The day to meet your baby is getting closer and no words can describe how excited yet antsy you are all at the same time! So much to prepare and never enough time! You have been pouring over every pregnancy book and website in anticipation of the arrival of your new baby since the day you conceived. You may have even compiled a 100-step guide to breastfeeding your baby! But let’s be honest, you can’t seem to shake off that feeling of nervousness, right?
There is already so much to cover on the topic of breastfeeding, and suddenly you find yourself drawing blanks. How do I breastfeed? Especially when I’m in my confinement period, wouldn’t it be inconvenient and uncomfortable? I’m a first-time mum, how do I even start feeding a baby?
Now, let’s take a deep, deep breath and relax because we’ve got you covered, girl! First things first, let’s take things one step at a time—breastfeeding, how do I get it right?
Paint the Right Picture
Contrary to how the name sounds or implies, or even what some mummies might share from their negative experiences, the confinement period is not jail time to keep mummies from having a life—far from it!
It is in fact a time—typically 28 days for Chinese confinement—to help mothers to restore themselves back to their pre-natal state. During this period, she will be cautiously cared for so that she will regain depleted ‘qi’ or energy, from over a stretch of 9 months of pregnancy and an arduous process of delivering her baby.
It is important then, that she observes scientifically and culturally sound practices to hasten the healing process and be ready to wear the new, heavy-duty ‘mum’ hat!
Trust Your Body
You would have read and heard the word ‘latch’ a lot by now. Getting a good latch means successfully getting the baby to suckle on mummy’s nipple at the right angle. This is key to successful breastfeeding.
Start nursing your baby as soon as you can while you are still in the hospital. Nurses and lactation consultants will be able to guide you and demonstrate the right positions to get into when feeding your baby; mummies with inverted or flat nipples may consult and learn the right techniques to feed your baby at this point.
Successfully breastfeeding at the hospital is a great way to ease a new mummy’s anxiety when she is in confinement. Once the process has kickstarted, both your baby and your body will likely get in the motion naturally.
Apart from accessing the resources and assistance that you have while you are still in the hospital, it is important to know that a mother’s first ‘milk’—the colostrum—contains a high concentration of nutrients. Colostrum is a very important building block that lays the foundation of a baby’s immunity right from day one.
Get Into A Pattern
Newborns generally feed on a 2-hourly gap, or another way to gauge feeding time is when your baby cries. New babies rely a lot on their sense of smell and touch. Thus, carry and place your baby close to your breast and he will intuitively search for his food.
To help your baby, you may gently rub their cheek and direct your nipple to their mouth to entice them to look for food. Don’t worry if your baby is not getting much milk in the beginning. As you continuously feed on demand, the stimulation will help establish your milk supply and maintain your baby’s needs.
Once your baby has figured out how to latch, suck, and swallow, they will eventually ease into a 20 – 45 minutes feeding pattern on each breast. You may regulate that pattern by breaking their latch after a specific time and switch breasts to avoid any potential clogged ducts or engorgement.
Your baby’s first month on earth is rather predictable—eat, sleep, poop, and repeat, unless they are not feeling well. Don’t worry, you will be able to handle this in no time and learn to read your little one’s cue like a true rockstar!
Healthy Deposits Produce Quality Withdrawals
You will soon find out that breastfeeding is pretty much a golden pass for you to enjoy eating your food without much care because producing breast milk is a demanding task and it requires all the extra calories you can get—yup, by about 500kcal per day!
That said, you still need to be careful not to mindlessly consume empty calories. Your baby now depends on you to provide nutritious breast milk to grow and develop, all while you heal from your pregnancy. These important nutrients include vitamin A, C, D, E, B12, protein, iron, zinc, calcium, etc.
Chinese confinement practices have certain dietary requirements that a mummy ought to follow, but a general rule of thumb is to eat whole, natural ingredients and avoid processed ones.
Nutrient-rich foods that yield quality breast milk include but are not limited to these below:
- Protein: Chicken, pork, certain parts of animal’s internal organs, tofu, etc.
- Iron: Black fungus, sesame oil, fish, dark green leafy vegetables, etc.
- Fibre & Minerals: Broccoli, choy sum, bok choy, apples, papayas, etc.
- Fat: Avocado, olive oil, salmon, eggs, full-fat milk or yoghurt, walnuts, almonds, etc.
- Carbohydrates: Rice, potatoes, pumpkin, beans, oats, etc.
- Calcium: Soybean milk, black beans, cheese, etc.
We have talked about eating a well-balanced Chinese confinement diet at length here, you may click over to learn more!
You’ve Got This
Breastfeeding is nature’s way to provide for the growth of our young ones; women have been breastfeeding their babies since the beginning of time! Having said that, as natural as it is, breastfeeding is a learned skill, it doesn’t happen overnight no matter how many books you’ve read.
So, before you get frustrated, remember this old but practical adage—practice makes perfect and help abounds! Before you dive headfirst into motherhood, know that our mindset determines everything.
Nursing a new baby may be tough and painful for a start, but with unceasing effort, lots of patience, and healthy support, in time, both you and your baby will get a good hang of it. Eventually, you will see the results of your determination as your baby continues to grow physically and thrive on your milk intellectually.
Start Right
Undeniably, breastfeeding is hard work; every baby behaves differently and has different needs. Meanwhile, the mummy’s quality of life affects her nursing journey, too. I mean, there is a lot going on during the first month of your baby’s arrival alone! Therefore, do not be afraid to reach out to professionals to learn from and get help.
Byond28 Confinement Centre is a great start where you get all your breastfeeding questions answered.
Mums will be pleased to know that Byond28 Confinement is a breastfeeding-friendly confinement centre with NLC (Malaysian National Lactation Centre)-certified in-house counsellors available for private consultations. Whether it’s syringe or bottle feeding, the counsellors are ever ready to help new mums to navigate through the journey of breastfeeding. Not forgetting, its team of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and nursing staff are also all hands on deck to guide parents through the challenges of postpartum and baby care.
Backed by a team of highly experienced and board-certified medical professionals, Byond28 strives to provide the best ante- and postnatal care. Weekly paediatrician check-ups on the newborns and in-room consultations will be carried out for the mothers’ convenience. For babies with jaundice, they will be closely monitored and scheduled reporting provided.
The O&G and paediatrics are headed by experienced specialists in their fields, Dr. Krishna Kumar S/O Hari Krishnan and Dr. Kenneth Looi respectively. Hence, parents can be confident that mum and baby are in good hands during the first month after birth.
Who Is Byond28?
Established in 2020, Byond28 Confinement Centre understands that this critical postpartum month requires comprehensive mother and baby care. It combines the best of traditional Chinese confinement care with modern medical practices so you can have peace of mind during your recovery.
The establishment is in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, backed by a reserved forest which makes for a peaceful and recuperative month-long stay. It provides 24-hour nursing care for the newborns and the baby nursery is structured with reference to a hospital setting and is equipped with an individual ground floor emergency exit, a two-tiered air ventilation system with HEPA filters, and a separate observation and isolation room for your baby.
Eat to Heal
The Chinese love their food and regard it as a healing source. At Byond28, a new mum’s diet is its priority. The meals are carefully designed to ensure maximum nutrition absorption without compromising on the delicious tastes of Chinese confinement cooking for its residents, with mouth-watering offerings such as the vinegar pork trotter and yellow wine chicken available on the menu.
Daily personalised herbal tonic soups using premium SWS 永生 herbs, bird’s nest, and essence of chicken are provided to accelerate the mum’s recuperation. The centre also offers a variety of free-flow herbal teas (and scrumptious lactation cookies, too!) to ensure hydration and boost breastmilk!
Journey Into Parenthood With Byond28
The confinement month is a crucial time when parents and the baby get to know each other. It is comforting to note that Byond28 encourages a healthy parental relationship between mum/dad and baby through its many talks and practices for the new parents. Mums and dads will learn the theories and gain hands-on experience on breastfeeding and handling breastmilk, bathing, caring for, massaging, and soothing their baby, among other topics.
To learn more about the confinement centre, and your ante- and postnatal needs, schedule an appointment at +6017 362 8548 to meet with the professionals at Byond28 today! You may also visit their official website, Facebook, and Instagram pages for more updates and fellow mothers’ reviews of their stay with the centre!
Note: Byond28 serves pork-free meals upon request, call to find out more today!
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