Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Goodbye Breasty

Goodbye pumping breast milk, otherwise known as breasty the besty in our home. I packed up my pump and flanges last night. And watched Soph guzzle down the last bottle of milk I squeezed for her. Six months ago, I have been dreaming of this day, yet I still feel a sense of guilt when it has arrived.
My breastfeeding history for Soph:
0 month: Can't squeeze out any bm
1 month: Visited 2 lactation consultants. Judy said I had insufficient glandular tissue and would have to supplement. I felt a great sense of loss, knowing I could not provide her with the most basic thing she need. (Thank god for formula!)
2-4 months: Struggled with breastfeeding using supplemental tubing, and pumping after every feeding 8 times a day.
4.5 months: Decided to switch to exclusively pumping because breastfeeding was still taking an hour or even more at times. She wrestled my breasts and sometimes did not want to feed which was affecting her weight. That was the most miserable part of the 9 months! Every day was crazy, watching her cry while I scrambled to tape tubes to my breasts. And then sitting there for an hour but she did not want to drink or was really slow. And still had to pump for 10 minutes after that while she played in the jungle gym. It was taking a toll on me because both of us had no time for other activities. So eventually I chose to pump 8 times a day and managed to provide half of what she needed.
6 months: Back to work and pumping 3 times at work. Struggled to wake up early and sleep late so that I could squeeze in 6 pumping sessions a day. Down to 2.5 bottles of the 6 feeds she needs.
7-8 months: Pumping sessions drop to 5 from all the buzz. Down to 2 bottles a day.
9 months: Weaned off to 2 pumping sessions a day.
And this is the only photo that leaves me a memory of sitting there pumping with my iPad in my lap.
Goodbye for now.

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