Pumping panic!

Wow, I’m turning into an earth mother, a glorified hippie! Breast out non stop! I almost answered the door with one of of the bra today. Fear not, It wasn’t intentional, I haven’t slipped that far down the path. I realised mid unlocking and popped myself back in.

It’s safe to say they’re a fair size with engorgement. So I’m sure all mums find that however they’re feeding their children that there’s the worry that you aren’t going to provide enough to have them thrive and the questions remain of , am I feeding enough? Am I getting the cues on time? Is he/she gaining enough weight? Is he/she a good size? Could I do better.

Well my worries this week revolved around pumping and milk expression!
Usually I’m able to feed on my right, I only nurse off my right, the left is painful for some reason. And then I pump from my left and then right. I can get about 3-4 from my left religiously and 4-6 from the left. I woke up on Monday and all I could manage from each was 2-3 ounces! I would astounded, what had happened. Why had my supply dropped?

So I googled and everyone knows that googling anything automatically indicated near dear or loss of limbs. Whatever you google from sniffle to rashes means imminent death, usually less than 24 hours to live! Well googling told me all sorts could be wrong, including leftover placental tissue-gross! Lets hope not.

However, with my levels of anaemia being quite bad I’m sure it’s my body being a little bit selfish and nourishing myself first and foremost, as I could still feed adequately, I just enjoy the ease of having such a good milk yield that I can express and have a good stock for bottles when we leave the house and do our errands and activities.

Panic mode sets in anyway and I had found prescription remedies to enhance prolactin release in the body, I had found dietary tips, different herbal remedies and tinctures.

I opted for oaty food, I despise oats. Anyway for the cause I bought hobnobs, cereal bars, oat baked bread and that’s all the oats I could stomach I couldn’t touch porridge if I tried, I then bought some fennel seed tea by twinings. I hate tea too! Boy was I in for a good time, I couldn’t drink the tea hot so I made 6 cups and let them cool then transferred to a bottle for the fridge to have as iced tea.

I also spoke to someone i know who is a peer consultant and she was incredibly helpful, full of wit to ease my mind and full of handy tips and reassurance!

After my little remedies whether they worked or not I’ve got 5 ounces from each side all day at every expression so far! I think I may have just boosted my mental standings and overcome a little block in my head.

Three weeks breastfeeding tomorrow! 🙂
Feeling quite proud of myself if I’m allowed to.

I’m not feeling like its helping any weight loss but I feel confident I am doing what is right for my baby and my body. I am keeping on top of iron intake and will arrange an infusion shortly to keep in tip top form as I’m starting to feel the lethargy and sunken eyes set in.

My new breastpump arrives tomorrow! Medela swing to give a go. Excited by simple things! Haha!

A bonus of the fennel tea is that it’s an appetite suppressive, except its not great as I need to remind myself to eat the extra calories I need for feeding without physical cues!

Panic averted and supply great again.
I’m still not going to give up the oats/tea just yet. I want to make sure I’m still good to go! 🙂

Xoxo

Expression Confessions!

I did mention when I started my blog that my intent was only to express as I wouldn’t feel too comfortable with latch feeding, couldn’t handle doing it in front of guests or family or in public and that I was really only doing it to she’d baby weight quickly.

Boy oh boy was I wrong, I love it, I love latch feeding now wyatt’s got the hang of it. In fact I spend so much time with my boobs out the other half is going to become so desensitised to boobs and no longer appreciate them. I’m not sure how he’s coping seeing them used for their actual purpose. I haven’t actually thought a lot about a mans perspective on breastfeeding. But I’m sure mine just likes the fact it means he gets to do less chores (feeding) and more fun time playing and cooing over him. My boobs are actually out so much I nearly answered the door with one out. Baby brain or what!

I know expressing and bottles aren’t advised until 6 weeks to establish a good supply and not cause any form of teat or nipple confusion in newborns, however my yield is so great I can express the 20-24 ounces needed per day for the fridge and still have leftover to allow latch time too!

As for nipple confusion he hasn’t had that problem at all and happily interchanges between both. He’s not fond on dummies as he can’t keep them in his mouth which works well for us. The less things to get rid of the better, however Landon never had a dummy till he started to teethe.

My breastpump was a double electric I thought the world of. Until it FAILED. That’s right two weeks use and it broke. Both motors gone, no suction. Excellent. However my luck turned when the lactation consultant came out to see us and offered us a hospital grade medela pump for a week until I picked a new pump with better reviews! The brand I picked make ameda pumps here which are really well recommended! However the EvenFlo is not one I would recommend to anyone. Especially after using a medela, the EvenFlo compares as noisy and painful. The medela hospital grade is supreme! It’s incredibly comfy and quiet! The only downside is the size of the pump itself. It’s huge and not portable. The medela swing is what I think we will be purchasing this weekend and I hope to give it a great review!

The support for breastfeeding is immense there has been a really great amount of feedback for feeding, compared to bottle feeding. And the benefits really do speak for themselves I’m going to be proud I can say I have done however long I manage and each week I complete will be a little star on a mental chart for me.

Expressing is working so well I’m really glad we were open to feeding options this time around, I feel I’m probably a bit more mature than my first pregnancy, a bit more practiced and much more open to the options there are surrounding child rearing instead of the few set ideas I initially held.

I can really feel the benefits of breastfeeding. My mood is non stop brilliant, no baby blues at the normal five day mark. A great attachment,a tum that is benefitting and a really positive overall attitude!

Hope everyone can be as flexible in their preconceived ideas as me and give things a go. You never know and certainly can’t knock it till you try it.

The enormous boobs alone are a persuasive.

Xoxo