World Breastfeeding Week

How fitting to blog about breastfeeding/pumping this week... If you are already cringing at the title of this blog, then feel free to not read on. It is an homage to the hard work, persistence, and commitment mothers have to give babies the best nutrition around. I have nothing against giving babies formula, but I have lots and lots of props for mothers who choose to breastfeed and or pump instead, or even try it! It is what women's bodies are made to do, and how humans have started out their lives for thousands of years, but it seems like it is not the norm.

Enough politics already... I am here to toot my own horn.... haha!! This is more of a report of my experience this past year plus... This blog may not mean much to you men, but if you are a numbers person, it may...

I started out pumping because Owen was unable to eat because the doctors said so... BOO! The nurses and I would sneak him the colostrum good stuff anyway, because they were giving him sugar water, so we figured that that would be even better. I sunk into an every 3 hour schedule which I did not deter from more than twice in 6 months... I WAS RELIGIOUS! I can't say that it was easy, as I was getting up to pump when my baby was sleeping... Which sounds ridiculous now, looking back, but I wanted to have enough for him!! Thinking back to our feeding routine at this time, I get exhausted...here is how it went down for MONTHS...

1. Weigh Owen

2. Attempt to breast feed.

3. If successful, re-weight to see how much he ate.

4. If unsuccessful, heat water for milk to warm up for bottle.

5. Attempt to bottle feed

6. If breast or bottle unsuccessful, or even if successful, heat up milk to fortify to give through the tube to give him enough, or make up for whatever he didn't eat.

7. Get pump ready and set up for Owen.

8. Get my pump ready and set up.

9. Hook up Owen to feed (30-45minutes)

10. Hook me up to pump (15-20 minutes)

From start to finish the whole fiasco took at least an hour...If he didn't poo or throw up in the process.... WOW! I can't believe we did that for so long.....

This every 3 hour business was pretty serious... If I left the house, I would barge in needing to pump... If I left the house, I would plan my trip around pumping...I would bring it if it were more than 2 hours of a trip. I would need a plug to give it power. I have pumped in some interesting places- bathroom stalls, restaurants, hotel lobbies, toy stores, babys r us, hospital waiting rooms, you name it! After 6 months I transitioned down to 6-7 times a day, and (always hoping) that Owen would eat better after his second surgery. Before his surgery I was thinking I would pump until we were home just in case he would eat better then.... If you remember, he DID eat better, but only for a few days... Then he was back to refusing to take a bottle, spoon, cup, etc...

So when Owen was 9 months I went down to pumping 4 times a day which felt like a vacation! I was pumping about as often as I ate! I felt a big surge of freedom!!! I could play with Owen more, and time it so that he wasn't needing to eat right as I needed to pump... I could time it better with what worked for our family instead of needing to pump after trying to breastfeed him every time. He would just refuse 99% of the time anyway so it wasn't worth the efforts.

Owen didn't start crawling until he was a year old. This made this whole process a lot easier. He wouldn't pivot on his tush either... He would sit and play while getting his feed. That made the whole I pump he pump situation a lot easier. Also, he is our only child. This would have been very difficult had he a brother or a sister. Also, I haven't worked very much. That would have added another challenge to the rigid pumping schedule. I would have continued but my supply possibly would have changed.

So, I haven't pumped in a day. It feels very weird to say that. I returned the hospital grade pump (featured below) the week after Owen's birthday, and switched to a great pump of Wynters. I didn't want to switch when I was in serious pumping mode in case it made a difference...The last two weeks I have just been pumping morning and night and then the last few days when uncomfortable either morning or night. I may be done with the pump after a very long, long relationship.

The very awesome neato frito part of this whole deal is a two-parter: 1. Owen is STILL getting breastmilk in his tube! I am mixing some other stuff in it, but I am still using frozen milk! I had more than enough to get him through his year plus. 2. The only consistent part about Owen's oral intake is that he will always breastfeed. Of course this is only at night, for comfort, but he will open his mouth and receive it! This is HUGE for him, his oral aversions, and has no doubt helped his vocal development. YAY!!!

Ok here is the breakdown, and I had to do the math a few times because I couldn't believe it!!

For 6 months at 8 times per day at 15 minutes per pump, aka 2 hours per day= 15 days straight of pumping

For 3 months at 6 times per day at 20minutes per pump (took longer to get the same volume as time progressed)= 8 days straight of pumping

For 3 months at 4 times per day at 20 minutes per pump=4 days straight of pumping

**Rounded a little on the days straight of pumping***

drumroll....27 days straight... Plus I didn't include the two weeks after Owen turned 1...

Is that crazy or what? That is why I tooted my own horn in this blog... It was a total lifestyle and commitment. I am so glad that I did it, Owen was/is very healthy and he needed my mama milk. I wouldn't have had it any other way, I have said it is part of my religion!

When I cut back to twice a day I was having a hard time with it... Babies are supposed to wean themselves, not mommas weaning themselves... Plus, the alternative to breastmilk is tube feeding formula. I wouldn't want to live on that, and if he was eating, he would have the goods available. I'm tapping into the "owen fund" to purchase a vitamix blender to make him blenderized food. More on that later:).

Ok, have you heard enough on this topic??? I'm almost done...

To all you pumping or breastfeeding mothers, I used the lansinoh plastic storage bags, shoulda bought some stock in them....I also had a deep freezer that was full until about a month ago when Owen was getting 35 ounces daily and I was only making 25....

And....Guess who has "extra" time now???????? Good thing, because this crawler has be hopping!!!!! I was fantasizing what I would be doing with my time when I was pumping, and I am so glad to be chasing after this kid! I would read when we were first home from the hospital, when Owen slept a lot, then I got in the habit of spending waaaay toooo much time on facebook and words with friends, I became an addict to both of them. I am trying to slowly wean off of the facebook too, or scale back, but that has been a challenge also.

Good night, I am going to go straight to bed, and NOT pump! Aw the taste of freedom!!
I spent a lot of time sitting right there, attached to that machine....