By Sheila Kaplan from NYT Health https://ift.tt/3n3Zz7r
via IFTTT
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Sunday, September 27, 2020
Saturday, September 26, 2020
Thursday, September 24, 2020
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
A (Very Belated) Progress Update #3
This progress update is a couple days late, and I’ll hope you’ll forgive me for that cause it’s pretty juicy!
First let’s talk about pumping! I’ve been pumping a LOT. Often I’ll pump 6+ times a day, and it’s finally starting to show! I produce more than an ounce a day now (at only 6 weeks of pumping) and it appears to be steadily increasing. I could not be more excited to see my volume increasing. I think my daily oatmeal is really helping. Late last week I tried getting up for a 2 AM pumping and it was such a fiasco I’ve decided not to worry about night time pumping sessions for the time being. My spouse and I live in a VERY TINY house (530sq ft if you’re curious) and it’s mostly one large room, so getting up and pumping without waking my spouse was a feat in an of itself. (I managed though!) But then I couldn’t get back to sleep after sitting up to pump for 30 minutes and scrolling the internet. So, I laid awake staring at the ceiling for hours. I was so spent the next day it was just awful. I do still wonder if getting up to pump in the night could be worth it, but I just don’t know if I’ll be able to swing that anytime in the near future. I think if you are someone who has a spouse or partner you live with who is helping you induce through suckling that getting up for a 2 AM suckling session could be much easier and you would probably go back to sleep easier than getting up to pump at 2 AM.
Now lets talk about my breasts. They’re still getting larger, and every couple days I take a picture to compare and track my progress. At this point the increase in size is more that I am filling out in the upper part of my breasts near my chest wall and my nipples have gotten slightly larger. It’s very exciting to still be seeing changes like this because it tells me my hard work is paying off. Speaking of my hard work paying off, I’ve also started leaking. I don’t leak a lot, just a drop or two here or there, but it’s happening more and more. I get cold, I leak. Too warm? I leak. Turned on? Leaking. Brush up against something? Leak. I think I’m on the edge of another big volume increase and that’s why I’m leaking so much this week. Either that or it’s just been a real exciting few days…
Which leads me to my final update for this week: I told my best friend that I’m into ANR!
Yep, I took the plunge and just went for it. She’s been my best friend for a decade and I pretty much share everything with her, so it felt really weird and alienating to not be able to mention ANR in our conversations. I was absolutely terrified. I mean, I’ve met people whose long time spouses have DIVORCED THEM because they wanted an ANR, so I was really afraid she’d shun me or think I was weird. Boy was I wrong! No only had she heard of ANR before but she admitted to me that a couple years ago she was fascinated by it and had read up on a lot of the ANR subreddit about it. She is so chill! How did I get so lucky? Not only did I tell my best friend about my kink, but she doesn’t think I’m a freak for having it and is fascinated by it?! Honestly I’m still a little bit in shock.
Anyway, that’s all I have for this week! Hope everyone is doing well. I’ve got some more cool stuff planned soon. Anyone have any interest in ANR erotic fiction? If so, let me know! Maybe I’ll post some of mine here.
Xo
Phoebe
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article sponsered by Northern Michigan certified lactation consulting and Mother Hubbards Country Cupboard
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
The Nothing Exists Radio Hour S3E22: Kristi Prince (Naturopathic health and breastfeeding)
Check out my conversation with Dr. Kristi Prince!
We talk all about Kristi’s experience working as a naturopathic doctor and lactation consultant!
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article sponsered by Northern Michigan certified lactation consulting and Mother Hubbards Country Cupboard
Sunday, September 20, 2020
Supplements: a Complete guide
Today I’d like to talk about supplements. I’m sure you’re probably familiar with at least a couple foods or herbs that people claim to be galactagogues, but did you know that there are literally dozens of foods and herbs that fall in to that category? Or that some of those galactagogues can actually hinder your induced lactation journey if taken at the wrong time in the process? What galactagogues are unsafe for diabetics? Which ones help you build mammary tissue? We’re going to answer those questions and more today, so grab a beverage, strap on your breast pump and let’s get to figuring out those supplements!
Alfalfa
This plant is a common member of the pea family and has long been thought to help increase milk supply. Alfalfa contains phytoestrogens which are a compound found in plants that mimics the estrogen in the human body. Because phytoestrogens mimic estrogen, the body uses them like estrogen thus encouraging certain bodily functions like making breastmilk. Phytoestrogens are good for improving female reproductive health functions in general. By far the best way to get more alfalfa in your diet is to add sprouted alfalfa seeds to foods you already eat like salads and sandwiches. You can even sprout your own alfalfa seeds in a mason jar on your counter at home in under a week or two.
Anise
Anise seeds come from the anise plant which is originally from the Mediterranean. Anise is also a source of phytoestrogens. Generally one gets more anise in their diet by drinking lactation teas that contain anise seeds. One word of caution about anise, it does taste strongly of licorice and that taste (and smell) can come across in your milk if you consume enough of it. So if your partner isn’t a big black licorice fan this might not be the galactagogue for you.
Blessed Thistle
Originally from Europe and the Mediterranean this plant is now considered a weed in North America. Blessed Thistle is believed to stimulate the production of prolactin and oxytocin in the body thus increasing one’s milk supply. While there are no studies that currently support this assertion, there are also no studies that disprove it. Mostly the studies that have been done are disqualified because they don’t meet the basic criteria for a good scientific study (mostly because they are too small of a study or don’t have correct double blind status or enough randomization of the various test groups). The most common way that people take Blessed Thistle is by taking capsules of it or drinking lactation teas that contain it.
Brewer’s Yeast
This galactagogue is a byproduct of the beer making process and is often used in recipes to help boost your milk supply. It is often touted as a super food for lactating mothers because it is packed with vitamins, minerals, a highly digestible form of protein, as well as key amino acids and chromium. Brewers Yeast does not directly affect lactation the way Blessed Thistle or Anise do, but it is good to help replenish key nutrients that are lost while the body makes milk. It is also considered a great mood and energy booster. Most commonly people add it to recipes and shakes as a way to consume more of it, but you can also find it in capsule form. It has the reputation of being bitter so look for Brewer’s Yeast powder that has reduced bitterness and pair it with recipes that have strong flavor profiles like berry smoothies and chocolate chip cookies.
Electrolytes
This was a tip I got from a young mother’s video about her journey exclusively pumping for her new baby. Apparently the baby had something wrong with it’s mouth and couldn’t latch so she had to pump and through trial and error eventually found a pumping and supplement schedule where she was able to pump over 1,000mL per day of milk. She found that one of the things that really helped her keep that number so high was drinking enough electrolytes. At first I was skeptical, but after some research I found that drinking electrolytes can help you replace what is lost when making breast milk thus making it easier for your body to make yet more milk. But before you go out and buy a carload’s worth of gatorade or Powerade, know that those two beverages rely heavily on only one type of electrolyte: salt. If you want to get the benefits of adding electrolytes make sure that you purchase a beverage with several different kinds of mineral electrolytes in it. The electrolyte powder I used is from a company called Ultima Replenisher and it contains all 6 of the electrolytes(as well as yummy flavors!). I try to get 16 ounces per day of electrolyte based beverage on top of my daily water intake. You really don’t need as much as an athelete would need after strenuous competition, but a pint has been definitely helping me.
Fennel
A herb commonly used in cooking, Fennel is a member of the carrot family that is found to have good quantities of phytoestrogens in it. Most people either increase the amount of fennel in their diet by eating foods that are seasoned with it or using capsules of fennel. Sometimes lactation teas will also have Fennel in them.
Fenugreek
By far the most well known of the major galactagogues, Fenugreek is herb native to Southern Europe and the Mediterranean as well as parts of Southern Asia. It is by far the easiest of the galactagogue supplements to find in pill form as it is readily available at most local pharmacies. Fenugreek is high in phytoestrogens as well as a compound called diosgenin which has been shown to increase milk flow. Fenugreek is prized for how quickly it can work often showing increases in the milk flow within 24-72 hours. However, because of how Fenugreek works in the body it should really only be taken by individuals with a WELL ESTABLISHED milk supply who just desire more milk. If taken before the milk supply is well established it can actually hinder milk production. Also, Fenugreek is known to lower blood glucose levels and so may not be right for those with diabetes as it can cause unsafe low blood sugar levels. Most commonly Fenugreek is found in capsule form, but it can also be found in lactation teas and tinctures. It is well known for smelling heavily of maple syrup, and that is actually how you know if you are taking enough Fenugreek: when your sweat and urine start to smell sweet and maple syrup like then you know you’re on the right dose.
Goat’s Rue
Originally used in Europe and the middle ease to boost milk supply in goats and cows, today Goat’s Rue is widely viewed as a top galactagogue, especially for people who have had breast surgery or have PCOS. Goat’s Rue is known to help the body build more breast tissue and thus increase milk supply by increasing storage space in the breast. This supplement is best used in the early stages of induction to help your breast tissue develop, but can be used throughout the lactation process to help increase milk supply. Most commonly Goat’s Rue is found in tinctures and capsules intended for lactation support.
Beer
Yes you heard me right! Beer! But it has to be specific kind of beer, namely dark, stout, beers that are high in hops and barley. Beers like that are high in a polysaccharide from the hops and barley that can help increase prolactin levels in the brain. So more is better, right? Wrong. It is found that a single dark beer a day can help boost milk supply, but much more than that doesn’t make that increase dramatically bigger.
Marshmallow Root
Marshmallow root is a relatively recent addition to the galactagogue family only within the last few hundred years being used to increase milk supply. It works because it contains phytoestrogens to increase the milk supply. It is best used in conjunction with other galactagogues which is why you will most commonly see it as part of lactation teas or tinctures that contain other galactagogues.
Milk Thistle
While often confused with Blessed Thistle, Milk Thistle is it’s own plant with it’s own benefits. Long used for help with lactation, some random tests are now showing promising results that Milk Thistle may help increase prolactin levels. However, Milk Thistle is considered to be a strong liver cleanser and it can pass through your milk to your partner. If this is a concern to you it would be best to avoid Milk Thistle. The most common ways to consume Milk Thistle is in capsules or by drinking lactation teas that contain it.
Moringa/Malunggay
This plant native to Asia and Africa has been used for millennia to increase milk supply. It is high in iron, calcium, and vitamins A, E, and K as well as being a great source of fiber and antioxidants. All of those things are necessary in the production of breast milk. Some women even claim that Moringa can double your milk supply, although that claim is based on their subjective uses of Moringa. Most commonly you will find Moringa leaves ground into a powder that is either used in the production of cookies and bars, or is blended into a tea much like Matcha.
Stinging Nettle
This is a dark leafy vegetable is highly nutritious and contains high levels of iron, calcium, potassium, folic acid, as well as several vitamins and amino acids. All of these nutrients are essential for the human body and are rapidly depleted when you’re lactating. Stinging Nettle can be useful in making sure you have enough to always have a good supply. Most commonly Stinging Nettle is taken through pill form or in lactation teas that contain it. It is best taken in conjunction with other galactagogues.
Oats
By far the easiest galactagogue to get your hands on, oatmeal has been used for centuries to help women increase their milk supply. Oatmeal is high in proteins, vitamins (especially B vitamins), and minerals such as iron, zinc, manganese, and calcium. It is also an excellent source of soluble fiber. In addition to all those nutritional benefits oats also contain phytoestrogens, as well as saponins and beta-glucan which can help increase prolactin levels. If you’re thinking to yourself but I don’t like oatmeal, have no fear you can try oatmeal teas, or try sneaking oatmeal into your favorite cookie recipe. I also put out an oatmeal lactation cookie recipe if you need one to try!
Shatavari
Also known as wild asparagus this plant is native to the Indian subcontinent. Known for centuries to increase milk supply it has only recently been discovered to increase prolactin levels. Many women claim that it can double their milk production. It also contains compounds found to contain breast size and weight. On top of all that Shatavari is high in antioxidants, and is good for your digestive health. Much like Moringa, Shatavari is considered best if consumed in a powder form mixed into a tea like matcha, however you can get shatavari in capsule and tincture form.
This has been a long one and if you’re reading this I commend you for getting all the way to the bottom! If there are any galactagogues I’ve missed let me know and maybe we can do a part 2!
Xo
Phoebe
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article sponsered by Northern Michigan certified lactation consulting and Mother Hubbards Country Cupboard
Traditional foods to include in your diet as a lactating mother
If you thought popping out a baby would end the problems associated with your pregnant body, you were possibly right. But if you thought it will end ALL your health problems, you were not quite right.
If you’re a new mom and breastfeeding your child, you might have realized by now that the journey is not easy! While your uterus is getting back in shape (until 6 weeks postpartum), you’re feeling an increased demand in resources for feeding a human life every couple of hours. Not getting enough sleep at a stretch impacts the milk supply further. One question that frequents a new mom’s mind is, am I making enough milk for my baby? And then you hear a friend is successfully breastfeeding their child for up to two years, one feels de-motivated and almost disappointed in themselves.
I am here to assure you that you’re not alone. Each one of us has had their fair share of problems with breastfeeding – some couldn’t make the baby latch properly causing acute pain in nipples, some of us couldn’t produce enough milk and did start or thought about starting the formula milk as a supplement or some of us simply didn’t have enough strength to hold the baby every couple of hours to make them feed for another 60 minutes.
In this post, I am sharing traditional age-old food wisdom from the country of my origin (India) which has not only helped me and women in my family in their breastfeeding journey but also played a great role in healing the bodies postpartum.
- Water: This is recommended by doctors too. Breast milk is more than 80% water so feeding a child every two hours can dehydrate your body. So, it’s natural that your intake of water should be maintained at least 8-10 glasses of water a day to keep up with the demand for breast milk
- Ghee: If you haven’t heard of this, you might be familiar with the closest equivalent of this , the Clarified butter. There are stark differences in how they are made and eventually the nutritional value they deliver. You can have a read here to know more about the differences. Coming back to ghee. Although intake of this calorie dense food in excessive amounts can lead to obesity or cholesterol problems, the health benefits associated with 1-2 tbsp. daily intake of this super food outweigh any side-effects that it might otherwise have. Ghee is not only a rich source of antioxidant but also relieves constipation and acidity, common conditions during first few weeks after delivery. Ghee is essential for the body to absorb Vitamin D, a fat soluble vitamin essential to boost bone health and tooth health
- Cumin: These iron rich seeds are supposed to stimulate breast milk production. Not only are these seeds flavorful but help relieve gastric problems. You can simply add roasted cumin seeds into any dish or simply have a glass full of water with cumin seeds as the first thing and you can expect to see a boost in your milk-production
- Fennel seeds: Fennel seeds are supposed to relieve the problem of colic in babies. When a mother intakes a limited amount of these, the benefits are passed onto the baby through the breast milk. You can simply boil about 1-2 tsp. fennel seeds in 1 liter water and drink that water through the day. This will greatly help in reducing bloating after the delivery
- Pulses or/and eggs: High protein diet including at least one of the two food groups is essential to keep up with the rapid growth of the baby. I used to have a boiled egg as the first meal of the day to get started with the breastfeeding marathon (Ha-ha!) . If you’re a vegan , the protein rich pulses are a must in your diet each day.
- Nuts and dried fruits: The power packed food should be your go-to snack when you feel strong hunger pangs while feeding the baby in the middle of the night. They not only are rich in fiber, protein and iron but also provide body with essential micronutrients which the body gets depleted of during childbirth.
- Jaggery: Most of us are aware that having white sugar is detrimental to our health. However, one might feel like eating something sweet once in a while. Organic jaggery (in cube or in powdered form) is a healthier alternative to having chocolates and cakes which are empty calories. Jaggery is known to aid in supply of breast milk too.
- Carom seeds: Popping a baby out comes with its own fair share of problems for the female body, at least in the initial few weeks. Having gas and acidity is one of the common ones. Carom seeds is one of the best solution for these. Just boil a large quantity of water and add 1 tbsp. of carom seeds and sip the filtered water throughout the day to relieve yourself of the pain.
Wondering how to consume the above food items regularly?
I am sharing recipes of a few Concoctions that include one or more ingredients from above list and provide all the goodness that’s needed during lactation. These are commonly given to lactating mother in Indian households, especially during the first 6 weeks after delivery. They are rich in essential nutrients and good in taste too.
- Jaggery (gur) and Cumin (jeera): When my mother first made this for me and said that this increases the supply of breastmilk, I honestly thought that it was a fad prevalent in the older generations. I still had it as I have a sweet tooth and used to eat one tbsp of this as a dessert. Now I am not a 100% sure if it was this or a combination of factors, but I did experience an increase in supply of breastmilk with regular intake of this magic potion. If you want to give this a try, this only takes a couple of minutes and you can have it till a few days later.
- In a wok, warm a little bit of clarified butter or ghee
- Add a few tbsp. of cumin seeds and stir until they are crackling but don’t burn
- Add powdered jaggery to above and stir continuously
- Turn off the flame when jaggery has melted
- This tastes amazing when hot but you can store it and have a tbsp. of it after meals or whenever you like, a couple of times in a day
- Carrom seeds (ajwain) and fennel seeds (saunf) water: Instead of drinking normal water, sip this water throughout the day and you’ll watch your bloated stomach go away easily. You might not like the taste of it in the beginning but you’ll get used to drinking this flavoured water
- In large saucepan add water and turn on the gas
- Add both the ingredients and bring water to a boil
- Let this boil for 5 minutes until the water absorbs all the flavours and goodness
- Let this cool and use a strainer to pour filtered water into container of your choice
- It’s good to drink this warm but ok to have at room temperature
- Panjeeri: Now I don’t know the equivalent word for this dish in English nor do I know how to make this myself but I did enjoy eating this for a good 3 months until after my delivery. Making panjeeri involves a long cooking process but this is truly worth it in terms of nutrition it provides, the taste and of course the long shelf-life without adding any preservatives to it. Having a small bowl of this would be a meal in itself. If you’re looking after baby and yourself alone, have this ready by your bedside in case you can’t get up to cook your meals. Of all the recipes that I have seen, I liked the one I share below the best
The recipes I share above can work wonders both post vaginal and c-sec deliveries but do check with your healthcare provider if you have not had these ingredients in your life before or you think you might be allergic to these.
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article sponsered by Northern Michigan certified lactation consulting and Mother Hubbards Country Cupboard
Saturday, September 19, 2020
AstraZeneca, Under Fire for Vaccine Safety, Releases Trial Blueprints
By Denise Grady, Katherine J. Wu and Sharon LaFraniere from NYT Health https://ift.tt/3hKkTer
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The full time job that is Breastfeeding
I’m not sure the taboos of this topic however, as any mother can attest, regardless of the method you choose (or baby chooses) feedings monopolize your life for the first year or two and beyond. Whether having the right supplies on hand or wearing the right clothing getting baby fed is an undertaking. We chose breastfeeding and I, like many moms, started it right away in the hospital.
Um. OUCH!
It hurt. Like terrible, squealing pain. Every time she latched I writhed under her until it was over and it didn’t last long.
My mom helped, I was given lots of advice but it just continued to hurt and I would cry through feedings every half hour as my skin tore, yes tore, and our Blueberry lost weight.
Three weeks into this ordeal I was sitting in my parents living room desperately trying to expel milk into a bottle to avoid the agony of a feeding and I began to realize something was wrong. I had assumed I was just bad at it, that it was harder than I had thought or that I was just being a baby about it all. But no, something was wrong. I called the doctor who set me up with a lactation consultant and went in for my first appointment. She took one look under my shirt and said
“oh my god honey, ok, it’s ok, we are going to fix this.”
Three weeks later, six consultations, nipple guards, pumping, ice packs, bacitracin, positioning, and a clipped tongue tie, we were back in business. Nursing was so good. Comforting, empowering, CHEAP! I was so thrilled that it didn’t hurt I never wanted to stop.
When it was just us and the Blueberry I was still working so when I wasn’t home nursing, or at work nursing when my bosses let me bring her in, I was at work pumping. That’s an odd experience to say the least. It’s loud, strange, dehumanizing at times and god forbid your coworker walks in. When the Raspberry was born I stayed home but she developed colic and I had dietary changes and occasional pumping through that as well.
I took to heart the recommendations from the WHO “From the age of 6 months, children should begin eating safe and adequate complementary foods while continuing to breastfeed for up to 2 years and beyond.” When the Blueberry was only 16 months I became pregnant again but continued nursing and when the Rasberry was born I tandem fed for another 8 months. The Raspberry and I just stopped nursing 6 months ago. I nursed one or the other or both for five years and now that it’s over I’ll admit I find it very strange.
There was something really wonderful about being able to get through those initial challenges and now on the other side of it I think about all the other aspects of motherhood that we are expected to do naturally or to manage simultaneously that seem so insurmountable but because we know we have to do it we just do. When you think of a mother who’s child doesn’t latch or when the milk doesn’t come or maybe their job or circumstance or desire requires them to use formula and they simply find the way to budget and mix and store and carry and supply that powdered gold 10 times a day because that’s what baby needs.
I wish that I could have avoided the pain of that clipped tongue tie for her but I’m really glad for the challenges that started my five year journey feeding my kids because those overcome obstacles are what I lean on when I have a day full of mom fails and can’t fall asleep.
I hope that if you are reading this and you had failures or challenges with your kids today that you reflect on those sleepless nights at the beginning when you had spilled milk (in whatever form) on your shirt and a contented sleeping baby in your arms with that little dribble coming out the side of their mouth and remember that you are doing something hard and you are giving more of yourself than you take credit for.
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article sponsered by Northern Michigan certified lactation consulting and Mother Hubbards Country Cupboard
Friday, September 18, 2020
Thursday, September 17, 2020
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
The Art of Weaning
It’s been about a week or so since my boobs have been breastmilk free and let me tell you, I am one liberated woman! Not only that, my weaning experience was far easier than my breastfeeding one and I’m honestly shocked. Through reading several articles about weaning and transitioning to combination feeding, I found some very helpful boob-saving advice that made a night and day difference in my experience.
The most A+++ advice I read was, if you’ve struggled with oversupply, wean by volume, not by pump time. Most weaning articles you will read will talk about weaning slowly by typically reducing pump times and/or dropping pumping sessions. For me, I was already down to three sessions a day and still producing 50+ oz so dropping sessions wasn’t exactly doing the job. Not only that, if I had dropped another session I was pretty positive I would block up to the size of balloons – and with having to work, that would not end well for me.
Luckily in the midst of all my research, I came across this one blog post (very sad I can’t find it again!) that actually identified a difference in weaning for women who have oversupply vs the average. The most consistent advice I found was if you have the ability to, wean VERY slowly. Your boobs will thank you. While there are instances where some women need to stop abruptly, it’s strongly recommended that you avoid cutting cold turkey because it will be a very painful process. My mom actually did this when she had me (mostly because she didn’t have any support or anyone advising her otherwise) and she said it was absolutely miserable. She recalled sitting in bed crying in the middle of the night with icepacks across her chest. So my advice to anyone looking into weaning, plan ahead so you can make your starting point far enough in advance to wean slowly and still be done by your desired end date.
My goal was to be completely finished by the time baby turned six months and because I struggled so much with blockages and engorgement, I was giving myself about a month to get it done so I could go as slow as necessary. Day one, I started by dropping my pumping volume from roughly 20oz per pump to 12oz. This was going to be my biggest jump but it was a solid first step to getting the ball rolling. They say it takes about 2-3, sometimes 3-4, days for your boobs to adjust their supply. For a few days my boobs were very full and fairly sore but some mild pain meds were keeping me comfortable enough. Another major tip of advice I have is to find a full coverage sports bra. When you are trying to promote supply, they recommend wearing a non-constricting bra and no underwire but when you are trying to dry up your supply, it’s recommended you wear a tighter top for support. I found for me that it is crucial to find a bra that is truly full coverage. I used a double layered Victoria’s Secret sports bra that had one layer as a front clip full coverage underwire bra and the second being a front zip sports coverage (see image). I don’t believe VS carries this style anymore but I think some other brands may. Other bras I tried included a standard pull over and latch in the back sports bra and a full support front zip one. Because my boobs engorged anyway and the weaning having them particularly aggravated, any bra that didn’t provide a full coverage “shape” to my boobs caused me to block up wherever there was pressure from the bra. For example, the maximum support front zip smooshed my boobs together so they blocked up on the inside. The pull over had a lower top line so that made the top of my boobs block up. This may not be the case for everyone but as far as comfort is concerned, bra choice had major impact.
Once my boobs adjusted to the initial volume drop, I started just decreasing an ounce at a time. It usually only took a couple days for my body to adjust to this so the ball was rolling. All of a sudden I noticed my body started slowing production naturally and any blockages were disappearing on their own after the couple day adjustment period. I literally sat there and thought, “Well hell, if I had just done this forever ago, maybe I would have had a much more manageable supply and I wouldn’t have burnt myself out so fast.” But here was my issue – when I first started breastfeeding and was dealing with the engorgement and oversupply, I did read about cutting your supply and it involved a degree of “weaning”. So I gave it a shot and literally got mastitis within days and that was my last attempt with that. Also another warning is that, just like I experienced, sometimes when you try and cut your supply, your body will cut back more than you wanted and now you’re having to deal with having to re-establish the supply you need. Then you’re really in a bind. So maybe I could have made it work if I had tried again later on, maybe it wouldn’t have. But as far as the weaning was concerned, it was pretty amazing to watch my body make the adjustments all on its own!
As the weeks went on, I just kept dropping ounce by ounce. A couple weeks in and things going smoothly, I decided to drop my “morning” pump and just do two a day on a 12 hour schedule (11am and 11pm). This surprisingly went well! Once again, just a few days to adjust and we kept on plugging away at it. Next thing I knew, I was dropping the midday pump and then poof! Away went the last session. Typically your supply takes about 8-10 days to fully dry up. I continued to wear the sports bra for two weeks post dropping my last pump just to be on the safe side. After two weeks, I slept without a bra for the first time in six months. Hallelujah, thank you sweet baby Jesus! My little boobies were so happy to be free at last. Over the next few days I did have some very minor leaks. I read that this is super normal and some women can leak for months or even years after weaning from breastfeeding (how lucky of us). Mine typically happened when I carried baby and he applied pressure. But that only lasted for a few days and I haven’t had any since.
As grateful as I am to have my normal boobs back, at a slightly smaller size (yay for me), the hormonal changes were the really challenging issue. On average, a woman burns about 800 calories a day in breastfeeding. Because I was producing over double the amount of milk in one day, I was cranking out a ton of calories. In the first two weeks of weaning, I put on a whopping TEN POUNDS. Holy guacamole, no one told me about this. You know when you’re pregnant and they’re selling the benefits of breastfeeding to you and one of them is getting back to your postpartum weight quicker? Yeah, that’s all good and well until you stop breastfeeding. The next fun adjustment is getting your period again. While you are breastfeeding, your body is busy producing prolactin (the hormone that produces breastmilk) so it doesn’t produce the hormones needed to have your period. However, once you start weaning, your body stops producing the prolactin which then means period hormones start revving their engines again. I’ve heard some horror stories about your first postpartum period being just awful so I was a little worried and because I wasn’t on a month to month schedule anymore, I had no idea when Flo would strike. Ironically she came to visit on the exact same schedule I was on prior to getting pregnant and it was totally normal. Thanks girl, I appreciate that.
So all in all, my experience was surprisingly smooth and I am feeling better than ever with having at least normal boobs. I’m still having to work on shedding the extra pounds but that will come. Hopefully if you are looking to start weaning that these little tid bits help you! Happy weaning!
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article sponsered by Northern Michigan certified lactation consulting and Mother Hubbards Country Cupboard
Tuesday, September 15, 2020
Best Ever Lactation Cookies!
Today I’m sharing my recipe for the best ever lactation cookies. I’ve made these for new moms in the past and have gotten rave reviews, and I’ve been using them on my journey to induce lactation myself with great results! These are easy, delicious, and cute as hell to look at. Make them for yourself for a delicious treat, or if you’re the non-lactating partner make them for your lady to make sure she knows how much you appreciate her liquid assets. (Recipe below picture!)
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats (NOT quick cook oats)
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons brewers yeast
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup ground hemp seed
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup salted butter (room temperature)
3/8 cup granulated white sugar
3/8 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles
12 ounce package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 350F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, brewers yeast, flaxseed, hemp seed, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine the dry ingredients and set them aside for later.
3. In a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer beat the butter until it no longer resembles bars and is smooth. Add the white and brown sugar to the butter and cream together on a medium high speed setting for about 3 minutes until lighter in color and smooth. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until well combined. Turn your speed down to a low or “stir” setting and begin adding the well mixed dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time. Continue beating the mixture until the wet and dry ingredients are fully combined. Add the chocolate chips and sprinkles to the mixture and continue to beat until the chocolate chips and sprinkles are just mixed in.
4. Chill the dough for about half an hour in the fridge.
5. Scoop the cookie dough on to your baking sheet in balls about the size of a ping pong ball or roughly an inch and a quarter in diameter.
6. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes until the cookies are just starting to turn golden brown on the edges. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for approximately 5 minutes before removing them to a plate. Store them in an airtight container once the cookies have fully cooled down.
I think these cookies are delicious and really seem to help with my milk volume. This recipe makes approximately enough cookies for a two week supply if you’re eating two cookies per day. If you decide to try the recipe or you make it for a special someone comment below and let me know how you like them!
Xo
Phoebe
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article sponsered by Northern Michigan certified lactation consulting and Mother Hubbards Country Cupboard
Sunday, September 13, 2020
Saturday, September 12, 2020
Oatmeal, Cranberry, & Chocolate Energy Bites
Yields: 12-15 balls
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups GF oats
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup nut butter (peanut or almond is best)
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp ground flax seed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 – 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips in a medium sized mixing bowl and mix with a fork (at the end it’s easier to use your hands)
2. Fold in chocolate chips
3. Using a spoon (or again your hands) scoop out about 1 Tbps worth of mixture and roll into balls
4. Place on plate and refrigerate for 10-20 minutes
5. Store in an air tight container and keep in the fridge
6. Enjoy!
*If you are lactating add 1 tsp of brewers yeast for extra milk-producing power! Oats & ground flaxseed also help lactating moms!
**If you are a weightlifter/powerlifting and are looking to refuel your workouts, add a scoop of chocolate protein powder to these bites!
A friend made me lactation balls after I had my son and I absolutely fell in love! I added a few more ingredients to give extra nutrients and vanilla extract for flavoring. These are perfect if you can’t make it in between meals (so you don’t binge on sugary junk!) or need extra calories after a good workout. Enjoy!
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article sponsered by Northern Michigan certified lactation consulting and Mother Hubbards Country Cupboard
Friday, September 11, 2020
Love and Breastfeeding
By Jamaica
Breastfeeding is not easy but I believe it is for everyone who wants to do it. What made the whole journey easier and even enjoyable for me was mainly my focus on listening to my daughter and my body.
A few weeks ago, a lactation consultant came up to me while I was breastfeeding my daughter at a park. She asked if I had breastfeeding issues and told me that August was breastfeeding month.
I didn’t realise how much breastfeeding is celebrated and how some cultures consider it as a luxury because of the effort and sacrifice a mother needs to make to be able to continuously breastfeed her child.
It’s been 6 months since I started breastfeeding and everyday, I only get more motivated to breastfeed her for at least 2 years. This motivation barely falters even when my daughter accidentally bites my nipples, when our apartment is filled with my fallen hair, when some people even mothers look at me like I’m crazy to say that I will try to breastfeed her for at least 2 years, when I have to avoid drinking the wine and whisky I love, when I have to spend my lunch time pumping milk at the office, or when my husband accidentally throws (instead of using for her bath) the remaining of the defrosted milk we prepared for her because she would always prefer to feed directly from the breasts when I get back from work.
Carrying and delivering a child in this world made me understand the strength of my mind and body but it is breastfeeding that shows me my capacity to sustain and protect life. Breastfeeding made it clear to me why we say “Mother Nature”. From the moment my daughter came out of my belly, she directly fed and looked into my eyes. Somehow, I understood that breastfeeding was going to be our special moment. It isn’t always easy but seeing how my daughter would look forward to this moment when I get back from work, seeing how much she has developed, believing how this is protecting and keeping her healthy, and looking at her eyes that are looking into mine as if to focus on receiving all the love I am giving her through my milk, I am more empowered than I have been and will ever be about my body.
For everyone who is struggling with breastfeeding, planning to breastfeed, or simply curious about breastfeeding, here are my tips on how to make breastfeeding and pumping easier and more enjoyable.
- Bake yummy lactation treats. Because I am flat chested, I thought and worried that I may not be able to produce enough milk for my baby so I started making and consuming lactation cookies before giving birth. Since I gave birth at the beginning of the pandemic, I stocked up on the 3 key ingredients for lactation goods: flaxseeds, oatmeal, and brewer’s yeast. I really believed they work. Now, even if I don’t feel the need for them, since I have a lot of ingredients stocked, I make cookies and cakes with those ingredients and make sure I enjoy eating them whether for lactation or not. My husband and his family like eating them. I also find baking and the smell of freshly baked cookies and cake very relaxing, and low stress level is key to producing milk.
- Wear a nice nursing scarf for nursing in public. Yes, it helps. Knowing I have a nice, practical scarf that is comfortable for my baby makes the experience less awkward and more pleasurable–It’s like wearing a nice business suit for an important presentation.
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- Wear good quality nursing bras. At first, i thought they were useless because I mostly stayed at home. But when you start going out with the baby and start pumping outside your home, you easily realise how getting good quality nursing bras are so worth it. They are not only very comfortable, there are some models that help you with hands-free pumping. I usually eat my lunch while I pump so it is very practical.
- Read and reread content on the benefits of breastfeeding both for moms and babies. This provides you the scientific part of why you want to persevere with breastfeeding.
- Focus on and get eye contact with your baby when nursing and pumping. While nursing, my baby – and I guess most babies – look at their mothers. I stare back at her and I can easily get lost in her eyes. It is simply a wonderful bonding moment. Also, I remember during my first few weeks of breastfeeding when my right nipple was very sore and everytime she drank from it, I would cringe. She would look at me before latching as if to check if I were okay. A few months later, even without teeth, she accidentally bites me and I just tell her that she’s hurting me and I feel she understands because she hasn’t bit me after 2 or 3 times. Outside breastfeeding, I feel like I’ve established a very good connection with her even without speaking. It’s simply amazing and I credit most of it from breastfeeding.
- Have an empowering lactation #tribe. One of my good friends who has been breastfeeding and pumping for more than a year motivated me to breastfeed. She gave me a lot of advice and so did some new moms who were very kind to offer me advice when I needed. My mother breastfed 4 of us for around 2 years each. All of us that she breastfed are in good health and I am very thankful my mother gave me the most nutritious meals of my life for as long as she could. I was also very lucky that the midwife who paid us visits at home after giving birth was also a lactation consultant. She was very impressed how I already had the haakaa that my friend recommended. She also motivated me to pump early but not too much. She gave me all the tips I needed from curing nipple sores with breastmilk, relieving breast engorgement with chilled cabbage, having the best nursing position, storing breastmilk, using undrinkable stored breastmilk for baby’s bath or putting on her face for smooth skin, all the way to making my own hands free pumping bra (which is probably the only advice I didnt follow out of laziness). Of course, like many moms of this generation who let their baby sleep on them during the day on their maternity leave and hence, cannot do much except check their phones, I follow some motherhood and breastfeeding accounts on instagram where I can find funny mêmes or read some information on other people’s experiences. It simply makes me feel less alone especially being confined and far from my family and best friends.
- Most importantly, listen to your body and your baby. It is all that matters. Advice, whether or not sollicited, from anyone, should always be taken with care. I remember the first few weeks, I felt like a machine and felt like I had postpartum depression. I was very lucky to have my family around to help me as well as my husband waking up at night with me, but I found myself the calmest when it was just me and my baby at the hospital. We did have very helpful midwives when I called them but most of the time, it was just me and her. It was very easy to focus. Also, my baby used to have issues defecating. We went to the osteopathe who told me to space out her feeding to 3 to 4 hours instead of whenever she wants. She became grumpy and didn’t gain weight as much as she did before. My pediatrician advised me to feed her whenever she asked and she directly gained weight normally. Regarding listening to my body, I simply decide when I need to use the electric pump more, to use the haakaa more or less, depending on how I feel. After a few months, I have developed this relationship with my body that whenever I feel like I need to produce more (by power pumping), it just does. As long as I respect and take care of it, which is as simple as drinking a lot of water and eating nutritious food, I feel confident that I will be able to continue my breastfeeding journey with my baby for as long as my baby and I wish.
Jamaica is the full time mom of 6-month-old Océane and a full time finance officer for a Swiss asset manager. She is looking forward to doing BLW (baby-led weaning) with Océane in the coming months and aims to document them in her motherhood Instagram account @raisingoceane.
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Got Milk?
Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, a nurse, nor a lactation consultant. This post reflects my personal experience and opinions, please seek medical help if you have concerns about your pregnancy, delivery, or care for your baby.
Hello again, and welcome back to another parenting-related entry. As with previous posts, this will be my own personal opinion and I truly hope it is of some help to others. It has taken me a while to write this because I wanted to make sure I addressed this as respectfully and as honestly as possible. Breastfeeding is one of the critical parts of child-rearing, its extremely important for both mom and baby and it is also something that, for some reason, new moms continue to receive unsolicited advice almost non-stop. No matter what you choose or have chosen to do, I want you know that I totally respect your decision(s) and this post is in no way meant to be a criticism on anyone who had a different path than me. All I want is to talk about the topic and hope to give some information, comfort, and advice to any new moms and future moms out there who, like me, felt extremely overwhelmed and confused about this.
Alright, so the reason I felt compelled to write about this topic is quite simple: breastfeeding is REALLY hard. That’s not news to anyone, I’m sure, so I am certainly not the only person to write about this or share their opinion on it, nor will I be the last. I will list some resources that I found helpful at the bottom of this post, and by all means feel free to share some yourself if you have any good ones! My breastfeeding story begins when I was about 6 or 7 months pregnant, that’s when I started feeling more pain and weight on my breasts and so it started feeling more real. I even noticed I started getting fluid dripping out occasionally, and I found that super weird but oddly amusing!!! I also started massaging the breast tissue, as I read that could help with milk flow and letdown (fancy word for the milk actually flowing through), and sometimes I also applied heat with a heating pad to help with some of the pain. Then baby came along, and he was delivered through c-section. I read, and I was also told by other moms, that when a baby is delivered via c-section vs vaginally, your milk may not come in right away. Why you ask? Well, apparently the body is SO smart, like way too smart for ourselves to even understand, that when a baby is delivered vaginally, your body is able to tell “hey, we had a baby, great let’s start producing milk and shrinking the uterus and all that jazz!”, but when it is a c-section, your body doesn’t figure it out as quickly, because after all the baby was removed by a doctor rather than expelled by your muscles, so it takes the body a bit longer to be like “oh, hey, baby isn’t here anymore!”. I know, mind-blowing. So, if you have a c-section like I did, you may notice your milk could take a few days to fully kick in vs if you had delivered vaginally. In my case it did take around 2-3 days to come in completely, and boy will you know when it does! Your breasts should still produce colustrum fairly soon and there will be milk in there, so no need to panic. When my baby was brought out to the world, I wasn’t able to get immediate skin-to-skin simply because that is the nature of c-sections. First, the doctors pull baby out, they check him/her to make sure baby is healthy and all, and then they bring him/her over to you as close as possible. Keep in mind at this point your still frozen from the waist down, cut open, and strapped down, so it’s not like you can actually hold the baby yet. While you and your partner get some preliminary cuddles, the docs and nurses are busy stitching mama back up, cleaning you, etc. Once I was all stitched up, hubby was sent back out to our nursing room (so out of the OR), and the nurses helped me get my gown back on, they put me back on the stretcher and set me up so I could be semi-sitting, and they also test you to see if you can feel anything from the freeze. At some point, all of the sudden, they plopped my baby on my arms and said “Ok mom, time for some skin to skin!” So that was the first time I ACTUALLY got to hold my son! SO EXCITING!!! And they told me to put him on my breast right away, too! And I was like “wait what now? how? oh ok sure!” and just plopped him right on! And that was my very first experience of my baby suckling on my breast. It is a straaaaange feeling, but it wasn’t painful at that point. I was just in complete awe of this tiny human that I finally got to meet. So they had me all prepped and before I knew it they were wheeling us out of the OR and towards the maternity floor and into a room!
Alright, so now the reaaaal fun begins…. The nurses transferred me and baby onto our bed, cus I’m still on a stretcher at this point, and they make sure I’m all propped with pillows, and blankets and anything else I need, and then we begin the discussion about the breastfeeding. As I had read before in all the different pamphlets and books and websites and videos, the nurses explained the proper “latch” position for baby’s mouth, they showed me how to hold him and all that, and basically off you go! It’s kind of like riding a bike, you can read all about it and watch videos or whatever, but you just gotta go for it! So there I was, with my baby drinking out of my body, such a surreal thing! For the first while I had no idea if I was doing it right at all, but I knew something was happening cus you can FEEL it, it’s very odd hahahaha. So it’s all fun and giggles for a bit, but after a couple hours when the adrenaline starts to wear out, I started realizing I was in quite a bit of pain. The nurses and lactation consultants would come to help me whenever I asked, and they were so patient and kind with me. For some reason, one side hurt more than the other, so I tried to feed longer on the side that didn’t hurt. The lactation consultant also showed me how to collect colostrum from my nipples with a syringe and feed baby that way, in order to give my body a break. Guys, it was really hurting. I was crying at points. I think it was the second day that baby decided to cluster feed, and I vividly remember him feeding on one side for like 80 minutes straight! I was balling my eyes out, in so much pain, and later that day my husband pointed out my nipples were bleeding. Great, only day 2 and already bleeding nipples—yaaaay. It sucked. I had to try to give that side as much of a break as possible, and feed on the other side. It was rough, and for the first time I started to question if I would be able to do this at all. At this point, all the medical staff was being super supportive and encouraging, they even brought me a pump in case I decided I wanted to do that, but I wanted to keep trying to breastfeed. Another challenge we had is that for the first 48 hrs, baby kept falling asleep during feeds, so he wasn’t eating enough. We had to get creative on how to wake him up so he would keep feeding. Anything from tickling his feet, so getting him naked, to rubbing his back and head with a wet wipe. We felt horrible waking him, but he HAD to eat so it was necessary.
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Initial meeting during c section! -
Breastfeeding newbie!
The entire time we were in the hospital I continued to breastfeed, with the occasional help of the syringe method, and though it was painful I kept pushing on. It is very tiring, and because I had a c-section, it was also painful for me on my back and on my stomach, from the weight of the baby (which isn’t a lot but this gives you an idea of how weak I was). The nurses continued to check on me, and although they informed that I had “great technique” and that I “was a total natural”, it was still so painful. We went home and I continued to muscle through the breastfeeding, but it was getting harder and harder. Although the pain was something I was getting used to, my baby was just so fussy. From the very start (day 3/4) he would constantly fight the feedings. What do I mean by that? Ok, you know how on TV or movies you see the baby just plopped on the boob suckling away all happy and peaceful…yeah NOOOO. My baby was constantly shaking his head around, pulling on the nipple with his mouth, spitting it out then crying cus he was upset that there was no milk, waving his hands and kicking with his feet, you would’ve thought he was not enjoying it or something, he just would not sit still. And he would be feeding all nice and calm then all of the sudden spit out the nipple and LOSE his shit. I was so frustrated!!! I kept thinking “DUDE you had it in your mouth WTF? Why are you spitting it out then being upset about it!!???” This went on and on and one, so feeding him would take a long time cus half the time he was not eating, he was just being restless and kicking, so instead of a feed taking 30-45 mins, it would be at least 1hr if not 1hr and a half or even 2hrs! This made it so much harder for me to be able to rest my nipples, or even just rest, cus you know in the beginning babies are eating almost around the clock. And you know what you can’t do while breastfeeding? Pretty much anything. Can’t go pee, can’t go get food, can’t shower, can’t sleep. Oh and did I mention you get a MONSTER appetite when you’re breastfeeding?? Why didn’t anyone tell me that one!! So yes, it is hard work.
A day after we came home from hospital, we had our first visit from the public health nurses. They checked baby and weighed him, and they noted he had lost weight but that it likely would just come back normal. I told them about my challenges breastfeeding, and they checked my “technique” and baby’s latch and couldn’t find anything wrong. Whenever you say to someone “it hurts to breastfeed”, their immediate response is always “well are you doing it right? If you’re doing it right it shouldn’t hurt”. As a new mom, I assumed they were right and I was wrong, but after having several nurses and even a lactation consultant witness my latch and technique and them assuring me it was PERFECT, it STILL hurt!!! So I just want you to know that you might have everything theoretically correct but it could still be painful, and that does not mean that you’re making it up or exaggerating, it simply can be painful. They just encourage me to keep on it and see if it would get better, which I did for several more days, but I was getting to a very low point. It’s very difficult to push through when you’re in pain and exhausted and there is nothing you can really do but “suck it up”. I tried so hard, but I was getting to a point where I was dreading feedings, I was not looking forward to it, and I hated that feeling. I felt guilt and shame, I felt like I was a mom so I “should” love every moment, I “should” long for that skin-to-skin time, I “should” absolutely adore every second of being with my baby. And I know I’m not the only one, and that’s because we’re always being told how “beautiful” and “wonderful” and “magical” and “rewarding” motherhood is, and breastfeeding is SO damn glorified. Yes, for some women breastfeeding probably IS magical and amazing, but if it is not for you, that’s OKAY! So, after battling with these thoughts and emotions and having breakdowns every single day, I finally decided I couldn’t do it anymore and made the decision, with the full support from my partner, to start using bottles.
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Our bottle station! -
One of the pumps I used
I started using a pump and putting the breastmilk in bottles and feeding my baby that way. And THAT was truly a pivotal moment for me. I could now actually enjoy feeding him, and not be in pain, and my husband could also feed him which was amazing for him in his own right. I still continued to do breastfeeding for large parts of the day, but it wouldn’t be every single feed. We took baby for the first check with the doctor and he noted he still was low on weight, so once again, the guilt came gushing back. All of the sudden, I felt like a failure again, I couldn’t successfully breastfeed my baby so clearly I was a shit mom and it was my fault that he could not gain weight. I was devastated. The doctor told us to try to feed baby with the bottle method for 2/3 of his meals, and do breastfeeding for the remaining 1/3, that way he could get more food in him since with breastfeeding he was so fussy. My husband was very supportive and reassured me that I wasn’t a failure or a bad mom, but it was hard for me to accept.
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SO -
DAMN -
TIREDDD
By using bottles, baby started gaining weight again and by his next checkup he was doing much better. Our doctor encouraged us to continue doing what we were doing, so pumping milk into bottles was definitely working for me. About 3 weeks or so in, I was finding it hard to pump around the clock in order to have enough milk for baby, so I started exploring how to use formulas. I read about it, but also wanted to get some guidance on how to actually do it. Like how do you choose a brand, how much do you make to start with, do you mix it with your own breast-milk? I had LOTS of questions, so I spoke to someone in one of our local community program that supports pregnant women and moms, which is run by volunteers, and I had my first negative interaction. The person I spoke to was clearly trying to discourage me from using formula, and assuring me that breast milk was the way to go. I didn’t really get much help in terms of what brand to use or anything, and I felt very judged and not supported. I was a bit taken aback, but when I spoke to other mom friends they, too, experienced similar pushback when questioning whether breast-milk was the right choice for them. Another super annoying thing: every time I asked WHY was breastfeeding supposed to be so much better, I got the same speech and no real scientific information. It was always a spiel about “well it’s the bonding, it’s the skin to skin, it’s just so amazing for babies and moms”. I wanted to understand why it was important for a baby health-wise, because skin-to-skin contact can still happen if you use bottles. After a LOT of searching the web, I FINALLY got an answer that was useful. It turns out, when your baby’s saliva interacts with your breast tissue, that sends feedback to mom’s body and tells her what baby needs in terms of nutrients and antibodies (check the Resource page for links). WHY DIDN’T PEOPLE JUST TELL ME THAT?! Geeez. So I was like, “ah ok, so there is an important biological need for that interchange, ok, that motivates me to have some breastfeeding time with baby”. Just say that, not that it’s just a “magical thing”. That explains why my doctor said that just breastfeeding a little bit would still be good, and then I can go on and pump and be merry.
In summary, I just had the experience of being questioned a lot whenever I had suggested pumping and even more if I brought up formula, but the more I spoke to other moms I started feeling like, you know what? I have to do what’s best for me. I inquired about what brands others had used and gave it a shot with the “ready-to-drink” format, which is what is recommended for babies under 2 months of age.
I started by giving baby only 10-20mls of formula after he finished a larger portion of breastmilk, and it was fine. Baby was FINE! Nothing bad happened! I still had nuggets of guilt in my head, but I reminded myself of all the encouraging words from my mom-friends. Eventually I discovered baby didn’t enjoy the brand too much, so I decided to try a different one and he loved it right away! We now use Similac Advance, but I know there are many other brands out there and it’s just a matter of preference. Over time, we got to the point where baby would have almost 50% breast-milk and 50% formula, and it was a huge help in terms of getting a break from pumping all the time. Pumping is also hard work, it’s not easy just because you hook something to your boob. You gotta be sitting in the right position for several hours through the day, you got to help massage the milk in to get the most milk out of you, your nipples still hurt, you gotta be careful to clean things all the time, I mean it’s still a commitment, and you’re still very hungry cus your body is producing milk around the clock. Your breasts will still leak, so you gotta switch your nursing pads a couple times a day, its a whole thing you guys. And you know what, I started realizing that I wasn’t really enjoying it. I missed being able to just sleep on my chest or not be leaking all over the map, I was sore a lot, my back was sore a lot, so I was slowly starting to accept that maybe I would not be one of those moms who breastfeed for a year or more. Every day was a battle, and every day I was asking myself how much longer I could do this. Again, it was starting to become a negative thing, rather than a happy, joyful one. I started pumping less, and doing the breastfeeding only at nights, because it was much easier to just undo the nursing bra flap and put baby on me and allow him to just pass out naturally besides me (yes, we have ended up co-sleeping, something I also didn’t think would be for me!). That worked great for several weeks because I still was able to give him breast-milk, plenty of contact, and we both were able to sleep better.
Not every night was smooth, of course, baby was still a fussy eater. Even with bottles he can be like that, the difference is that if he pulls on the bottle’s nipple I don’t feel extreme pain! As time went on, I kept longing for the time when I would not have to breastfeed, and that’s kind of when it hit me and I was able to admit it to myself: I did not really enjoy breastfeeding. That doesn’t mean I don’t love my baby, or that I don’t love to hold him or have skin-to-skin. But it took me a long while to realize that the two aren’t mutually exclusive. I just wish there was less pressure for moms to do things one way only, and to expect them to love every minute of it. I imagine if my baby was a calmer eater, cus I know many babies are, I probably would feel very differently about it. But you know what, I wouldn’t change my baby for anything in the world, I rather me be the one adjusting and, at the end of the day, as long as he is healthy and FED, it will be okay.
Our baby is almost 4 months, and we recently switched over to formula completely. I feel SO much better physically and emotionally. My breasts aren’t in pain, my back is much better, and feeding baby is no longer this super intimidating, stress-inducing sacrifice I have to dread. It’s just another part of his care, like a bath, or a diaper change, or playtime. He is absolutely healthy, and we are looking forward to introducing some solid foods once he turns 6 months. And another thing, you can STILL get a lot of skin-to-skin contact even if you bottle feed. I don’t think baby and I are less “attached” or anything simply because he feeds from a bottle. I understand this might not be the case for other moms, but it is working for us, and I want to encourage other new moms to be kind to themselves if they have to explore different options or methods. I mean yes if you can breastfeed for 6 months or more, awesome! You just saved yourself a lot of money and extra cleaning :) but if not, that’s perfectly ok too! Don’t let others shame you for your choices, even if it comes from medical staff. Follow your instincts, and remember that the main goal is that baby is healthy and fed. That will look differently for everyone and thats’s alright. If I do have a second child in the future, maybe it will be a totally different experience, but at least I will no longer beat myself up for what I perceived as a “failure” or a “short-coming”. A baby needs a mom that is herself healthy, that is loving, and that enjoys being with them. Yes sometimes it is hard and I still have rough moments, my baby happens to not nap much during the day so I am still struggling with severe exhaustion but hey! at last feeding is no longer an issue. It’s just meeting a need he has, and we get PLENTY of cuddles and boding time, I guarantee it!
Alright that’s all for today, I hope this is helpful to someone out there. We need to stop mom-shaming. This is a super hard gig as it is, the last thing we need is other trying to bring us down and criticize us and telling us what classifies a “good mom”. I have listed some resources on the Resource page, under the subtitle “Breastfeeding”. If you’re a mom or mom-to-be, you’re a fucking rockstar!!!!!!!!!!!! (also if you’re just parents in general, you’re a damn hero)
Stay safe out there <3
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Karen
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article sponsered by Northern Michigan certified lactation consulting and Mother Hubbards Country Cupboard
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