percentage of lactose and water. The first instinct human drink is for thirst, and that’s what the mother gives the baby first. The longer the baby suck, the fat will come, which is the hindmilk, and it’s thicker.

2.1.9 Myth #9 – Need to clean breasts before feeding.
Mother’s breasts have antibacterial properties. In the studies that show a mother-and-baby first skin-to-skin contact (1st hour after delivery), experiment has shown that the breast that they clean compare to the breast that they didn’t clean, the baby will automatically choose the breast that they didn’t clean, because of the mother’s smell. After cleaning, it only smells alcohol.

Question #1: Need to use milk to clean the breast?
Don’t have to. Just normal 2 showers a day. Don’t have to clean with cotton butt, or dettol, or sterilize the breasts.

Questions #2: Need to express a bit out first before feeding, due to the bacterial content at the initial part. Is that true?
No, don’t need to. There are many little small glands that lubricate the nipple, and its antibacterial. In special cases whereby express to release engorgement, yes, it helps, so that the nipple wont be so stress, and the baby can suckle. Other than that, don’t have to express before feeding, the baby can come straight.

2.1.10 Myth #10 – Breastfeeding takes nutrients from mommy.
Yes, true. The baby gets all the nutrients from mommy. If the mother eats healthy and balanced diet, it’s ok. The risk of osteoporosis in woman who has breastfed is lower than in woman who has not breastfed.


Agenda 3 – Dicussion

3.1 Novia
• Baby gets the antibody from her milk, seldom fall sick. Only recently mix with other children in the nursery.
3.2 Shida
• Even if baby fall sick, she will recover faster than formula fed baby.
3.3 Dr. Balkees
• The risk of getting infection is lower.

3.4 Question #1: Nipple confusion, is it true?
Must start off right, no bottle feeding for the first 2 months, even if baby is jaundice and has to stay in the hospital, request for cup feeding or spoon feeding, no bottle. Because sucking milk from bottle teat is easier than the breasts. Human/baby is lazy, will opt for the easier way. But after 2 months, when mother goes back to work, swap between bottle and nipple, its totally fine as baby will still prefer mommy’s breast. 1 month prior to work, start training baby with cup or spoon-feeding. Furthermore, bottle-fed baby is very difficult to wean off bottle.

Pushpa shared a case whereby a 1-month old baby who has been bottle-fed, the mother tried to direct feed the baby again. But baby refused. Tried to let someone else to carry the baby and bottle-feed him. Within 1 week, the baby decided to go back to the mother. Don’t give the baby choice to choose between bottle and breast. If he didn’t want direct feed, the baby is not going to get near mommy. Baby would choose mommy and the breasts.

3.5 Question #2: Will the milk get less if I only express and not direct feed?
No. Must pump as much as the baby drinks. Every 3 hours, 8 times a day. Otherwise, the milk production will go down. Most importantly, must pump at night. A lot of mothers tend to extend the time of pumping; this is the root cause of why milk supply goes down.

3.6 Question #3: C-sec mothers how to breastfeed baby in the first hour?
Even knock off or still drowsy after c-sec, request the nurse to bring the baby to the mother and let the baby suckle and have skin-to-skin contact.

3.7 Question #4: Breastfeeding and medication?
Most of the medication can be taken when the mother breastfeed, especially for running nose, cough and fever. Many doctors say cannot take medication when the mother breastfeed is because even doctor don’t have much knowledge in breastfeeding. It’s not in their syllabus. If have doubts, please contact person who is more aware of breastfeeding, please don’t stop breastfeeding.

3.8 Question #5: Short/small/inverted nipple cannot breastfeed?
Wrong. Mother with short/small/inverted nipple can breastfeed. Baby is suckling mother’s areola, not the nipple. When baby start suckling, he will pull out the nipple. Do not use nipple shield, baby will get confused.

3.9 Question #6: Can take ginger when baby jaundice?
CAN! It’s not the ginger that causes the baby jaundice. 80% of the babies have jaundice. If baby jaundice, should continue breastfeeding.


Agenda 4 – Sharing by Pushpa – LLL Leader

4.1 Pushpa started the sharing by telling her story. Then the importance of skin-to-skin contact between mother and the baby. Example giving was when you first time fall in love with a guy, you can’t think of anything else except for the guy. Feel like being with him all the time, near him, touch him, have skin-to-skin contact with him. The baby is the same. When the baby is born, the only person baby knows is the mother. How can we deny skin-to-skin with the baby. That is essentials.

4.2 Then Pushpa talked about the role of the fathers. He can change the nappies, bath the baby, massage the baby, talk to the baby, and compliment the mother. Tell the mother “You’re very beautiful!!” The most beautiful breasts are the lactating breasts.

4.3 Breastfed babies, where we spend a lot of time with them, when they grow up, they are more independent. Because they have all the secure and all the love. As we care for them, later they will care for us.

4.4 Human is mammals, the only thing that identify human, as mammals is we nurse our baby.

Meeting adjourned at 6.00 pm.