Breast Milk/Feeding

OK, if a man is reading, this is rated "G" for the most part, but still, for my modestness, just don't talk to me about this entry, and we'll pretend you don't know anything about this stuff!!!! (I am aware this is on the internet, so it will remain a "G" rating!!!)

I was just feeding Sam (who is finally sleeping), and was reflecting on breast milk...

Breast Milk is an interesting substance. It's only relation to milk as we know it is that it's white. And it's more of an off-white at that! And if you eat bananas, it's a little yellower. It's oily. I know this because there was a spill not too long ago (and yes, I cried over spilled milk - that stuff is precious), and I wiped it up with a sponge. After BJ and I both at seperate times slipped and almost busted in the same spot, I realized that it had left a grease spot on the floor... who knew that even after cleaning it up it would do that? Vinegar and a mop worked wonders - FYI! (Vinegar cleans anyting - soap scum on your shower door especially!). Breast milk is also sweeter. Took a lot of courage, but I finally licked my wrist when testing Sam's bottle. Something about "eating" a substance that comes from your own body.

Creating milk also creates nicknames, and potentially a weight complex if you have little or no confidence in yourself - which thankfully I do most days! Hence my nickname of Bessie! Also, when your husband yells "Holy Cow" before he thinks when you walk out of the room from pumping (because of the amount of milk not me, I'm sure!), there's potential for said complex to resurface!!!!!

Also, when Sam cries, my boobs hurt. It's not a terrible pain (but I think all pains will be defined that way after experiencing childbirth!), but it's a pain nonetheless. I believe it's my milk "letting down." And, if he cries, so do my boobs!!!!! Craziest thing! Oh, and if I look at him and get that "Oh, he's so sweet and cute and I love him so much" feeliing - my boobs cry about that too!!!!! Lesson: wear pads at all times, and when you're not, keep a towel close by!!!!!!! =)

Onto pumping... having a "cone" attached to you that sucks you halfway across GA (Sometimes it feels more like Texas) is sometimes painful. FYI, you CAN turn down he sucsion... and it doesn't have to be wide@#& open either... yes, someone had to tell me this! I have a "Git er dun" attitude when it comes to milk production!!!!

Lanolin is to be used sparingly. No need to use it everytime and cover yourself entirely. This can lead to a yeast infection... which is extremely painful and ITCHES like CRAZY (and if you read that vinegar helps, be sure to add recommended amount of water, b/c strait vinegar makes it itch even worse and can result in a wrestling match for someone else to TRY and get you to stop scratching!!!!)

However, you must keep some type of lotion on yourself to avoid drying and cracking. Again, painful - refer to being pulled halfway across GA!!!!!!!!

Nursing the baby... it really is beautiful, but if you try to say it when he first latches on, it won't come out as more than a grunt!!!!!! He pulls you all the way to the back of his throat - that is a L-O-N-G way!!!!!! Once he gets going, though, and you kinda become numb there, it is just fine!

As he gets older, he gets stronger and his mouth gets larger... need I say more????

In my experience, I do better pumping and feeding him with a bottle. At first, it was hard to get ahead... and ounce at a time, but now I am about a day ahead, so we have four or five bottles in the fridge at all times, so, if he's hungry, he eats... and if someone else is around, they can feed him too (hence bonding time for dad and grandparents).

Despite the discomfort and time-restraints, I do highly recommend breastfeeding... for the obvious reasons for you and baby. When the baby is three days old - nurse him, but go ahead and use your pump. The books and professionals will tell you not to pump for a month so as not to mess with your production... great advice, but pumping is a quick-fix to engorgement - which you DO experience on day three or four. I was so scared to pump and was afraid that I would be producing uncontrollable amounts of milk by what I had been told - not true. Don't pump more than once a day at that point, but, for the love, pump - I wouldn't have made it past day three if I hadn't!!!!! And then, when you have visitors, you have a bottle ready so you don't have to take yourself and the baby away from them once they're there to actually spend time with... yes, the baby!!!!! Nursing every two or three hours is exhausting - timing the feedings is beginning of feeding to beginning of feeding. So, do the math. You feed him for about 30-45 min, and an hour or so later, you're at it again!!!!! Now we see why I switched to bottles!!!!!!!! I had and still have all this help, and no one could do anything because their name wasn't Bessie!!!!!!! When we got home, I pumped once a day and got about 3-4 oz. bottles, which we used at night when visitors came by, or in the wee hrs. of the morning when Mama would volunteer to feed Sam and I could sleep!!!!!!! Makes sense to me - but I was so nervous that I was setting myself up for "perma-engorgement." Again, some days were worse than others, but it all worked out and evened itself out - the body is an amazing thing here!!!!

I've got my system down now, and being the multi-tasker that I am, I work on Sam's baby book, photo albums, email, blogging, and I read my Bible everyday (God DID give us a brain, and that's the least-distractable time for me these days!!!!). If I occupy myself, I do much better pumping and not rushing myself. The trick is when I'm alone, and Sam starts crying... that gets interesting - but, again, we make it work!!!!!!

I just needed to get that off my chest (no pun intended)... books and classes only tell you so much. They don't get down to the nitty gritty - how it feels (all they say is that it's beautiful), that your boobs are constantly milking (it doesn't just magically appear when the baby's ready to eat), your boobs are sore all over, and that it's a full-time committment!!!!!!! I knew it would be work, but wow! it really is full-time. Now, when he eats, I pump... I can't miss, and he sure doesn't miss!!!!! Times are constantly running through my head!!!!!!

I will add this caveat, though... I wouldn't trade a minute of it for the world!!!!! My goal is to make it to 6 months (I'm halfway there), then I'll see if I'm up for another 6... I bet I will - and it's all thanks to the amazing help I have. If I had to pump and feed everyday and every night, no way... as it is, I only do that twice a day by myself - BJ's here to feed while I pump the other two feedings, and on the weekends!!!!! And Mama's around during the weekdays too, so it's not five days straight ever... I'm so incredibly blessed - and so is Sam!!!!!!!