How to Maintain a Healthy Breastmilk Supply

Before I had a baby, I watched a ton of videos on YouTube about breastfeeding and thought I was prepared for what was to come. Little did I know, that what was ahead of me the days to follow after birth, was going to be one of the most overwhelming things about my fourth trimester. Where was the baby who literally would crawl up to my breasts instinctively? Where was the milk that would come out magically? I really was not ready!

As I laid down hoping to catch at least an hour of sleep, the nurse walked in with a breast pump and said it was time to start trying to feed. The shock! I didn't even imagine I would feed my baby just in a few hours after birth haha. The next week proved challenging as my milk trickled in tiny bits and my baby was really sleepy and wasn't latching.

We eventually got him to latch on and my milk supply started to flow so much that I produced enough for 2 babies. He is now 15 months old and I am doing extended breastfeeding. My milk supply albeit not as much as before, still splashes far when I'm in the shower and I still get the fullness of milk. Here are some of the tips that helped me maintain a healthy milk supply.

• Eat a Healthy Balanced Diet: I focused a lot on my nutrition throughout my pregnancy and after. I remained conscious of the fact that whatever I take in goes into my baby and so eating a well balanced diet with key nutrients was important to me. It is also important to not skip meals when breastfeeding because you need food to nourish your breastmilk.

• Pump Regularly: In the first couple of weeks especially, I made sure to pump after every feed. In the first few days when my milk supply was not in yet, I pumped for 20 minutes every 3 hours regardless and I am sure it made a wealth of difference in my milk supply subsequently.

• Stay Hydrated: on my YouTube channel, I talked about how little things like drinking water can seem like common sense but it can be much more difficult for a new mother. Approximately 90% of breastmilk is water and so it is very important to drink a lot of water when nursing a baby. As part of my hydration, I also drank this tea and I think it helped.

• Don't Wear Tight Bras: these can cut off your milk supply since they press on your milk ducts. It is better to using nursing/maternity bras when nursing.

• Avoid Stress: Stress can have a big impact on milk supply. It is important to get as much sleep and rest as possible. Accept help where you can and stay mindful of the energy around you.

• Take your Prenatals: a lot like eating healthy, what you take in is what you give out and so i continued to take my prenatals and still do. But I would recommend you always talk to your doctor first before taking any medication. 

DIY First Birthday Picture Party

I was starting to feel frustrated with the lack of available 'resources' around me. The plan was not to have a party with people, but to create a memory for my son's first birthday. I opted to create a stage for photographs and have a first birthday cake plus my little celebrant - A Picture Party. 

This wasn't too much to ask for was it? So why could I not find anyone to do it for me at a price? As his birthday drew closer and it was becoming apparent i wouldn't even be able to have my picture party if I had to rely on someone else to create it for me, I decided to get hands on. I decided to bake his cake and do the birthday decor by myself with zero experience in the field. The joy!!!
I believe the world is my oyster and with the right amount of work and research, anything is possible.

Before we go ahead, if you're looking to get party supplies for your Baby Shark Party, here's the one I recommend: Oofy Parties Baby Shark Party Supplies

His Cake

For his cake, I watched a ton of videos on YouTube until I was confident in the technique I would use. I wanted a blue, tall and smooth cake (also known as a double barrel cake) with baby shark toys on top and enough space for a 'Happy Birthday' and his Number 1 cake topper. Unfortunately I cannot go into detail about how I made the cake and did the frosting but here is a picture of the finished cake.

Baby Shark Birthday Decor

To make his balloon arch, I made use of  this rather inexpensive balloon arch kit on Amazon. I blew all balloons using this electric balloon pump and then tied them up using this Fishing Line. Once the garland was formed, I hung my balloon garland using Command Hooks and filled in spaces with left over balloons, smaller 5 inch balloons, and big balloons. I made use of glue dots included in the balloon arch kit i bought, and also used a Low Temperature Glue Gun. You'll also notice I used a range of other balloons including the baby shark family. This was my way of spicing it up to my taste but here are links to every other balloon I used:

Large Clear Balloons
Baby Shark Family Balloons
Silver Tinsel

Check out my YouTube video for a visual illustration on how I made the balloon arch.

6 Useful Toys in Baby's First Year

If you are a parent, particularly a first time parent, you would most likely be somewhat confused about what toys to purchase for your baby. And if you believe in minimalism, you would most likely agree with me that a minimalist lifestyle can be difficult when you have a baby you want to raise without leaving out the necessary and important items a child needs for development.

We often worry endlessly about what toys our babies need and/or whether they will even like these toys and play with them. Thus, I am positive every parent (including myself) ends up buying more than is needed.

To save you the stress, I have compiled a list of 6 toys that I found particularly useful in my baby's first year. Some of these toys have detachable parts that can also act as 'sub-toys' and can be used for various play, learning, and feeding purposes.

1. A Swing:
Swings are a great way to soothe new born babies. Some come with little toys attached that are aimed at stimulating the senses. I had a baby who wanted to be held at all times and it was really nice to have a swing. It definitely was a breather! A good one i recommend is the Fisher Price Swing.

2. An Infant Chair:

By the time my baby was between 3 and 4 months old, I was ready to have him sitting by himself. I went scouting for a seat that would provide good support to his neck and back. This Fisher Price Sit-Me-Up Floor Seat was absolutely wonderful and useful for the better part of his first year. It also has a tray which makes weaning a breeze if you're up for some early weaning like i was.

3. Chewbeads:
This was my favourite teething toy amongst the many teething toys my baby had. While i encourage parents to definitely experiment with several teething toys, I would certainly recommend chewbeads as my number 1 favourite and a must have. They are very safe, easy to clean, and just generally feel good to hold and bite onto. Here is a link to my favourite Chewbead. They also  come in a variety of colours.

4. A Bouncer (Jumperoo):
If you're looking to help your baby strengthen his/her leg muscles while having all the fun in the world, this is the perfect toy. I call it his little amusement park. My baby absolutely loves playing in his bouncer and the one I recommend is this Jumperoo by Fisher Price. It has little parts to it that can be used in helping your baby learn colours, simple additions and subtractions, and point to animals.

5. A Sit to Stand Walker:
Traditional walkers are now considered unsafe and so I knew I would not be buying one for my baby. We opted for a 'sit-to-stand' walker instead and it turned out to be really nice and useful especially with the toy in front and piano. This one on Amazon is one I would recommend VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker.

6. Stacking Toys:

There are various stacking toys out there but this Fisher-Price Rock-a-Stack is my favourite. It is super simple and cheap, yet very useful. While baby enjoys stacking and arranging, I use the opportunity to point out colours to him.








Personally, I like a toy that can fulfil multiple purposes especially when it comes to learning and enhancing cognitive skills and in the first year of my baby's life, these were the winners.