Dannyka Manangan

Kate Alejandrino shares struggle with low breastmilk supply: ‘I couldn’t feed my baby’

Article (news)

Rhea Manila Santos

Push Team

<p>After walking down the aisle to officially become Mrs. Cedrick Juan last March, actress Kate Alejandrino gave birth to their beautiful baby Rocio last month. Barely a month into motherhood, the former <em>Lavender Fields</em> actress revealed one of the biggest challenges she’s had to face in this new phase of her life, as shared in her Instagram post last July 16.</p><p>“I’m stubborn as hell and chose to learn the hard way,” she was quick to admit. “I watched my 2 week old son cry for milk before I reached out and asked for help. Mom life is hard but it doesn’t have to be.  As much as I’ve learned so much by instinct alone, it’s easier &amp; sometimes best to learn from the ones who’ve done this before us. It really does take a village to raise a child!”</p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2025/6/27/cedrick-juan-and-kate-alejandrino-welcome-first-child-1048"><strong>READ: Cedrick Juan and Kate Alejandrino welcome first child: &#x27;Unang iyak mo pa lang namangha na ako sa tinig mo&#x27;</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>The 29-year-old actress, also shared in her reel how she ended up discovering that she had a low supply of milk while breastfeeding. She wrote, “About a week ago, I found out I wasn’t producing enough breast milk due to stress. At 2 weeks old, Rocio had not put on any weight and was inconsolable. He would cry and wail but no tears were coming out! I thought I just had a fussy baby, but to my dismay we found out he was dehydrated and was very hungry.”</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17530860147651.png" style="width:600px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17530860317662.png" style="width:600px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17530860450683.png" style="width:600px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17530860609344.png" style="width:600px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17530860743935.png" style="width:600px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p>In order to gauge just how much breastmilk she was producing, Kate had to pump her milk into a bottle. “I confirmed this by pumping every 2 hrs for a 24 hr period and only got around to 90ml for him (while making him latch whenever I wasn’t pumping). The next day I was told by our pedia to not make him latch and pump exclusively, but by 4pm Rocio had turned blue from crying. I caved in and cried to Cedrick and told him to buy formula. I was desperate and was crying from guilt that I couldn’t feed my baby.”</p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-6" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMCICqaTHe8/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A6%2C%22os%22%3A1190271.8000000007%2C%22ls%22%3A6824.39999999851%2C%22le%22%3A8201.199999999255%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="510" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-6" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2025/2/19/cedrick-juan-kate-alejandrino-are-engaged-0853"><strong>READ: Cedrick Juan, Kate Alejandrino are engaged</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>Kate finally came to realize what the root cause for her low supply of breastmilk was when she reassessed her daily workload at home. “The culprit: I was not getting enough sleep &amp; proper nutrition because I was trying to do everything by myself. Cooking, cleaning &amp; feeding my baby because I thought I could &amp; should do it by myself. I refused to ask for help because I simply didn’t want to feel like a burden to my husband or our families. I’ve been independent most of my life, why should this time be any different? I was being stubborn as even when my mom, my Ate, Cedrick’s sisters and other family members were telling me that the first few months were crucial &amp; that all I needed to focus on was REST &amp; bonding with my baby.”</p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-7" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DESTQAFyVwE/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A7%2C%22os%22%3A1190289.3999999985%2C%22ls%22%3A6824.39999999851%2C%22le%22%3A8201.199999999255%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-7" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2025/2/19/look-cedrick-juan-announces-engagement-to-kate-alejandrino-0918"><strong>READ: LOOK: Cedrick Juan announces engagement to Kate Alejandrino</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>Before ending her post, Kate shared that there was now progress in her breastmilk production. She wrote in the same post, “Cut to today, I am so relieved to see progress. This is what I get to pump AFTER a 20 minute latch. I am happier, well rested and only focused on Little Juan. We have ALL the help we need (all thanks to my in-laws), good advice &amp; encouragement from family and friends, and the best OB and Pedia who guide me and make sure I am getting my supplements. I have enough to feed and satisfy my son AND time to relax and be a happy, present mother to him and wife to Cedrick.”</p>

<p>Actress Kate Alejandrino opens up about one of the new challenges she’s had to face as a new mom to Rocio, her baby boy with husband Cedrick Juan.</p>

Actress Kate Alejandrino opens up about one of the new challenges she’s had to face as a new mom to Rocio, her baby boy with husband Cedrick Juan.