I am thankful I could feed Will for 8 1/2 months. He is still getting some breastmilk periodically. Our feeding experience was really different than I imagined it would be. One of the disappointing things about his surgery not happening yet is that I was hoping it would enable Will to be able to effectively nurse on his own - without the aid of various contraptions. For those of you able to nurse your babies effectively, know that it is a gift & something precious. I can only imagine what it must be like to feed a baby easily- without hooking up to any contraptions to do so & without pumping afterwards. However, I am grateful for what we were able to accomplish together. I have been rather emotional about being forced to quit earlier than I would have liked so I thought I'd share some reflections...
- 1843= approximate number of times I pumped
- 6= number of different airports I've fed & pumped in- best airport= Cancun, Mexico (fabulous spa available in the airport that they let me use!!!); worst airports= Salt Lake City, Utah & Albuquerque, NM- very open & public... had to sit in the corner by an empty gate or in a public restroom; fyi for you Midland gals... our airport has a very nice alcove for pumping in the women's restroom - private & has a sink & electrical outlet :)
- most flexible pumping moment= standing up in an airport flying alone while carrying Will in the Baby Bjorn!
- most flexible nursing moment= when we were using a syringe, I once had to feed him at a doctor's office... he was screaming & so I stood to rock him as I fed him... while also syringe feeding at the same time. It was rather difficult.
- number of freeways in Dallas I've pumped on= too many to count!
- 1 airplane I've nursed on when he wouldn't take a bottle (with our friends right behind us)
- favorite place to feed= in the bathtub with Will
- most embarrassing feeding moments= when the pediatrician walked in & turned bright red & when I was all set up & feeding in an airport once only to look up & see the security camera aimed right at me!
- 5=contraptions I've used to aid us= 2 different sns systems, syringes, shields, and tubes
- best feeding month= December... down to one contraption & no follow up with a bottle (this made for a great Christmas)
- I can't believe I'm doing this moments= pumping in the backseat of the car in Dallas while my dad drove & another time while my father in law drove (oh the things I did to feed this baby!)
- "megaphones"= what my dad once referred to my pump pieces as (clueless!)
- 12= number of weeks I was on Reglan to help me be able to feed Will this spring
- 7= number of lactation consultants I've seen for help feeding Will; about 11 visits
- 8 months, 2 weeks = how long I was able to provide milk for Will... (he nursed for about 6 1/2 of those months)
- 12-18 months= how long I would have liked to have nursed him (When it was really good in December I realized I had potential to be "one of those moms" who just keeps nursing her kid... please feel free to stop me with kid #2 someday if I just keep going & going! :) )
- I've got one determined baby who really hung in there with me & enabled me to fulfill one of my dreams. Oh what we moms will do to feed our babies! :)
1 thoughts:
Hey...I am "one of those Moms." I completely get you and how hard weaning is. Of course, my experience was much different than yours, but I too was forced to wean Jayce early and early for me was 16 months. I'm so proud of you and how you stuck it out. God sure did know what he was doing when he gave Will to you. You are such an amazing Mommy!!!!
Post a Comment
