I've decided that I'm probably done with pumping my boobs. Camille is doing well enough on solids that when she visits Grandma for a couple of hours, she's OK with Cheerios and doesn't need any milk. I still nurse her when I'm around, but I think the need for milk at every meal has passed.
It's the end of an era, and I'm not going to miss it. The pump was a fantastic tool, though! I'm so glad I had it when I needed it. Every nursing mother should have one.
Showing posts with label breastfeeding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breastfeeding. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Teefers
So I discovered today that Camille is cutting her first tooth!
Part of me is singing, "Hooray! Cami has teeth! She's such a big girl!"
Another part of me is groaning, "Oh shit, my boobs are in for a hurtin'."
So nursing might get unpleasant here pretty soon.
Part of me is singing, "Hooray! Cami has teeth! She's such a big girl!"
| I'M SO HAPPY! |
Another part of me is groaning, "Oh shit, my boobs are in for a hurtin'."
So nursing might get unpleasant here pretty soon.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Breasts Do Not a Pedophile Make
Although this blog is entitled "Go Team Boobies!" it is not a blog about breasts or breastfeeding (many of my male Facebook friends thought there would be photos of boobies here; they were disappointed). The name is taken from one of my favorite shows - The Venture Brothers! - and if you don't watch this show, what the hell is wrong with you?! You're grounded until you can recite the best lines from the first and second season from memory ("Be thankful for ze slits!").
Friday, December 3, 2010
Gravity?
In thinking of the name for this post, I came up with Gravity, and now I have the song by John Mayer stuck in my head I think it's John Mayer, anyway. GTFO!
If you're too young to remember that commercial, please get off my blog and back to listening to your Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus.
As an aside, and on a completely different topic, I just became offended on behalf of the Persian people because that no-talent assclown of a teenybopper Miley Cyrus has the same name as the greatest Persian shah of all time, Cyrus the Great. What a tragedy. If Ahmadinejad should be pissy about anything, it should be that, not this silly nuclear thing. Also, his eyes are too close together.
Anywho, the point of gravity with the question mark as a post title is this: I'm wondering if it's the answer to the question that I'm going to pose
right
now:
Camille is done nursing in 10 minutes or less when I'm sitting up, but she hangs out for 30-40 minutes if I'm laying down. I'm wondering if sitting up is faster/easier because gravity is doing most of the work for her? (<--- that's the question)
I don't know, and the world may never know, just like the epic ponder, "How many licks does is take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?"
As an aside, and on a completely different topic, I just became offended on behalf of the Persian people because that no-talent assclown of a teenybopper Miley Cyrus has the same name as the greatest Persian shah of all time, Cyrus the Great. What a tragedy. If Ahmadinejad should be pissy about anything, it should be that, not this silly nuclear thing. Also, his eyes are too close together.
 |
| It's creepin' me out. |
Sunday, November 14, 2010
All About the Boobies
So, I thought I would dedicate a post to breastfeeding. If you're a mother or will be one soon, and you haven't heard what I'm about to say next a million times, don't worry, you will.
Breastfeeding is the best and most natural thing you can do for your baby. However, even though it's natural, doesn't mean it comes naturally.
OK, that's out of the way. By the by, that statement is 112% true.
First of all, if you really want to breastfeed, not a damn thing that happens will keep you from being able to do it. OK, possibly if you were in a horrible accident and your boobs were somehow cut off, that might stop you. But otherwise, come hell or high water, your baby is going to drink milk out of your nipples!
I may not be the best person to write a motivational post about making it through the tough times of breastfeeding, because Camille has been a total dream when it comes to breastfeeding. She latched on right away, about 3 minutes after being born, and she's had zero nipple confusion even though I pump and give her milk from a bottle sometimes. The only thing that she doesn't get an A on is her ability to leak as much milk as she drinks. Half of it stays in her mouth and half of it ends up on her clothes, her face, my clothes, etc... so now I put a towel down when she eats. Problem solved. She gets a B.
Anyway, hell or high water... yeah yeah. If you really really really want to breastfeed, nothing will stop you. And at times, it can be trying. Like if you have a baby that won't latch on. Or if you have inverted nipples. Or if you get mastitis. Yikes! I'm so glad I didn't get mastitis.
For first-time mommies who are aspiring first-time breastfeeders, here is Taylor's List of Necessary Things to Know/Have in Regards to Breastfeeding. Or simply put, THE LIST!
1. It might not come naturally.
Your baby is new at breastfeeding (shit, your baby is new at breathing, so give the little tyke a break if s/he doesn't get eating right on the first try), and you probably are, too. Remember that stress and tension make breastfeeding even harder, because both of those things inhibit the let-down reflex. For the first few days, your baby won't be sucking much out of your boobies as it is (besides, their tummy is sooooo tiny!), so don't even worry about it if things don't take off seamlessly. You have a couple of days to practice before your real milk will come in.
2. It might hurt.
There are books and other info about breastfeeding that say, "you won't feel any discomfort whatsoever as long as your baby has a good latch." I'm here to tell you that that statement is horse shit. In the same vein of "baby isn't perfect at this," the little stinker might have a less-than-perfect latch. Sometimes, Camille is a lazy baby and won't open her mouth all the way. When she does this, I don't even have to look at her to tell something is wrong; I can feel the pain! So I take her off and put her back on properly. But even when she's had a perfect latch, I still felt some pain. There were a few days when I didn't want to nurse because it hurt. But it also hurt to be engorged, and you will leak everywhere if you have any amount of milk in you and your baby starts to cry. Seriously. So I'd stick her on, grit my teeth through a couple of moments of pain, and then it would go away. Even when she had a great latch, sometimes it hurt. End of story.
3. You'll probably feel like crap for a couple of days.
There is something called "milk fever" that will feel like you have the flu. This is not mastitis (although mastitis can feel like the flu in the early stages). You'll get a slight fever (mine was 99ish), be achy, and of course, your boobs will hurt. This will go away within a few days and is nothing to worry about. It's just your body doing some magic boobie mojo.
4. Your boobs will get HUGE.
I don't think I need to elaborate on this one. But seriously. You're going to need a new bra, or seven. Nursing bras are the tops!
5. You WILL need breast pads.
Remember that thing I said earlier about boobies leaking? Yeah. A breast pad is basically a diaper for your boobs. I use Lansinoh pads, but there are oodles of brands of them. Use whichever ones suit you best. All I know is, if I didn't have many many of these pads on hand, there would be breast milk on everything I own. Even the TV.
6. A pump will become your bestest friend.
Even if you want to exclusively breastfeed and don't plan on pumping and storing, get at least a hand-held pump anyway. There are times when you will be SO FULL of milk that you want to jam your baby's mouth on your nipples and scream "EAT!" This won't work. The baby will probably just cry. Don't try it. What you can do is feed the baby and then pump your overly full boobies until they're at a nice, comfortable level. Maybe only half full instead of bursting at the seams. It will make you feel soooooo much better, and you won't get mad at your baby for not sucking you dry.
7. Your baby might eat like a piggy.
Camille eats like a piggy. She gets milk everywhere. So come prepared with a towel of some kind. Also, there are some sources that will tell you a breastfed baby won't spit up. This is also horse shit. They don't spit up a ton, but they do spit up a little, and even a little spit up can wreck a shirt.
For those of you who will be pumping, keep in mind that not all breastmilk is created equal. The first bit of breastmilk (called "foremilk") that comes out kinda looks like skim milk. It's thinner, and basically serves to quench the baby's thirst/hunger. The nutritious milk (called "hindmilk") comes a little bit later, and it will look a lot thicker (a little thicker than whole milk, not quite half and half). This is where all the good stuff comes from. If you pump only the foremilk and don't include the hindmilk, your baby won't be getting all the best stuff. S/he won't starve or anything, but it won't quite be as good as drinking straight from the boobie. My solution to this is simple. The pump I have (a Medela) had 2.5oz storage containers and 5oz bottles. I will pump into the 5oz bottle until all the milk is out of a boob (which is usually right about 5oz), and then I'll mix that up and pour the mixed milk into the separate 2.5oz storage containers. This way, one doesn't have all the foremilk, and the other all the hindmilk. It's an even mix. Ta da! I don't know if that's necessary, but I do it anyway because I'm a weirdo.
Breastfeeding is the best and most natural thing you can do for your baby. However, even though it's natural, doesn't mean it comes naturally.
OK, that's out of the way. By the by, that statement is 112% true.
First of all, if you really want to breastfeed, not a damn thing that happens will keep you from being able to do it. OK, possibly if you were in a horrible accident and your boobs were somehow cut off, that might stop you. But otherwise, come hell or high water, your baby is going to drink milk out of your nipples!
I may not be the best person to write a motivational post about making it through the tough times of breastfeeding, because Camille has been a total dream when it comes to breastfeeding. She latched on right away, about 3 minutes after being born, and she's had zero nipple confusion even though I pump and give her milk from a bottle sometimes. The only thing that she doesn't get an A on is her ability to leak as much milk as she drinks. Half of it stays in her mouth and half of it ends up on her clothes, her face, my clothes, etc... so now I put a towel down when she eats. Problem solved. She gets a B.
Anyway, hell or high water... yeah yeah. If you really really really want to breastfeed, nothing will stop you. And at times, it can be trying. Like if you have a baby that won't latch on. Or if you have inverted nipples. Or if you get mastitis. Yikes! I'm so glad I didn't get mastitis.
For first-time mommies who are aspiring first-time breastfeeders, here is Taylor's List of Necessary Things to Know/Have in Regards to Breastfeeding. Or simply put, THE LIST!
1. It might not come naturally.
Your baby is new at breastfeeding (shit, your baby is new at breathing, so give the little tyke a break if s/he doesn't get eating right on the first try), and you probably are, too. Remember that stress and tension make breastfeeding even harder, because both of those things inhibit the let-down reflex. For the first few days, your baby won't be sucking much out of your boobies as it is (besides, their tummy is sooooo tiny!), so don't even worry about it if things don't take off seamlessly. You have a couple of days to practice before your real milk will come in.
2. It might hurt.
There are books and other info about breastfeeding that say, "you won't feel any discomfort whatsoever as long as your baby has a good latch." I'm here to tell you that that statement is horse shit. In the same vein of "baby isn't perfect at this," the little stinker might have a less-than-perfect latch. Sometimes, Camille is a lazy baby and won't open her mouth all the way. When she does this, I don't even have to look at her to tell something is wrong; I can feel the pain! So I take her off and put her back on properly. But even when she's had a perfect latch, I still felt some pain. There were a few days when I didn't want to nurse because it hurt. But it also hurt to be engorged, and you will leak everywhere if you have any amount of milk in you and your baby starts to cry. Seriously. So I'd stick her on, grit my teeth through a couple of moments of pain, and then it would go away. Even when she had a great latch, sometimes it hurt. End of story.
3. You'll probably feel like crap for a couple of days.
There is something called "milk fever" that will feel like you have the flu. This is not mastitis (although mastitis can feel like the flu in the early stages). You'll get a slight fever (mine was 99ish), be achy, and of course, your boobs will hurt. This will go away within a few days and is nothing to worry about. It's just your body doing some magic boobie mojo.
4. Your boobs will get HUGE.
I don't think I need to elaborate on this one. But seriously. You're going to need a new bra, or seven. Nursing bras are the tops!
5. You WILL need breast pads.
Remember that thing I said earlier about boobies leaking? Yeah. A breast pad is basically a diaper for your boobs. I use Lansinoh pads, but there are oodles of brands of them. Use whichever ones suit you best. All I know is, if I didn't have many many of these pads on hand, there would be breast milk on everything I own. Even the TV.
6. A pump will become your bestest friend.
Even if you want to exclusively breastfeed and don't plan on pumping and storing, get at least a hand-held pump anyway. There are times when you will be SO FULL of milk that you want to jam your baby's mouth on your nipples and scream "EAT!" This won't work. The baby will probably just cry. Don't try it. What you can do is feed the baby and then pump your overly full boobies until they're at a nice, comfortable level. Maybe only half full instead of bursting at the seams. It will make you feel soooooo much better, and you won't get mad at your baby for not sucking you dry.
7. Your baby might eat like a piggy.
Camille eats like a piggy. She gets milk everywhere. So come prepared with a towel of some kind. Also, there are some sources that will tell you a breastfed baby won't spit up. This is also horse shit. They don't spit up a ton, but they do spit up a little, and even a little spit up can wreck a shirt.
For those of you who will be pumping, keep in mind that not all breastmilk is created equal. The first bit of breastmilk (called "foremilk") that comes out kinda looks like skim milk. It's thinner, and basically serves to quench the baby's thirst/hunger. The nutritious milk (called "hindmilk") comes a little bit later, and it will look a lot thicker (a little thicker than whole milk, not quite half and half). This is where all the good stuff comes from. If you pump only the foremilk and don't include the hindmilk, your baby won't be getting all the best stuff. S/he won't starve or anything, but it won't quite be as good as drinking straight from the boobie. My solution to this is simple. The pump I have (a Medela) had 2.5oz storage containers and 5oz bottles. I will pump into the 5oz bottle until all the milk is out of a boob (which is usually right about 5oz), and then I'll mix that up and pour the mixed milk into the separate 2.5oz storage containers. This way, one doesn't have all the foremilk, and the other all the hindmilk. It's an even mix. Ta da! I don't know if that's necessary, but I do it anyway because I'm a weirdo.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Squirt Cancer in the FACE
So apparently, boobs don't simply make the yummiest thing you can feed a baby (milk, duh). They're also cancer-killing-juice squirt guns!
OK correction: potential cancer-killing-juice squirt guns.
Behold.
After reading that article, how can anyone afford to NOT breastfeed? Your baby gets the best food possible, and you can corner the market on a cancer cure. Everyone wins!
OK correction: potential cancer-killing-juice squirt guns.
Behold.
After reading that article, how can anyone afford to NOT breastfeed? Your baby gets the best food possible, and you can corner the market on a cancer cure. Everyone wins!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Shhh Baby Sleepin'
I think I'm starting to get used to this whole baby thing. I don't freak out every time she squeaks anymore, which is an improvement. I actually got to brush my teeth before noon today... hooray!
On the other hand, my house is kind of in disarray. I need to do laundry... BAD. Fish tank is still clean-ish, but the water needs to be changed soon. And the dog... poor Sophie. She gets a potty walk in the morning and at night, but I just don't have the energy to take her on a long walk yet. Yet. I will. But I figure, I only have time to go to the bathroom two or three times a day, and she doesn't get more potty time than I do!
Oh yeah, I have the best husband of all time, for a million reasons. I won't brag. But yeah. He's the best.
I'm kind of stressing a little, because my boobs don't seem as full as they were last week. Last week, I felt like a dairy cow. Now, the milk has slowed. I try to pump at least one bottle a day in addition to what Camille eats, and it seems like it's getting a lot harder to fill the bottles up. But I guess the more I pump, the more milk will be produced. That's what they say, anyway.
Speaking of Sophie, she's doing great with Camille. When I put Camille in her swing or bassinet or on the couch, Sophie is usually there sniffing Camille's feet or hair, tail wagging. She hasn't been too overexcited, which is cool, because I was expecting her to totally flip out.
Urp, the Beast stirs!
On the other hand, my house is kind of in disarray. I need to do laundry... BAD. Fish tank is still clean-ish, but the water needs to be changed soon. And the dog... poor Sophie. She gets a potty walk in the morning and at night, but I just don't have the energy to take her on a long walk yet. Yet. I will. But I figure, I only have time to go to the bathroom two or three times a day, and she doesn't get more potty time than I do!
Oh yeah, I have the best husband of all time, for a million reasons. I won't brag. But yeah. He's the best.
I'm kind of stressing a little, because my boobs don't seem as full as they were last week. Last week, I felt like a dairy cow. Now, the milk has slowed. I try to pump at least one bottle a day in addition to what Camille eats, and it seems like it's getting a lot harder to fill the bottles up. But I guess the more I pump, the more milk will be produced. That's what they say, anyway.
Speaking of Sophie, she's doing great with Camille. When I put Camille in her swing or bassinet or on the couch, Sophie is usually there sniffing Camille's feet or hair, tail wagging. She hasn't been too overexcited, which is cool, because I was expecting her to totally flip out.
Urp, the Beast stirs!
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