I’ve
mentioned before that I breastfed LJ for the first 5 months. I actually would
have loved to continue but, alas, my son is on his own mission in life and didn’t
exactly feel it was necessary to follow his mom’s 5 step planning action!
Showing posts with label breast pump. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breast pump. Show all posts
Thursday, 12 September 2013
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
Jenna-Mae and Ol' Bessie
A couple of weeks back Jenn over at SomethingClever2point0 propsed a great topic for Theme Thursdays. If you haven’t read her before or linked up in Theme Thursday I suggest you do both…NOW!
Back to topic! Breastfeeding. After an interesting Twitter conversation between Jenn and I(that's me!) (see those links…its twitter…move there…now!) she thought it’d make an interesting theme. Sadly I was on my Social Media Fast when she posted this.
However, I couldn’t pass up a great opportunity so I tucked it away in my blogger folder and vowed I’d get something out there even if it wasn’t linked up!
Oh the world of breastfeeding and the heated debates and doomy death glares that come with it.
There is a part of me that thinks deeply believes that if I still lived in the States I wouldn’t have even considered breastfeeding. To be honest, breasts have always been such a sexual symbol and my lack thereof has always caused me to spend ridiculous amounts of money on pushup bras that I don’t imagine know without a doubt I would not have been comfortable with it.
I am so happy to see that so many of my friends back home have taken on this mountainous feat.
When I became pregnant with Lil Mister, EVERYONE regardless of whether they had children or not or had or not had breastfed…well they all had opinions. They proposed their opinions in such a way that it was fact being presented.
From the word go, I was bombarded with the idea of what if you can’t breastfeed!?!? It was as if it was known before we even knew the sex of our little that I would not be able to do it. I ‘mentally prepared’ myself for this fact as my grandmother had been unable to breastfeed. Between all the opinions and statements, I set myself up for failure before I even started.
When Lil Mister was born, he latched quickly in the hospital. For the first week, everything went perfectly. There were NO problems and he slept great. Then one day hit and he ate constantly….like the entire day. That night he cried himself to sleep. During this time, Hubby Dearest and MIL were insistant that my milk wasn’t enough and that he was hungry and that he needed formula. When we couldn’t wake him for his bath that night (jeeze the little guy had been awake the whole day!) I freaked and MIL went to find formula at a café. It was then decided that I could not breast feed and he would be on formula.
I cried myself to sleep. I cried the next day. I cried for the next two weeks every time my son searched for my breast when I held him. I felt that we had been neglected that experience. I felt I was a failure. I felt I’d given up.
I went back to work when my son was 6 weeks old and felt the world of judgement upon me. So many women judged me for allowing my son to take formula and others acted as if it figured that I wasn’t ‘strong enough’ to breastfeed. Some blamed it on my upbringing while others said it was my lifestyle. I constantly felt as if I was defending my feeding my child!
When I found out I was pregnant with LJ, I swore I wouldn’t breastfeed. But slowly that desire came back. Most were judgemental again. They questioned why I would even try a second time. I mean I couldn’t do it the first. However, I was already a mom and had started building up my resistant to everyone’s ‘advice.’
At first I thought I would pump from the very beginning. That way if I couldn’t do it this time around then I wouldn’t feel that sense of failure again because I wouldn’t have created that bond. But I had created a bond with Lil Mister even though I didn’t breastfeed and refused to believe that my bond with LJ would be determined by such facts.
So I thought I’d try for the first week and then switch to formula. At least he’d get the colostrum.
Then I won a pump through Advent and Living and Loving. I knew then that it was a sign from God that I needed to hold strong and do what I felt was best for my child.
I knew then that I would WOULD breastfeed until I returned to work. Then I’d pump milk during the day and breastfeed at night.
The first feed LJ had after birth was perfect! He latched and it was like it was natural…duh. Then he didn’t eat for 6 hours! I was so worried I couldn’t sleep. I asked the nurses constantly why he wasn’t eating. They assured me that he would eat when he was hungry.
Sure enough after 6 hours he ate again. Then he slept another 6 hours and ate again. Jeeze…this was great.
Then…..he started and wouldn’t stop. After 3 hours of constant feeding I got him to sleep 30 minutes. Then he started again. 3 hours and 30 minutes sleep. Finally on the second day at midnight I went to the nurses station crying, completely exhausted. I couldn’t do it. My milk wasn’t good enough. He was so hungry all the time!
I’d failed….or so I thought.
The amazing nurse came to my room. She checked the latch and my flow. Everything was perfect. LJ however was FULL of winds. She took him for a while. They got all the winds out and he was hungry. I latched again and we went for another 2 hours. I couldn’t keep up.
She suggested we supplement him. I wasn’t sure what she meant other than that I knew it meant formula. I fought. I resisted. I explained I didn’t want to give up. I cried…again.
Calmly she smiled and assured me it wasn’t giving up. She would mix some formula and give it through a syringe. That way he still took to the breast. It would fill him up and give us both some rest. I agreed. She sat in my room next to the bed and gave him 20ml.
Afterwards she convinced me to let her take him to the nursery for a few hours so that I could rest and sleep. 6 hours later they brought him back to me. He latched perfectly. He fed for an hour and then slept. Two hours later we did it again.
I stayed in the hospital an extra night because I wanted to make sure I had this down.
When we got home, he continued to feed slowly every two hours for the first 4 weeks. I continued to supplement once a day to give us both rest. We’ve had no problems.
But now has come the tricky part. I’m returning to work and LJ will be remaining home with our domestic worker F. Therefore we’ve slowly been switching him over to drinking from a bottle in the day and continuing from the breast at night. He has had a few hiccups but has taken to the bottles easily.
I, however, am not adjusting to pumping so well. It does go tremendously quicker than actually feeding him and it isn’t painful like everyone said it would be. Because I’m pumping more often than I’d normally feed and continuing to feed at night my supply is staying consistent. Here’s the thing though….
I can’t help but feel like a cow! Literally, as I’m pumping I only imagine pictures of amish girls sitting at the foot of a cow and pumping into a can! I can actually hear the sound of the milk hitting the bottom of a metal pale. It is ridiculous. Sometimes this makes me laugh…other times I want to cry because how did I become an animal!
Dutifully I felt it was only proper to name my milker. My pump is officially dubbed Jenna-Mae while I remain old Bessie.
**I am still on a mission to keep pumping! And poor Jenna-Mae is a-callin'. Till next time folks! ;-)
Back to topic! Breastfeeding. After an interesting Twitter conversation between Jenn and I(that's me!) (see those links…its twitter…move there…now!) she thought it’d make an interesting theme. Sadly I was on my Social Media Fast when she posted this.
However, I couldn’t pass up a great opportunity so I tucked it away in my blogger folder and vowed I’d get something out there even if it wasn’t linked up!
Oh the world of breastfeeding and the heated debates and doomy death glares that come with it.
There is a part of me that thinks deeply believes that if I still lived in the States I wouldn’t have even considered breastfeeding. To be honest, breasts have always been such a sexual symbol and my lack thereof has always caused me to spend ridiculous amounts of money on pushup bras that I don’t imagine know without a doubt I would not have been comfortable with it.
I am so happy to see that so many of my friends back home have taken on this mountainous feat.
When I became pregnant with Lil Mister, EVERYONE regardless of whether they had children or not or had or not had breastfed…well they all had opinions. They proposed their opinions in such a way that it was fact being presented.
From the word go, I was bombarded with the idea of what if you can’t breastfeed!?!? It was as if it was known before we even knew the sex of our little that I would not be able to do it. I ‘mentally prepared’ myself for this fact as my grandmother had been unable to breastfeed. Between all the opinions and statements, I set myself up for failure before I even started.
When Lil Mister was born, he latched quickly in the hospital. For the first week, everything went perfectly. There were NO problems and he slept great. Then one day hit and he ate constantly….like the entire day. That night he cried himself to sleep. During this time, Hubby Dearest and MIL were insistant that my milk wasn’t enough and that he was hungry and that he needed formula. When we couldn’t wake him for his bath that night (jeeze the little guy had been awake the whole day!) I freaked and MIL went to find formula at a café. It was then decided that I could not breast feed and he would be on formula.
I cried myself to sleep. I cried the next day. I cried for the next two weeks every time my son searched for my breast when I held him. I felt that we had been neglected that experience. I felt I was a failure. I felt I’d given up.
I went back to work when my son was 6 weeks old and felt the world of judgement upon me. So many women judged me for allowing my son to take formula and others acted as if it figured that I wasn’t ‘strong enough’ to breastfeed. Some blamed it on my upbringing while others said it was my lifestyle. I constantly felt as if I was defending my feeding my child!
When I found out I was pregnant with LJ, I swore I wouldn’t breastfeed. But slowly that desire came back. Most were judgemental again. They questioned why I would even try a second time. I mean I couldn’t do it the first. However, I was already a mom and had started building up my resistant to everyone’s ‘advice.’
At first I thought I would pump from the very beginning. That way if I couldn’t do it this time around then I wouldn’t feel that sense of failure again because I wouldn’t have created that bond. But I had created a bond with Lil Mister even though I didn’t breastfeed and refused to believe that my bond with LJ would be determined by such facts.
So I thought I’d try for the first week and then switch to formula. At least he’d get the colostrum.
Then I won a pump through Advent and Living and Loving. I knew then that it was a sign from God that I needed to hold strong and do what I felt was best for my child.
I knew then that I would WOULD breastfeed until I returned to work. Then I’d pump milk during the day and breastfeed at night.
The first feed LJ had after birth was perfect! He latched and it was like it was natural…duh. Then he didn’t eat for 6 hours! I was so worried I couldn’t sleep. I asked the nurses constantly why he wasn’t eating. They assured me that he would eat when he was hungry.
Sure enough after 6 hours he ate again. Then he slept another 6 hours and ate again. Jeeze…this was great.
Then…..he started and wouldn’t stop. After 3 hours of constant feeding I got him to sleep 30 minutes. Then he started again. 3 hours and 30 minutes sleep. Finally on the second day at midnight I went to the nurses station crying, completely exhausted. I couldn’t do it. My milk wasn’t good enough. He was so hungry all the time!
I’d failed….or so I thought.
The amazing nurse came to my room. She checked the latch and my flow. Everything was perfect. LJ however was FULL of winds. She took him for a while. They got all the winds out and he was hungry. I latched again and we went for another 2 hours. I couldn’t keep up.
She suggested we supplement him. I wasn’t sure what she meant other than that I knew it meant formula. I fought. I resisted. I explained I didn’t want to give up. I cried…again.
Calmly she smiled and assured me it wasn’t giving up. She would mix some formula and give it through a syringe. That way he still took to the breast. It would fill him up and give us both some rest. I agreed. She sat in my room next to the bed and gave him 20ml.
Afterwards she convinced me to let her take him to the nursery for a few hours so that I could rest and sleep. 6 hours later they brought him back to me. He latched perfectly. He fed for an hour and then slept. Two hours later we did it again.
I stayed in the hospital an extra night because I wanted to make sure I had this down.
When we got home, he continued to feed slowly every two hours for the first 4 weeks. I continued to supplement once a day to give us both rest. We’ve had no problems.
But now has come the tricky part. I’m returning to work and LJ will be remaining home with our domestic worker F. Therefore we’ve slowly been switching him over to drinking from a bottle in the day and continuing from the breast at night. He has had a few hiccups but has taken to the bottles easily.
I, however, am not adjusting to pumping so well. It does go tremendously quicker than actually feeding him and it isn’t painful like everyone said it would be. Because I’m pumping more often than I’d normally feed and continuing to feed at night my supply is staying consistent. Here’s the thing though….
I can’t help but feel like a cow! Literally, as I’m pumping I only imagine pictures of amish girls sitting at the foot of a cow and pumping into a can! I can actually hear the sound of the milk hitting the bottom of a metal pale. It is ridiculous. Sometimes this makes me laugh…other times I want to cry because how did I become an animal!
Dutifully I felt it was only proper to name my milker. My pump is officially dubbed Jenna-Mae while I remain old Bessie.
**I am still on a mission to keep pumping! And poor Jenna-Mae is a-callin'. Till next time folks! ;-)
Shana..
Thursday, 11 October 2012
Week 30
Another week down and I’m getting more and more excited. I still haven’t packed a hospital bag! I’m terrible! I’ve got a plan laid out for after LJ joins us for running and getting back into shape and I believe I have found a partner for all of this! What is even better is that it is finally hot enough here to be in the pool!! I spend my weekends completely exhausted from continuous jumping and splashing! Soon I’ll be doing morning swims again! YAY!
Total Weight Gain: 14 pounds!
This week, Baby is the size of a: head of califlower!!! (I wonder how long he stays this size lol ;-])
How far along? 30 weeks, 5 das
Due date: 15 Dec 2012
Total weight gain/loss: 0000
Maternity clothes? Haha still not…I figure I’m riding this one out until the end!!
Sleep: I've resorted to having to sleep sitting up. It happened all of the sudden. Like wham bam thank you mam but tonight you are no longer comfortable!
Best moment this week: Finally feeling like I'm bonding with LJ. So often I just feel like he is there and I want him to be a part of our family because he is!! Oh and winning the really awesome breast pump!
Food cravings: I still want Mexican…and anything salty
Movement: His movements are definetly getting more distinct and exact! Sharp pains at times.
Symptoms: LJ is all up in my back lately!! I'm considering alternative methods j/k but really!
Labor Signs: Nope!
Stretch Marks: nope and we’re working hard to keep it that way!
Swelling? Just my feet and ankles still...my face seems a little swollen as well :-/
Belly Button in or out? its definitely almost out.
What I miss: dancing! We were at a wedding this past weekend and it was so awkward lol And we've got another one next weekend haha all our friends get married while I'm pregnant!
Feeling toward Pregnancy: It's gone too quickly and I haven't taken the time to enjoy it!
What I am looking forward to: taking some time off from work just to be Mom to both my kids!
Milestones: grr...my milk started coming in...I hate these ridiculously full breasts that decided to jump up a size overnight!
News: Still no appointment! I’m ridiculously upset and frustrated!! All I can tell myself is that for some unknown reason this is all part of God’s plan!
GENERAL NEEDS
4-6 Tommy Tippee bottles (I’m not using Liams again) (I've acquired 2 this week!!)
Dummy
Toweling nappies (Just need to embroider them now!)
Hats
Bibs
Socks
Stage 2 diapers
Stage 3 diapers
Wet wipes** I like to stock up
Breast pads (I have one pack now so I'm waiting to see how the breast feeding goes this round!)
Aqueous cream
Baby powder
Baby oil
Bum cream
New monitors
Nipple cream
Face cloths
Pharmacy stock (Panado, tissue salts, boscopan, ect)
****Things I’d like to have*****
New breast pump (I received a great gift from Living and Loving and Avent in a new pump!! Now I can use Liam’s old bottles with stoppers in them for storage as it fits the pump!)
Microwave sterilizer
2x more blankets
2x more receiving blankets
New nappy bag
2x new towels
0-3 MONTHS
Coming Home Outfit (Need wool! A friend is going to crochet a jacket and hat and booties for him! Then we'll just wear a vest and white pants!)
2x summer jammies
3-6 MONTHS (this is where I gave a lot of Liams stuff away!)
12x vests (4 long sleeve) (I got 2!!)
4x cotton pants (with feet)
2x summer jammies
4-6x T-shirts
3-5x Rompers (I got 1!!)
3-5x Onesies (I got 2!!)
6-12 MONTHS (this is a season change from winter to summer for us! 3 months in each season)
2x Winter jammies
3x summer jammies
2x jackets
4x cotton pants
3x shorts
2x long sleeves
6x short sleeves
12x vests
2x Rompers
Total Weight Gain: 14 pounds!
This week, Baby is the size of a: head of califlower!!! (I wonder how long he stays this size lol ;-])
How far along? 30 weeks, 5 das
Due date: 15 Dec 2012
Total weight gain/loss: 0000
Maternity clothes? Haha still not…I figure I’m riding this one out until the end!!
Sleep: I've resorted to having to sleep sitting up. It happened all of the sudden. Like wham bam thank you mam but tonight you are no longer comfortable!
Best moment this week: Finally feeling like I'm bonding with LJ. So often I just feel like he is there and I want him to be a part of our family because he is!! Oh and winning the really awesome breast pump!
Food cravings: I still want Mexican…and anything salty
Movement: His movements are definetly getting more distinct and exact! Sharp pains at times.
Symptoms: LJ is all up in my back lately!! I'm considering alternative methods j/k but really!
Labor Signs: Nope!
Stretch Marks: nope and we’re working hard to keep it that way!
Swelling? Just my feet and ankles still...my face seems a little swollen as well :-/
Belly Button in or out? its definitely almost out.
What I miss: dancing! We were at a wedding this past weekend and it was so awkward lol And we've got another one next weekend haha all our friends get married while I'm pregnant!
Feeling toward Pregnancy: It's gone too quickly and I haven't taken the time to enjoy it!
What I am looking forward to: taking some time off from work just to be Mom to both my kids!
Milestones: grr...my milk started coming in...I hate these ridiculously full breasts that decided to jump up a size overnight!
News: Still no appointment! I’m ridiculously upset and frustrated!! All I can tell myself is that for some unknown reason this is all part of God’s plan!
GENERAL NEEDS
4-6 Tommy Tippee bottles (I’m not using Liams again) (I've acquired 2 this week!!)
Dummy
Hats
Stage 3 diapers
Breast pads (I have one pack now so I'm waiting to see how the breast feeding goes this round!)
Aqueous cream
Baby powder
Baby oil
Bum cream
New monitors
Nipple cream
Pharmacy stock (Panado, tissue salts, boscopan, ect)
****Things I’d like to have*****
Microwave sterilizer
2x more blankets
2x more receiving blankets
New nappy bag
2x new towels
0-3 MONTHS
Coming Home Outfit (Need wool! A friend is going to crochet a jacket and hat and booties for him! Then we'll just wear a vest and white pants!)
2x summer jammies
3-6 MONTHS (this is where I gave a lot of Liams stuff away!)
12x vests (4 long sleeve) (I got 2!!)
4x cotton pants (with feet)
2x summer jammies
4-6x T-shirts
3-5x Rompers (I got 1!!)
3-5x Onesies (I got 2!!)
6-12 MONTHS (this is a season change from winter to summer for us! 3 months in each season)
2x Winter jammies
3x summer jammies
2x jackets
4x cotton pants
3x shorts
2x long sleeves
6x short sleeves
12x vests
2x Rompers
Shana
Monday, 8 October 2012
Win! Win! Won!
Friday was an amazing start to a ridiculously ah-mazing weekend!! I was in the workshop on the farm for a little while Friday afternoon and was most pleasantly surprised when I returned to my office!
There was a package! Wrapped in that beautiful brown paper that tells me it was shipped quite important. It was certified and its coded tracking number gleamed up at me ensuring me it was for me! I stared in disbelief as I double checked the name and address. I wasn’t expecting anything. After careful observation I was aware that this particular goodie was addressed to my husband! My frown sets in…WTHeck is this now?? How dare he use my works address!
Then…something else pops out at me.
A beautiful notion.
A ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds of my dismay.
Three little words.
Living and Loving
Oh yea!! I’ve got a package from one of my all time favorite magazines! Clearly this is not meant for Hubby dearest. This gorgeous gift is for me in one of myshallow upbringings clever ideas of using my husband to enter giveaways as I am not South African and therefore horribly excluded not allowed to enter!
{Mentally imagine the happy dance setting in…oh yea}
I eagerly rip open the brown paper. I scramble to turn the box around. I squeal!
I’ve just been made into the wonderfully proud and giddy owner of a brand new Phillips Avent Manual Breast pump!! {Insert second happy dance!}
A new breast pump is something I was seriously considering investing in. After my failed efforts to breastfeed Lil Mister though I was hesitant to drop such a large amount of cash on a mechanism that may or may not sit collection dust in myalready crammed packed of uselessness perfectly organized and boxed goods for later use cupboard! I’ve looked into many kinds and although I am considering a different brand for actually feeding, Avent was my first choice when looking into the breast pump. I used Avent bottles with Lil Mister and loved them, but wasn’t sure if I was sticking with that brand again. The reviews on the manual breast pump however are amazing and price wise it is incredibly reasonable!
Hubby and I had agreed to wait until after LJ was born and see how the breast feeding goes. Being much more informed and prepared this time, wewere are hoping and praying for positive results. If I can successfully produce milk, then we would invest. (I return to work when LJ is 6 weeks old so exclusive to the breast is not an option, but pumping would be perfect as we DO NOT want to supplement with formula!)
I have taken this upon myself as a sure fire message from God that I will be successful! He has placed this desire in my heart and He has provided me with a gift so precious to our little family that I know it will not go to waste! On payday I had looked deeply at the Avent breast pump when paying my pharmacy account. I almost purchased one. My spirit told me to wait. I was so down as I felt this was a negative reaction and that I was mentally preparing to fail and that is why I didn’t want to purchase one! However….I know this was God’s plan!
I want to thank the wonderful ladies (and gents) at Living and Loving mag for all that they do! I’ve been an avid and addicted reader since I moved to South Africa! Long before falling pregnant with Lil Mister I began reading my mother in laws old editions and the moment I popped positive on that little sticky I started buying my own! I’ve kept every month since then. My most prized one is June 2011 where I was featured in the prego pictures with Lil Mister! I’ve put that one in a dust jacket and in Lil Misters baby box!! The magazine (as well as the website…link again!) is chock full of tips, stories, articles, and ideas! I can’t get enough of it and anxiously await my new one every month!
Secondly I will thank Phillips Avent for the amazing giveaway! Avent is strong supports of breast feeding and do all they can to get information out there for us moms! Their products make it easy and comfortable. Even more so, especially with the discrete and fashionable case the pump is stored in, they make it realistic for working moms to continue to provide healthy breast milk for their children! Big thanks!!
Now I just have 10 weeks left before I can try it out!! ;-) (I’ve heard nipple stimulation brings on labor so we might run it early if LJ wants to make a late appearance ;-])
There was a package! Wrapped in that beautiful brown paper that tells me it was shipped quite important. It was certified and its coded tracking number gleamed up at me ensuring me it was for me! I stared in disbelief as I double checked the name and address. I wasn’t expecting anything. After careful observation I was aware that this particular goodie was addressed to my husband! My frown sets in…WTHeck is this now?? How dare he use my works address!
Then…something else pops out at me.
A beautiful notion.
A ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds of my dismay.
Three little words.
Living and Loving
Oh yea!! I’ve got a package from one of my all time favorite magazines! Clearly this is not meant for Hubby dearest. This gorgeous gift is for me in one of my
{Mentally imagine the happy dance setting in…oh yea}
I eagerly rip open the brown paper. I scramble to turn the box around. I squeal!
I’ve just been made into the wonderfully proud and giddy owner of a brand new Phillips Avent Manual Breast pump!! {Insert second happy dance!}
A new breast pump is something I was seriously considering investing in. After my failed efforts to breastfeed Lil Mister though I was hesitant to drop such a large amount of cash on a mechanism that may or may not sit collection dust in my
Hubby and I had agreed to wait until after LJ was born and see how the breast feeding goes. Being much more informed and prepared this time, we
I have taken this upon myself as a sure fire message from God that I will be successful! He has placed this desire in my heart and He has provided me with a gift so precious to our little family that I know it will not go to waste! On payday I had looked deeply at the Avent breast pump when paying my pharmacy account. I almost purchased one. My spirit told me to wait. I was so down as I felt this was a negative reaction and that I was mentally preparing to fail and that is why I didn’t want to purchase one! However….I know this was God’s plan!
I want to thank the wonderful ladies (and gents) at Living and Loving mag for all that they do! I’ve been an avid and addicted reader since I moved to South Africa! Long before falling pregnant with Lil Mister I began reading my mother in laws old editions and the moment I popped positive on that little sticky I started buying my own! I’ve kept every month since then. My most prized one is June 2011 where I was featured in the prego pictures with Lil Mister! I’ve put that one in a dust jacket and in Lil Misters baby box!! The magazine (as well as the website…link again!) is chock full of tips, stories, articles, and ideas! I can’t get enough of it and anxiously await my new one every month!
Secondly I will thank Phillips Avent for the amazing giveaway! Avent is strong supports of breast feeding and do all they can to get information out there for us moms! Their products make it easy and comfortable. Even more so, especially with the discrete and fashionable case the pump is stored in, they make it realistic for working moms to continue to provide healthy breast milk for their children! Big thanks!!
Now I just have 10 weeks left before I can try it out!! ;-) (I’ve heard nipple stimulation brings on labor so we might run it early if LJ wants to make a late appearance ;-])
Shana
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