August 31, 2015

LIFE AS A NURSING MOMMA.

I have had a lot of questions about nursing and going back to work so I thought I would share with you about what I do when I work and share a little bit about my breast feeding adventure with it being National Breast Feeding Month.

When I started nursing King I was a dairy. No joke. I would pump off about 24 oz a time. I strictly pump because my body does not regulate my milk supply so I end up with mastitis really easy. (I had it 6 times in 3 months when I started breast feeding) I also pumped because I went back to work when King was just 4 weeks old. Initially I would freeze oodles of milk because I had so much. I ended up donating them to a family who lives near to me. The mom passed away giving birth and I loved that I could help them in such a simple way.

My pumping schedule was initially every 3 hours, after that seemed to be going well I went on an antibiotic so I could scoot my schedule back to every 4 hours without getting mastitis again. This worked really well for us with me working 3 days a week all day and 4 days a week half days. Up until King hit 7.5 months I have had an over supply of milk. When King hit 7.5 months my milk supply started to dwindle… He is still eating the same amount, I just stopped producing as much. I went from producing 24 oz to barley 5 oz each pump… I’m not sure what happened or where my milk has gone. I have been drinking plenty of water, pumping on schedule, everything… My body is just starting to wean I think… I’m not quite sure. This is really frustrating to me that I can’t keep up with King now and I had so much milk to begin with. I’m also wishing that I would have kept some frozen milk so that way I could fix the amount of milk I am not producing with milk from the freezer.

Currently I work on Mondays all day and take my pump to work with me. I pump in a little closet and I am so grateful that I can pump while I am working and still provide nourishment for King. While I sometimes wonder if the stress, pain, time, and fears of nursing King is worth it, I know that I am providing him something that no one else can. I know that I am doing what is best for me, King, and my family at this point of time in our lives. I know that nursing doesn’t work out for everyone, and that is okay. If you are doing what is best for you, your family, and your little one at that point of time, then what you are doing is perfect! We all are doing our best, that’s all that matters mommas!

Here are a few of my favorite things as a nursing mom:

Pump (This pump has seriously saved my life. It is the only thing that keeps me from getting mastitis. I have tried multiple other pumps and nothing compares to this!)
Nursing Bra (My favorite bra! It keeps everything supported and happy, but also is comfortable!)
Diet Coke & Pink Cookies! (You have to reward yourself for pumping/nursing!)