Savings

DISCLAIMER: This blog entry contains adult information. Please read at your own discretion!


With Luke, my high hopes of breastfeeding quickly were dashed to the ground. My milk took forever to come in and my supply wasn't adequate which equalled a very loud, crying and screaming baby that lost weight during the first two weeks. So, the this time around I knew some of my mistakes I made with breastfeeding and was determined not to do the same thing twice. To my delight Miss Nat was an excellent breastfeeder (is that a word?) in the hospital and once we were home. For the first week. At precisely 11pm at one week old, Miss Nat refused to eat. And she was hungry. Crying hungry. After 10 minutes and not wanting to wake up daddy and lil bro, I gave her a bottle. The next three feedings she arched and refused to nurse, so she was fingerfed via a tube and syringe, and by the fourth feeding another bottle. And so I pumped, and pumped, and pumped to help maintain my milk supply. Apparently, my miss smarty pants realized (after only 4 nights) that once a night in the middle of the night she was getting a bottle. I went to the store and got a silicone hat for my boob (okay, a nipple shield) and success! The next two feedings she nursed. But then she seemed hungry and I seemed, well, voluptuous. So I pumped and got several ounces and decided to see if Nat wasn't nursing and still hungry or just didn't nurse long enough. SHE WAS STARVING. Great. The next morning the lactation nurse called from the hospital and we made an appointment but it wasn't for another week. So I pumped for a week! Turns out my kiddos prefer silicone over organic nipples and an hour and a half with the lactation consultant didn't change Miss Nat's mind one bit. She was chewing instead of nursing. Yes, ouch. So, I learned that I can pump and still maintain an adequate supply for my baby. Did you know some women pump for a year? Amazing. To me at least. So, I'm trying it. And when I've absolutely had it and am ready to move on I will. But for now it works. And my baby is getting chubby. Plus, did you know breastfeeding women get an extra 500 calories a day? Bonus. I wonder if that works for breastpumping women as well. So, I've figured out that by not using formula so far, that in the first six weeks I've saved over $292. And I've learned a new word. Breastpumper.