This weekend, I’ll be gone two full days during most of Scarlett’s waking hours. I was really hoping not to pump during this time, thinking “Pumping is for people with newborns,” but Heather has made it clear that she doesn’t want me turning to her at 4 pm, in the middle of a great bloggity BlogHer discussion, saying, “If I don’t leave now, I’m going to leak, contract mastitis, and turn into a raging hormone monster.” So, I guess I’ll bring a pump.
I’m feeling a little embarassed about it though – like who has to hurry home to nurse their one-year old? Am I a sucker? Or maybe a hero?
Anyhow, let’s take a moment to give three cheers for me and my success at nursing both kids till their first birthdays and beyond. How Scarlett and I wind down this relationship is a mystery to me, (even though I’m not a rookie!). It doesn’t seem to be dwindling and the girl has no interest in drinking milk from a bottle or cup. She likes to use those things – for water – but doesn’t like the taste of milk. Stay tuned. This will surely resolve itself before kindergarten starts.
I want to encourage anyone who is reading, who’s in those first difficult weeks of nursing, or who is pregnant and assuming they’ll breastfeed, to read more. Read everything. Assume it will be difficult. Find friends who have done it. Go to a support group or a class. Other ideas from the veteran moms reading are welcome!
Note: I recently interviewed Andi Silverman, author of Mama Knows Breast for Glam.com. Read the interview here and subscribe to her website’s feed so that you can find the resources you need!
And I’ll tag this post “green”, cause really, isn’t breastfeeding about as green as it gets? No appliances required! Doesn’t waste water! Doesn’t create trash!
Best of luck to you new mamas. I’m rooting for you.
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Here here, mama! I applaud you. It’s so personal yet political. I can say with great affection, “I’m proud of you for being a lactivist!”
I made it to 12 months and 12.5 months with each of my boys. And depending on who I’m talking with (Berkeley, I’m talking to YOU!), I feel like I gave up way too early or hung with it way too long (Ohio, I’m talking to you!).
Amen!!!!
The first 8 weeks of nursing were 10 x harder than the 41 weeks I was pregnant, or the labor and delivery. We just hit the 6 month mark and I know we wouldn’t have made it this far if I hadn’t assumed it would be crazy hard and read everything I could get my hands on.
I can only second the “go to a nursing class/support group” comment. I went this morning and while it wasn’t groundbreaking, it gave me so much peace to hear that I was doing well.
Thanks for writing this. Baby #1 is due in 17 days, and my goal is to breastfeed until at least 12 months. I’ve taken the breast feeding classes, made arrangements for pumping when I return to work, but must admit, I’m still a little scared and intimidated. But I have full 100% support from my husband (who took both breast feeding classes with me), and because it’s something we both believe in so strongly, I’m confident (or perhaps, determined is a better word) to make it work, and with his help, I think we can do it!
Good luck! I hated pumping.
You gave some really honest and sound advice. At week two of breastfeeding I couldn’t imagine making it to week 4… but now my baby is almost eight months old. My older brother, who is not the most breastfeeding educated person out there, asked how it felt to be a milk machine (he thought he was being funny)… I just said I feel so proud. I look at my chubby, happy, crawling baby and I am so proud of myself.
I see why women become lactivist… I love breastfeeding so much that I want others to have the same opportunities to enjoy it. Nothing breaks my heart more than when a women quits breastfeeding because of lack of support or societal pressures.
I knew from the start I was going to breastfeed and I hoped to make it to the 1 year mark but really didn’t know what to expect. It was HARD some days, especially in the beginning, but I just set very small goals for myself. First I just wanted to make it a week, then 2 weeks, then 4 weeks, then 2 months, and my next goal was going to be 4 months, but by that time it was smooth sailing. My first son stopped nursing by 13 months, but my second kept going until about 22 months old! I never envisioned going much past the 1 year mark, but it just seemed so normal. I didn’t realize I was being green without even trying to be!
I have to say, my husband was extremely supportive of my nursing. When our son came home from the hospital and immediately pulled a nursing marathon overnight, I was so exhausted and sore (nursing and emergency C) that I literally BEGGED him to give our son some formula from those darned samples. He brought me ice packs, he brought me water, he said we’d get through it. He even took the little bugger to the nursery and let him suck on his finger for an hour so I could get some rest. (he would never take a paci)
I had plugged ducts, I worked (and pumped) outside the home, and managed to nurse until 24 months. I stopped due to illness. The meds were bad for him. Even now, at 3 1/2 he still asks if I have milk. He came up with the idea that if I drank cow’s milk, it would make my breastmilk come back.
I would not trade those 24 months for anything, and I feel bad for moms who want to nurse, but aren’t able to.
Yay for you! Breastfeeding is hardwork. It took me and my 8.5mth old a good 5 weeks to get in the swing of it, and it was so hard, painful, emotional and demanding. But we’re still breastfeeding and it has been some of the most special time together. I hope to feed her for as long as she wants it but return to work approaches and that means pumping.
I just can’t stand pumping. If anything makes me feel like a cow in a cowshed, it’s pumping. Especially with the squeaky hand pump. urk. Best of luck with your 2 day stint.
wow go you!
i am trying my darndest to bf. i am on day 10 and it has been hard. i’ve read tons, attended classes, worked with consultants at the hospital and at home.
i’m having production anxieties. i am only producing 1oz per pump.
thanks for posting a positive and encouraging success story.
If there was a breastfeeding issue/complication, I had it! Baby wouldn’t latch properly, somewhat flat nipples, extremely sensitive/painful nipples, mastitis compounded with LOTS of traveling in the early months…but, I survived. I hung in there, and just like Evonne said before, I set goals for myself: at least 6 weeks, and then at least 4 months, okay, let’s shoot for 6 months. And we are happily just chuggin’ along (I guess actually, that’s the baby that’s just a chuggin’). And I’m so glad I did it! My little girl is happy, healthy, chubby, and I’m planning on continuing to BF until her 1 year b’day. So, I just offer my encouragement and support to everyone.
You go, mama!
I totally agree with preparing for the worst! Heck, if you do that it will most likely be easier than you expect.
I started out with the goal of 6 months, then 1 year. Now we are almost to 2 years and winding down. I’m just taking it month by month and when I’m done, we’ll be done. It’s only 1x a day if that now, but I know it’s still good for him. Studies show that nursing moms of toddlers produce milk that has a higher concentration of fats and antibodies and all that other good stuff because your body knows the little one is nursing less. Cool stuff.
lol! no, you are not a sucker and you are not alone here. I didn’t bring my pump though, instead I brought my cranky 11 month old who squeals with hungry glee when I get back to the room!
great advice for new nursing moms, it is hard but it gets easier.
I am an advocate that even though you might be pressured to stop or feel like you just can’t do it – keep on doing it! I listened to peer pressure from hubby, mom, MIL and others not to nurse my first and only nursed her twice a day for 6 months. With my second, I said, no I’m going to do this even though we had problems in the beginning (she was a sick baby), I nursed her until she turned 10 months. With #3, I nursed her for 16 months, only stopping b/c I was pregnant with #4. My son is still nursing at 16 months and he doesn’t seem to want to stop. This is it for us and I’m enjoying it! Get support, don’t give in and just take it one day or one our at a time if you have to.
pantrygirl, don’t stress about your pumping production — the longer you do it, the more you’ll get. I started off with even less than you’re pumping now, and by the time I finally quit at 9 mos. or so I was getting 6 or 7 oz. per session. It takes time to learn to pump just like it takes time to learn to nurse. My baby and I got off track somehow with nursing in the first few weeks and never really got back on, but I stuck with pumping, and after a couple of weeks supplementing with formula I was pumping more than enough to breastfeed him exclusively, even though he drank most of it from a bottle. It was a major time commitment, but on the other hand, it was nice having several times a day where I couldn’t do anything other than sit down and watch TV or read a book for 20 minutes.
I have a 2.5 year old daughter who still nurses often. I will be walking my 3rd marathon (after a 2 year break) in a week or so and I was planning on leaving her with daddy and big brother for the weekend (it’s in Columbus, OH). I’ve exclusively breastfed my other 2 for 3.4 years roughly and when they were 2 they did not nurse as frequently as my last child does . I’m having second thoughts about leaving her because now I wonder if it will be too much for her not to nurse for 2 days. My husband said it will be a challenge for him, but he assures me that he will be okay. Any advice?