Ah, milk... It seems like my entire life revolves around it these days, so why not dedicate an entire post to it? (Warning: If the thought of breast milk makes you squeamish, you might want to stop here!)
It's funny, in a way... We got off to such a rocky start with breastfeeding, and there were so many moments where I thought that I was a complete failure and would never be able to do it. But then we got over the initial hurdles, and breastfeeding was great! It's still so time consuming, but I really enjoy just having the time to snuggle with Nikos. Lately, though, I've been presented with a new hurdle: going back to work.
Going back to work has actually gone surprisingly smoothly, in most areas. The one area that I'm really concerned about right now is my milk supply. While I'm at work, Nikos has been drinking three 4-ounce bottles of my milk, which means that I need to pump 12 ounces a day in order to break even. I pump before work, after I get home, and during my lunch break. The problem is that I am hardly getting any milk out when I pump at lunch time! It's weird enough just sitting there with my breasts fully exposed and hooked up to a machine, but I am also constantly worried that someone will walk in on me. I have so much trouble relaxing, and I think it affects my production. Add to that the worry that I'm not producing enough, and I'm stuck in a vicious cycle! I am really hoping that this will get easier...
My other milk-related concern as of late has to do with another kind of milk: cow's milk. Those of you who know me well enough know that I am a milkaholic. I love to drink milk-- many glasses a day! However, after doing some research, it seems that little Nikos may not be a fan of the cow's milk protein that he is getting through my breast milk. It all started with some seriously green poop early in December. I did some searching on the internet and in all my baby care books, and thought (hoped!) that the green poop was caused by foremilk-hindmilk imbalance. I switched to block feeding (feeding him only on one side at a time, as opposed to switching halfway through a feeding), which would have solved that problem. And yet the green poops persisted! I did more research last night, and discovered that cow's milk is among the most allergenic foods for newborns. Many babies are very sensitive to the protein in cow's milk (not the lactose!), and this sensitivity can lead to green, foamy poops (all the time!), skin rashes (yup! minor one on his face!), diaper rash (check!), fussiness/gas (check!), spitting up a lot (check!), and disrupted nighttime sleep (check!). So I'm pretty sure this is the problem, and am giving up drinking milk for the week to see if anything changes. If that doesn't work, I'll give up ALL dairy and see what happens. Either way, I hope that one day Nikos realizes what a huge sacrifice his mommy made for him. I am already craving a nice, cold glass of milk!!!
1 comment:
Wow, it would seriously suck if you had to give up milk while you're breastfeeding! I hope he's not allergic to it. And I really hope that if he is, just giving up actual milk and not all dairy will take care of it. I'm sure he'll appreciate it one day!
And, on the pumping - I've found that being stressed when pumping is (for me) a recipe for disaster. I hardly get anything because the milk won't let down and I usually end up with a plugged duct to boot. What really works for me, in addition to relaxing, is to visualize the baby - like some good memory of him, nursing or otherwise.
For awhile, when I needed to pump and was having trouble, I actually played the sound of a video clip of him making little baby babble...and it worked every time. Lots of milk! I don't know if you can do something like that at school, but it might be worth a shot. Or maybe getting something to cover up with so you won't feel so exposed and worried about someone walking in?
Anyway, just my two cents. Good luck!
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