Nursing Essentials

Howdy friends!

I took a mental break yesterday and instead of blogging I made an effort all day to take a nap after Sunday night aka the night from hell (Am I alone in loathing daylight savings now that I have kids?), but I swear Craft can sense it when I'm close to being asleep because it never fails that he's ready to wake up and eat play.  Luckily for him, he's cute.

I have been meaning to write a post on things that I've found helpful related to nursing, and I have had several requests for this over the last few days alone so I figured it was about time.  I hope that this list will be helpful for nursing mamas as well as mamas-to-be who are trying to figure out what to put on their registry.  Who knows, maybe it will even help a few gift givers!  If I have any male readers (unlikely), you may want to skip this one, ha!

I've broken the post up into "for nursing" and "for pumping" to make it easier to follow.  Below are the list of my favorite items related to breast feeding - things that make my life easier and more comfortable on a day-to-day basis.

 FOR NURSING:
1 & 2:  A good nursing bra.  I cannot stress this enough.  When I was nursing Lilly, I bought a bunch of cheapy nursing bras from Target and they did the trick, but I HATED them.  They offered no support at all and really did not fit well.  I felt like I didn't want to spend a ton of money on a good nursing bra in case breastfeeding didn't work out, and if you recall, for the first three months with Lilly  it did not go well, so I just used what I had and then after that for the most part I just wore normal bras and lifted them up when L nursed - also not ideal.  This time around, I knew I needed to do something differently.  The two brands that were the most highly recommended by girlfiends (and also had the best reviews everywhere I looked) were Bravado and Anita.  After I narrowed down the brands, I just went on Amazon and read reviews to determine which bra to get.  I purchased Bravado style #1401 and Anita style #5068 (hyperlinks in numbers above) to start with and I really like both for different reasons:

• The Anita that I chose has underwire so I chose that as a "dress up" bra for when I am going in public (read: changing out of my yoga pants or PJ's and leaving the house, ha).  I like it - it is very well made and very comfortable and has good support - but I will note that there is NO padding to this bra, so I can't wear it without wearing nursing pads.  Also, I find it to be a little more difficult to maneuver nursing with the underwire but it's the price you pay to feel a little more like a normal person I guess. 
• I LOVE the Bravado.  There is not one thing that's sexy about it, though - just want to put that out there up front - but it is so comfortable, has plenty of padding (there is a removable/washable nursing pad included but I am a cow so I typically supplement with a disposable anyway) and plenty of support.  This is my go-to bra and hands down the one I choose to wear most of (like 99.9% of) the time.  I can't recommend it enough.

I realize that both of these bras are on the pricey side, but I am telling you they're worth the investment.

3: Nursing pads.  TMI alert: I am not sure whether it's because I'm practically a cow or what, but I would never have a dry shirt without these fellas.  I prefer Johnson & Johnson's disposable version because I've found them to be the  most absorbent and I don't have to worry about washing them all of the time, but I know plenty of women who love the reusable ones. To each his own, I say.

4:  Nipple cream.  I don't need this as much now, but when my girls and I were getting used to nursing again this came in handy.  I swear by Lickety Split Healing Balm, which I bought on recommendation from a girlfriend (thanks Michelle!) at A Milky Way in Charlotte, NC (you can order online or call the store and they'll send it to you, or you can send your poor father to the breastfeeding store with a list before he comes to Raleigh to meet your baby - thanks and sorry Daddy!).  This balm is all natural, so you don't have to worry about what baby may be ingesting, and if there is a "flavor" to it, it doesn't seem to bother Craft (it didn't bother Lilly either).  I'm not sure whether it's the lavender in it or something else, but I found this cream to be so soothing, especially if you refrigerate it.  It's not too greasy like many of the other creams, and I've used it on a number of other things not related to nursing as well (dry skin, chapped lips, etc.).  Bonus: it smells wonderful!  Again, a little pricey, but worth the investment in my opinion - and it lasts forever because you don't need to use too much at a time!  I have started giving this as a gift to girlfriends after their babies are born and I've had nothing but rave reviews so far.

5:  Soothies.  I would not say that these are a necessity, but I think they are very helpful in making you comfortable in the first weeks of nursing, especially if you keep them cool by storing them in the fridge. I think that most hospital lactation consultants will give these to you, and I think you can buy them most anywhere.  I knew what I was doing this time around, and C latched and nursed like a champ from the very beginning, so I didn't see a lactation consultant this time around and didn't even think to ask a nurse for a set.  I (read: my Dad, ha) purchased mine at A Milky Way and I store them in the fridge at all times.

6:  A nursing pillow.  I have both the Boppy and the My Brest Friend.  Again, personal preference here, but I prefer the Brest Friend hands down over the Boppy, at least in the beginning.  When babies are little I've found that the Boppy is more slouchy and they can kind of fall down in between your body and the pillow, where as the Brest Friend straps around and sits up higher.  I do recommend the Boppy, though, for propping baby up and for tummy time.  

7:  A good nursing cover is helpful to have on hand.  The second time around, I have not been NEARLY as modest and rarely cover up when I'm in my home no matter who is here visiting (ha!), but these are good to keep in the diaper bag for when baby is hungry and you're in public.  I've tried a few and prefer the bebe au lait covers.  They're roomy and provide enough room at the neck so that you can still see baby easily.  Plus, they have cute patterns. Unfortunately for Craft, ours is left over from big sister and is purple and pink and floral patterned.  :-)

8:  I like to wear nursing tanks at night and around the house.  I typically still wear a nursing bra with them (especially if we'll have company, ha) because I have found that the tanks aren't super supportive, but they're comfy and easy and actually they are pretty good for layering if you're going to be out in public.  I just have a few of the Gilligan and O'Malley brand from Target, and they work fine.  Anita and Bravado both make nursing tanks, but I didn't see the need to spend $50 each on those when I'd already invested in good bras.  Again, personal preference.

FOR PUMPING:
9:  A breast pump.  I have the Medela Freestyle, and I can't say enough wonderful things about it - I hate pumping, but love this pump.  If you are going to be pumping at all, it is worth it to invest in a good one - it will make your life so much easier in the long run.  I think that Medela makes the best pumps on the market, hands down.  I like the Freestyle because it's small and easily portable, and it helps I am not chained to an outlet because it's easier to multitask while pumping.  I have also heard great things about the Pump In Style, which is slightly cheaper (apparently the suction is also slightly better, but I've never used one so I can't speak to that).  I can also speak from experience when I say that Medela's customer service is phenomenal.  Plus, how happy does that lady look in the picture, pumping and working?!  If only it were that glamorous, ha!  

I should note here that under the Affordable Care Act your insurance will currently provide you with a pump - it may not be a Medela, but any pump is better than no pump for sure.  I've been surprised at how many people don't know about this - so call your insurance company and see what they have to say!

10:  A pumping bra.  When I was first pumping with Lilly, I just had a generic Medela bra and it was fine, until Jen changed my life with the discovery of the Simple Wishes Hands Free Breastpump Bra.  I promise you, ladies, this bra will change your life.  I like the fact that it is adjustable as well - the velcro is the strongest ever - and it helps to maintain a snug fit.  You do not have to have a hands-free pump to use a hands-free bra, either, FYI.  If you are pumping at all, no matter what pump you have, do yourself a favor and go buy this bra right now.  I'm serious.  You can thank me later.

11:  Milk storage bags.  I have used both the Lansinoh and the Medela.  The Lansinoh are bigger and cheaper, so in theory, I wanted to like them more, and I did at first.  HOWEVER, when I used them with Lilly, I had problems with the Lansinoh bags leaking milk everywhere when they thawed, and I know that anyone who has ever nursed for any period of time will understand me when I say that the leaking caused me to want to light a house on fire.  I never had any leaking issues with the Medela bags, so this time around I've stuck with them so far, although I do wish they made a bigger bag.  Allegedly you can pump straight into the Medela bags if you have a Medela pump, but I've never done that - mainly because I can't figure out how to do so but also partially because most times I pump more than the bag will hold.  Cow, I tell you.

Just a few more helpful tips before I go:

A note on pump parts: make sure you have at least one extra set.  I think I have 4 or 5, which may be overkill but it's nice to be able to leave a set at work, or to not have to wait on the one set you own to be clean before pumping when you can just use your spare set.  And speaking of cleaning, you don't have to wash/sterilize pump parts after every use.  Make sure to check out my post on pumping for more helpful tips.

Also, a note on what you don't need: any sort of fancy milk freezing storage kit.  When I was pregnant with Lilly, I registered for and received this set and it wasn't until I was actually pumping that I realized what a waste of money that was.  For starters, those beaker things are pretty small, and I know this isn't the case with everyone but I always pumped more than they would hold so I was always having to try to figure out how to change them while pumping and making a total mess (and wasting precious milk!) in the process.  Additionally, those little bottle/beaker things take up a lot more room in your freezer than the storage bags, which lay flat and can stack on top of each other.

Lastly, if you are registering, test out whatever bottles you're thinking of buying in the store to see whether they'll fit your pump parts.  Dan did that when we were registering for L and I thought he was insane, but we went with Dr. Brown's bottles partially because we opened the pump parts and realized that the Dr. Brown's bottles will fit the Medela pump, so I can pump straight into them.  Double win for double usage.

Whew, this was a long one but I hope that someone, somewhere will find it to be helpful.  I love things that will make my life easier and I also love trying new things (even nerdy breastfeeding things), so if I missed anything or there is a product you love that I haven't mentioned, make sure to let me know!  I should also note that this post is not sponsored, and all opinions are my own and are based on my experience with nursing and pumping.

I am off to enjoy the sunshine on another day of glorious weather, I am so ready for it to warm up permanently that I can't stand it!

Sarah

Pumping Revisited

I have been promising for several weeks to do a follow-up post to pumping with all of the nifty tips and tricks I've learned from girlfriends, lactation consultants and doctors.  I realize this will be a boring post for all of you who do not have children slash are not pumping, but I hope it will be helpful for those of you who do pump or may pump at some point in the future.

One thing I will say about pumps is this: if you think you're going to pump, it may be expensive, but get a good one.  The ones in the hospital are awesome and make my pump at home seem like it is straight out of the stone ages, but obviously hospital-grade pumps are not an affordable option for the masses.  I myself have the Medela Freestyle Hands-Free pump, courtesy of my girlfriend Lindsey, and I love it (well, as much as you can love a pump).  However, I have heard that really you can make any of them hands-free if you get the hands-free bra.  I can't remember whether I mentioned this before, but my friend Jen recommended the Simple Wishes Hands-Free Breastpump Bra and it has literally changed my life - on the expensive side but well worth it, in my opinion.  If you're not pumping as often or don't want to splurge, I also have one from Target that worked just fine (until I discovered the miracle of the Simple Wishes bra).  :-)

Anyway, so now to the good stuff.  I got tons of great comments after the last post I wrote on this, and have since spoken to several lactation consultants, my doctor and Lilly's pediatrician, so I thought I'd put together a list of things I learned in hopes that it will be helpful to others:

• CLEANING:  As mentioned in a previous post (which I'm too lazy to find and link to), I was annoyed at all of the cleaning that has to happen - both with bottles and pump parts.  I was cleaning my parts after every use, which was a TOTAL pain.  My solution to this was to buy more pump parts and bottles - which is still, in my opinion, a good idea, especially if you pump a lot, because it means you don't have to deal with cleaning them right away when you need a new set.  However, several girlfriends and Lilly's pediatrician recommended something that I wasn't aware of that changed my life.  After you pump, just rinse the pump parts and store them in the refrigerator until the next pumping session.  You can do this 5-6 times before cleaning them/using a new set.  Genius, right?  Truly the difference this has made is incredible - it has saved me so much time (and probably water, too).  I typically do this and use one set of parts for a whole day before switching to a new set and cleaning them.  Another suggestion was to use the Medela Quick Clean breastpump wipes, which I have also done - I find them to be particularly helpful if I've pumped in the car, so I keep them in Lilly's diaper bag.
• PUMPING PHASES: This tidbit came from L's pediatrician and was a serious game-changer.  Turns out I had been using my pump incorrectly.  Last time we went in, I was telling her how I was pumping and getting exactly what Lilly was eating, which was fine but I was worried about how to increase my supply when she wants more, or just to have for stockpiling.  Turns out there are 2 phases on your breastpump: the stimulation phase and the expression phase (you can read a little about them here).  When you first turn on the pump, it is automatically in the stimulation phase for the first two minutes - the pulls are quicker/closer together to stimulate the milk flow.  This mimics what a baby does when he/she is on your breast. After 2 minutes, the pump automatically goes into the expression phase, which simulates a slower, deeper suck.  The pump will stay in the expression phase for the duration of the pumping session unless you change it.  The good doctor told me that I should be manually putting the pump back into the stimulation phase when my milk slows or stops in order to trigger more let-downs.  This is exactly what a baby does when he/she is on your breast and the milk slows - their sucking becomes faster and lighter again to get the milk to let down again.  It makes perfect sense, right?  I was just letting the pump do it's own thing, staying in the expression phase for an entire session.  The pediatrician told me that when Moms do this, they normally notice a 40-60% increase in their supply right away.  She was not lying.  At one point over the past week, right after I implemented this (like within a day or two), I was 15 bottles ahead of Lilly (angels singing), which has helped me to start stockpiling again.  I've started keeping four bottles ahead of her in our refrigerator and freezing any excess.  Woohoo!  The pediatrician said that you should go back to stimulation phase 5-8 times in a 20-minute pumping session, depending on your letdowns. 
• PUMPING TIME:  The pediatrician and lactation consultants also told me that I should never pump for less than 20 minutes, and that the length of time pumped is not as important as emptying the breast.  They explained to me, and it makes perfect sense, that if you aren't completely draining the breast when you pump, your body thinks that you don't need that excess milk and is therefore reducing your milk supply.  This is probably why I was getting exactly what Lilly was eating - I was basing my pumping sessions on time and just doing 20 minutes total every time I pumped.  What I have learned about my body is that I have approximately 23894723974 letdowns, and I have to pump for a much longer period of time in order to completely drain my breast - normally 35 or 40 minutes.  This is a HUGE pain right now, because Lilly is eating so frequently, so I am having to make sure I pump every 3-4 hours (normally more like 4, and I'm so far ahead right now that sometimes it's 5 or more), but I think when she starts eating more, less often it will be a lot easier on me.
• INCREASING SUPPLY:  There are several ways to do this.
• The pediatrician told me that in order to keep up during a growth spurt, I should pump every 2.5 hours.  I wanted to ask her if she'd ever had an infant.  Lilly is so much more awake these days and therefore demands a lot more attention, so it's hard to even pump every 4 when I have her by myself, much less every 2.5.  BUT, I have found that if I can pump more often consistently, my supply increase is drastic.  She also told me that I should increase the frequency of pumping (i.e., every 2.5-3 hours if I normally pump every 4) for 48 hours straight in order to see an increase that sticks around, and I have also found that to be true.
• Herbal supplements.  Fenugreek was the one that she recommended to me and that I've been taking.  She said that the instructions say to take one tablet three times per day, but she recommends three tablets three times per day.  Between the Fenugreek and the correct mode/length of time/etc. on my pump, I have seen a HUGE increase in my supply.  I also have girlfriends who have recommended Mothers Milk - I think you put it in tea?  Or maybe it is a tea, I'm not sure - and have said it helped them as well.

I think that may be all of the important things I wanted to touch on.  In a typical day, I try to pump every 4 hours, because Lilly is still eating every 3 hours during the day.  At night, she normally falls asleep between 9-10 and we've recently implemented a dream feed 2 hours after she eats (but prior to 11:30 p.m. because anything after that is apparently considered a night feeding and not a dream feed - tomayto, tomahto), which is normally between 10:00 and 11:00 pm.  After the dream feed, she's been sleeping until 4:00 or 4:30, waking up to eat, and then going back down until 8:00 or 8:30 (And then going back down again until 11:00.  Sooooooo sleepy!).  Because I'm ahead and feeling a little more confident about my supply, I have not been pumping during the overnight feeding.  My last pumping session of the night is normally somewhere between 9:00 and 11:00, depending on when I pumped last, and then I have not been pumping again until she gets back up at 8:00 am.  The result is that I have to pump a little longer to make sure I'm completely empty, but I've been getting between 16-20 oz so I haven't noticed my supply decreasing thus far - if it does, I will go back to pumping after I feed her overnight.  This also works well because when she starts making noise, I get up and come downstairs and throw her bottle in the warmer and start to pump, and then Dan takes her for the first feeding of the day, so she eats and then falls back asleep and I can pump in peace.

Gosh, I know I always say it but these posts always get so long!  I hope this one has been helpful to some, and at the very least informative to others for future reference.  :-)  In closing, I would like to show you what happens when you spend a week at your parents house and your child is spoiled rotten by her grandparents and aunts and is held 24 hours/day, and as a result insists on being held while you're pumping which is difficult:

Notice the pump wires coming out every which way - and you can thank me later for not getting a nipple shot, ha!  She stayed like that for about 15 minutes and then finally fell asleep so I could finish pumping without her in my lap.  I did let her fuss for a few minutes to see whether she was serious before putting her in my lap - sometimes she's a total faker - and had I not JUST sat down to pump I probably would have just tried to fend her off with the paci until I finished.  At least she's cute and snuggly, yes? 

Sarah

Operation 6-Week Violation: Success

Time for a Mommy update!  You thought you were done with these, huh?  ;-)  I went to the doctor for my 6-week post-partum violation check-up, and I'm happy to report that it went fine.  I will spare you all of the gory details (for once), but the doctor said that everything has healed nicely and that I can return to all normal activity.  Which means operation starvation/go to the gym all of the time will have to commence shortly, and I am dreading it.

A few minor details: he asked me if we planned a quick turnaround for our second pregnancy, and when I asked him to define "quick," he asked if we were planning another pregnancy in the next 6-9 months.  To which I responded, H*LL no.  I mean, do people really do that?  I guess they do or the doctor wouldn't have asked, and more power to them, but I literally cannot imagine being pregnant with #2 and having a 6-month old.  How about I get the hang of one baby before even considering number two?  And let's not even go there re: letting my lady parts recover from the first one before even considering a second.  Oy.

I also asked him about the likelihood of me having to deal with preeclampsia for any future pregnancies.  He said that since mine was mild in nature, he hoped I would skate right past it next pregnancy - that is close to being a direct quote.  I had several problems with this statement.  First, mild?  I was on bed rest for the last 7 weeks of my pregnancy, for goodness' sake.  I would hate to see what severe is.  Secondly, I "hope" I will skate right past it too, doc.  When I mentioned these two things to him, he told me that what he meant was, we just won't know until we get there, but he thinks my chances for a healthy pregnancy next time around, whenever that may be (not any time soon, sorry Mom!), are good.  Hooray!  I won't get my hopes up, but I like my odds.

I guess the only other important thing we talked about was breast feeding.  He said that since I am exclusively pumping, I likely won't be able to breast feed much longer once Lilly starts eating more.  I was under the impression that people continue to pump and feed for a while, so this discouraged me somewhat and, I'm sure it will come as a shock to you all, but I've been worrying about it ever since.  My original goal was to breast feed for one year.  Since L had other plans and we've had to tweak a little (I'm convinced she is God's way of teaching me that I can't control everything), my new goal is to (hopefully) make it to 6 months, or at least until we start introducing solid foods, and then re-visit depending on how it's going.  Since pumping imitates breast feeding but is not exact, I had the bright idea that maybe I could still breast feed during the day, if not all day at least one or two times.  I have been solely pumping out of sheer convenience, as it is typically much faster, but since for the time being I'm home during the day, we have the time.  Why not?  So, I tried Lilly on the boob (with the shield, of course) after I got home this afternoon, and it did NOT go well.  She nursed for an hour, but after a burp break when she was still hungry and I tried to put her back on she would not have it and pitched the biggest fit I have ever seen from her to date.  So after nursing for a full hour, I still had to give her a bottle and then pump.  I guess I can't blame her, the bottle gives her what she wants a LOT quicker.  Perhaps we'll try again tomorrow?

In the long run, I am not sure how I should go about trying to increase my supply when the time comes.  As it is, I pump every 3-4 hours during the day, and then just after I've fed her when she's woken up once at night, and I seem to be producing exactly what she's eating.  I guess I could keep the vigilant 3-hour schedule even during the night for a few days and see how it goes.  I've also started myself on fenugreek just as an added measure. I have had a few girlfriends agree with what the lactation consultant said, that my body will just know to produce more when the time comes, but others have not had that same experience.  And with all of these weddings coming up, what about when I have to travel?  How do I pump enough so that she can eat my breast milk when I'm not around?  Will I just have to give her strictly formula in those cases?  We had a big supply of breast milk in our freezer from when I was way overproducing at the beginning, but it is already dwindling due to several battles with clogged ducts reducing my flow.  Any advice from all of you Mom friends who pumped?  This reminds me, I need to do an update post on pumping with all of the greast tips & tricks I've learned from readers, friends, doctors, etc.  Don't let me forget!

Re: when I can expect my period to return, he obviously could not predict that - said it could be weeks or months, and to be careful so as to avoid an aforementioned "quick turnaround" pregnancy.  Eek.

As for yesterday's post, thank you all SO MUCH for your sweet words of encouragement and kind thoughts.  It was days like yesterday that I am even more grateful than ever that I've kept up with this blog, because I REALLY needed the reassurance.  It was a long day.  As for Lilly, she is sleeping much better so far tonight (knock on wood that it continues), and in her own crib and not on Mommy or in the swing (so far):

Thank the Lord, because of course the only nap she took today was while Dan was on baby duty so I could go to the doctor, so I did not get to nap along with her and I am struggling!  The night is young, I know, but at least we're off to a better start than yesterday.  I'll take whatever I can get.

Happy Thursday!

Sarah

The Definition of True Love...

If you read yesterday's post, you'll remember that Friday night was our first night out sans baby for a romantic dinner date.  Dan called on Friday afternoon to tell me that he had tickets to the Canes game for Saturday night, and would I be interested in going?  I was VERY hesitant about this.  First, no one has kept Lilly so far except our parents.  Second, dinner was like a 2-hour deal...hockey would be much longer.  And third, I wasn't sure if I wanted to leave her two nights in a row.  I told him I'd think about it, and when he asked again I told him let's take it one step at a time and see how dinner went first.  Saturday morning rolled around, and we needed to make a decision - either way, we needed to invite people to go with us to the game.  If I was going, it would be another couple, if I wasn't, it would be boys night.  I was leaning towards not going, because (a) I just really don't care about hockey and (b) I was having anxiety about leaving Lilly again, even though she did absolutely fine on Friday night with Grandmommy and Aunt Niecey.  HOWEVER, I could tell that for whatever reason, Dan really wanted me to go.  So, we called my  Aunt Jennifer, Uncle David and cousin Ethan to see if they'd be available to babysit, and when they said yes I decided to go to the hockey game.

The next problem we faced had to do with nursing.  I have been exclusively pumping for the most part this week, with some (but not a lot) on-the-boob time here and there.  We needed to leave for the game no later than 6:30.  I pumped at 3:30, and have been pumping every 3-4 hours during the day.  I also have been pumping for 30 minutes at a time because my milk lets down like 293847298374 times, so I'm trying to maximize the amount I get per pumping session.  Long story short: I wasn't sure how to deal with the pumping situation.  I didn't want to pump at 5:30 while I was getting ready because it was so soon and I wasn't sure it would be worth the effort (i.e. I didn't think I'd get much).  I also didn't want to wait until we got home from the game, because I knew it would be a painful (and leaky) experience.  6:30 would have been the earliest I wanted to pump, and that's when we needed to leave.  So, my friends, I give you the definition of true love:

Pumping in the car on the way to the hockey game.  Dear husband and child: please appreciate the things I do for you.  Hilarity and embarrassment ensued when we were stopped to pay for parking and I was just chilling in the passenger seat being milked like a cow.  Poor parking attendant fellow.  Not so funny was the fact that I normally pump for 30 minutes but only had time to pump for 20, so there was a LOT of leakage.  Thank the Lord I wore black and you couldn't see it.

The game was fine, except we lost in double over time (and yes, you can imagine my horror when I'd been counting down the  minutes and we went into overtime not once, but twice).  It was nice to get out of the house again and spend some time with friends.  AND I enjoyed my first beer since May 21, 2011 (Leah's wedding day, and I seem to remember a lot of shotgunning behind a barn...).  I'd be lying if I said I didn't worry about Lilly, even though I knew she was fine.  I only texted to check in during the first and third periods, which I felt showed remarkable restraint.  And really, I shouldn't have been worried at all.  She spent a lot of time like this:

My child LOVES to be loved on, so I'm sure she was just as much in Heaven as Aunt Jennifer, Uncle David and Ethan were!  They said she did great, that she was a little gassy (gets it from her father) but other than that an angel.

In the end, I'm glad I went to the game.  As Mom told me Saturday morning, I would had to have gone out and left Lilly sooner or later.  I missed her the whole time I was gone, but she was in great hands and she did just fine.

I'll leave you with some more cuteness from the weekend, really because I can't resist:

Look at that belly!

Happy girl this morning.  Thanks, Kristen, for the beautiful monogrammed gown which I LOVE to sleep in and Mommy LOVES because it's so precious!  And thanks to Aunt Andrea for the beautiful burp cloths that coordinate with my nursery bedding.  :-)

Happy Sunday!

Sarah

Pumping

Yesterday, I almost exclusively pumped.  I say "almost" because we nursed one time, yesterday morning.  Lilly kept falling asleep, as usual.  I gave her 30 minutes on each breast, and when she looked like she was in a milk coma I assumed she was full.  She had a HUGE blowout (the third of the night/morning) just before we nursed, and it was all over her clothes and pretty much every body part, so I cleaned her really quickly with wipes prior to feeding but decided to give her a quick bath after while she was happy.  "Happy" is relative, because she was NOT pleased about the bath.  Even after the bath, once she was clothed and warm and wrapped in a blanket, she was still fussy.  Since she mostly slept and didn't eat, I figured she was hungry, so we nursed for another 30 minutes.  She appeared to be in another milk coma, but then got fussy again 30 minutes later.  I gave her a bottle with 2 ounces of breast milk since she normally eats 4, figuring she got some while she was nursing so she wouldn't be as hungry.  Wrong-o.  We ended up giving her 4 ounces and then she passed out for 4.5 hours. 

My aunts and grandparents were here visiting, and after all of that it just seemed easier to pump, so I just did that for the rest of the day.  It worked out fine - feedings took 30 minutes instead of 1.5 hours, then I pumped for 30 minutes while she played and/or slept and we were done. 

My ONLY complaint about pumping?  The following photo is what I accumulated in just one day.  Behold:

The bottles take up almost my entire top rack in the dishwasher.  Some of them are from feeding Lilly and some are what I pumped into.  The two baskets on the counter are from her bottles (true story, we ordered a second basket because we were flying through the bottles), and the stolen pink hospital tub to the left is full of additional pump parts that I steam cleaned in the microwave because they're too small for the dishwasher and will float around everywhere. 

I have already sent Dan out for more pump parts one time - I now have four sets of parts.  If I am going to exclusively pump, I may get a couple more sets because prior to putting those in the dishwasher I hand washed the pump parts 3 or 4 times yesterday for re-use.  And now, I am running the dishwasher with a practically empty lower basket because I need for all of the pump parts and bottles to be clean.  I realize that is probably wasteful, but honestly it is a lot easier than having to hand wash everything - which I have also done but yesterday I was feeling lazy. 

I think a big part of the reason that we use so much stuff in a day is that she has been eating pretty often - normally around 8 times per day when we were giving her just 3 ounces.  Which translates to a LOT of bottles - two to pump into and then a different bottle which she eats out of (Dr. Brown's - love them!).  We started giving her 4 ounce bottles at the midnight feeding yesterday, and she only ate 7 times as a result - but there were two or three times when she didn't eat all 4 ounces.  It will be interesting to see if her feedings decrease in number with the larger bottles.  Once she gets to the point where she is going longer between feedings, we will obviously not use as much stuff during a day, but for now I am feeling like an earth killer.  Mom friends out there who are reading and exclusively pumped for any period of time - any advice?  One thing I've thought about is letting her drink out of the actual bottles I pump into instead of transferring the milk to the Dr. Brown's bottles.  However, and I know this will sound crazy - she is so much happier when we use the Dr. Brown's bottles.  I guess they are made better or something because she gets much less air and is therefore much less gassy and a LOT happier when we use them.

The good news is that since we made the jump to 4 ounces each feeding, she has slept MUCH better.  I am not sure whether this is due to the increased amount of breast milk - as mentioned above, a few times yesterday she didn't even eat the whole thing - or due to the fact that she was awake for longer periods of time yesterday, but she slept a whole extra hour between each feeding last night.  I know it doesn't sound like much, but I wish I could tell you how much even that one tiny extra hour helped me!  I needed it, and feel like a new person today.  Still tired, don't get me wrong, but feeling a lot better.

I still haven't made a decision as to whether to keep nursing with the shield or switch to pumping exclusively.  If we have any more incidents like yesterday where she just apparently was not eating when we nursed, then we will definitely make the switch.  Who can blame her?  It's much easier (and faster) for her to eat out of a bottle - she doesn't have to work nearly as hard.  So far today I've been pumping again, but if my pump parts aren't clean and dry within the hour we may have no choice but to nurse the next round.  Wish us luck.

Hope everyone's having a happy hump day!

Sarah