Pain At The Pump

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Not that pump....but hilarious.  This pump:

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I wrote before about how pumping wasn't my favorite way to spend 15 minutes and it seemed like only a few days later my pump said "you WILL learn to like me."  I wasn't really pumping that often - twice a day and not even every day.  I would pump in the morning after Tripp finished eating to make a bottle for that evening and then I would pump while he was taking the bottle.  I had a small freezer stash going, but didn't really need to build it up a lot.

The day after I started working out again, I immediately noticed a difference.  Normally, Tripp would fall back asleep before completely draining both sides during his early morning feeding, so I'd put him back down and get the rest into a bottle.  One day I went to pump...and nothing.  He hadn't eaten any longer than he normally does, but I thought maybe my supply was just regulating to his appetite.  I knew something was wrong when I went to pump that evening and nothing came out - and he hadn't nursed in about 3 hours.  Obviously, I had a minor panic attack.  I had heard of working out affecting breast milk supply in some women, but why worry about something before it even happens?  Tripp hadn't been fussy or seemed hungry that day, so he was getting what he needed apparently...but what if next time he wanted to nurse there was nothing for him?! 

I got pretty upset that night.  Breastfeeding has been so important to me and something that I really enjoy being able to do for our son.  I felt like my body was failing me and I wanted to fix it.  I did my research that night and maaaay have gone a little overboard the next day haha.  Things that can increase milk supply:

-concentrating on healthy fats in your diet (nuts, eggs, avocados, etc)

-staying well-hydrated & making sure you take in enough calories

-herbal supplements (Fenugreek & Blessed Thistle)

-pumping after each nursing session (even if nothing comes out, production is a supply & demand thing)

Obviously feeding Tripp was priority #1, so I absolutely would have stopped working out if I needed to.  That wasn't my first choice, but I did take a break for 2 days while I tried all of the above.  I went to the store and stocked up:

I take 2 Fenugreek capsules 3x a day and 1 mL of the Motherlove (Blessed Thistle) drops 4x a day.  I could have guessed from drinking Mother's Milk tea (a combination of the two herbs) that I wouldn't love the taste of the drops, but yikes.  Not delicious.  I also stocked up on about 275 avocados (not really...but close), raw walnuts for my oatmeal, and coconut water (in addition to the ridiculous amount of water I already drink).  I have either eggs or oatmeal every morning for breakfast and try to eat an avocado every day.  (try?  who am I kidding?  I have to try and not eat 4 haha.)  When you're breastfeeding is definitely not the time to cut calories, so I'm more focused on getting in snacks between meals.  Even if I'm not hungry, I'll have something small like a spoonful of almond butter for the healthy fats and calorie boost. 

I also got really friendly with my pump.  Best $300 I've spent in a long time.

Verdict:  two days after this regimen started, I woke up in the morning looking like I had just been in a wet t-shirt contest.  I guess it worked. :-)  I felt comfortable going back to working out, but ramped up slowly to try and monitor what would happen with my milk.  Everything seems to be going just fine.  I've backed off on pumping after every time Tripp eats, but am continuing with the rest - probably for however long he breastfeeds. 

Crisis averted...for now.  As much as I already loved breastfeeding him, I've learned to not take it for granted.  So many women have problems and can't breastfeed at all or have to supplement with formula, so I feel very lucky that I can give him all the nutrition he needs right now from my body.

Was it a combination of all the changes I made that actually worked?  Or was I subconciously stressing about working out affecting my supply and the placebo affect took over after I started making those changes?  I'll probably never know - and as long as my baby keeps growing, I honestly don't care.

*the opinions in this post are my own and I was in no way compensated for product reviews*

This is Happening

Today doesn’t feel like Tuesday to me.  I literally walked around all day thinking it was Monday.  That happen to anyone else?

I’m really excited about how productive the day has been!  I made our first two major baby purchases:

I’ve got 2 weeks to go until I reach the 3^rd trimester, so its definitely a little earlier than some people start to shop, but when I saw the stroller on Craig’s List, I decided to go check it out.  I kind of felt like I was stealing from this couple because they had it priced so amazingly…but who am I to argue?  We decided to go the used route because we'll probably have another baby pretty quickly and will be turning right around to buy a double.  Yikes.  $$

I also had a 20% off coupon for Babies ‘R Us that expired tomorrow, so I figured I should use it on a big ticket item that we were going to need anyway.  $60 savings?  I’ll take it!  

Pumps are one of those tricky items.  Obviously very personal, so it’s not something you normally see given as a gift.  I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been milked before so how do I know which one I want?  After doing way too much research, reading consumer reports, and – most importantly – asking other Moms, I decided on the Medela Pump In Style.  I know this is something I’m going to need for the long haul so that I can use it on subsequent children, so it was definitely worth the investment. 

In my opinion, it hurts a little less to start shopping early and spread out the big purchases.  For those of you that don’t have kids yet, here’s a little math for you:

Stroller (brand new) - $375

Pump - $300

Crib - $800

Dresser/Changing Table - $800

Car Seat - $200

Baby Monitor - $150

And we haven’t even started talking about diapers, clothes, blankets, bottles….. babies = expensive, but worth every penny.  J

Now it’s time to bite into this delicious creation:

Grilled cheese with whole wheat flax bread, organic swiss and sun-dried tomatoes marinated in olive oil.  Yum.

xo Shaina