Pump, How I Despise You

Welcome to the Breastfeeding Blog Hop!

This Week’s Topic: Lame Breastfeeding Products – Things that DIDN’T work for you.

Did you buy a breastfeeding product or accessory that was totally useless? Have trouble with a particular product? Share your experiences here!

What products do I have... I have a breastfeeding pillow, a dual pump, nipple creams (two types), leak shields, nursing bras, nursing tops, ice packs, breastmilk freezer bags, bottles and bottle paraphenalia.  The only ones I could not live without are my nipple creams and my nursing tops.  I have dry skin so my nipples need ointment.  And I love nursing tops, hate the cost of them but love love love wearing them.  I love just being able to pop my boob out and no one knows. 

The biggest purchase was the pump.  I got a fairly inexpensive one but it was still $100.  I hate the pump, I hate pumping.  I do it because I just can't take Little Man everywhere.  I am greedy and like to have nights out for dinner with hubby or friends.  I'm also in a group for women who have lost children and can't take a baby with me when I go out with them.  The pillow, leak shields, bras, and ice packs are just here.  They're not great, they're not bad.  I could live without them but I don't hate them. 

On a side note, I have realized that I have never gotten a comment or even a dirty look while NIP.  I've been doing it almost daily for 5.5 months.  I have a bunch of snappy comebacks to use and haven't had the chance!  Everyone seems to either ignore me doing it or smile and look away like they are trying to give me privacy.  Why hasn't someone scowled at me or told me to put it away yet?  I live in a fairly liberal, yuppy neighbourhood (I am neither liberal nor a yuppy) and there are several children stores and coffee shops around that even go out of the way to encourage you to b/f in them.  One toy store has a whole section set up in the back with a rocking chair, pillows and change table.  Where do I need to go to get some unwanted feedback!?!?!

Blog Hop - Big Difference

This Week’s Topic: What I Would Have Done Differently

Whether you’ve been breastfeeding for a week or a year or more, I think we all have some things we wish we would have done differently. Share your stories here.

I am so so lucky that Little Man is just a born nurser.  He loves it, I love it.  We have our moments when I want to tell him to get to sleep and stop sucking my boob but in general it's pretty easy.  My only regret with him is that I supplemented a couple of times.  The second night home he was up fussing all night.  I thought he was hungry, hadn't yet learned about the night of transition.  So, I gave him a bottle and then a couple of more nights after that.  Each night he got really bad gas.  Then one night when he was a week old he spit up in his sleep and choked and woke up screaming.  I've lost a child and all I could think of was, he'll choke and die in his sleep.  I threw the rest of the formula in the garbage.  Do I want a baby with painful gas?  One that could choke in his sleep?  Heck no!  He has never had gas like that since and has never spit up since.  Occasionally if he gobbles his milk down to fast he'll spit up a little but not like the exorcism spit ups he got with formula.  It's just not right.  It was clear to me that it was not made for his tummy.  If I could go back in time I would have thrown that "gift" from the formula company out as soon as it arrived at my door.  

This is part of the Weekly Blog Hop hosted by Life with Levi...

Making the Commitment

I love Thursdays and teaming up for the Blog Hop with Life With Levi...

This Week’s Topic: Breastfeeding #2 (or 3 or 4…)

Share your stories and tips for women trying to breastfeed with an older child (or children) at home. How do you juggle schedules, keep the kids occupied/involved, and make it all work?

I've never been a fan of scheduling kids or setting strict routines.  I know families that can't be home 15 minutes late or the kid has a meltdown.  For us, that wouldn't do.  While I always try to put my kids first, I recognize that they need well rounded, rested, happy parents.  Meaning, hubby and I need to do what we need to do without worrying about being home at 7pm sharp.  Usually this works great for us.  Little Man wakes me up at 7am for a feeding.  Then we get out of bed, we all get ready and take Sissy to school.  Now, while I have not tried to schedule him at all Little Man has put himself on a schedule.  I like this because it gives me some idea of how our day will go but he's not so tied to it that if he misses it he'll freak out.  And it offers me flexibility on weekends when I may want to do something with Sissy and he obviously has to come along since I'm his food source. 
It was much harder at first when I wasn't getting much sleep.  I went from doing everything with my daughter to not having as much time with her.  I think I felt the change more than she did though.  I am lucky that I have a year off work for mat leave so I was able to keep her home with me and spend the summer with her.  That extra time together helped ease the transition. 
Sadly, I think the only one really suffering right now is hubby.  I know he missed having just the two of us in bed.  And we still go out for dinner alone but not for as long and not as often.  But he is a very understanding man and knows that for now this is our life.  Breastfeeding isn't just a committment that the mom has to make, it's one the whole family makes.  I can't just take my daughter out for a whole day alone.  Hubby and I can't go to a hotel for the weekend.  For at least a year Little Man comes everywhere.

Where I'm At

It's Thursday!  Linking up with Life With Levi for the B/F Blog Hop...

This Week’s Topic: Check Ins

 Where are you at in your breastfeeding journey? Just started, celebrating a milestone, or already weaned?  

We will be at 5 months next week and loving it!  I love nursing.  I am so sad that I didn't get this oppurtunity with my daughter.  I wish I knew then what I knew know and had the support then that I have now.  I never want to wean.  I want to be one of those mama's who have a 7 yr old on their boob.  I want to freeze my little man in time so he'll always want to be as close to me as he does now. 

Is it all peachy?  No not all of it.  Nights are sometimes rough.  Sometimes he's up 4 or 5 times.  I don't mind him waking up for a nurse, just not that often.  We cosleep anyway so it doesn't require much work on my end.  My husband has even caught me sleeping while little man sucks away.  And the other night I woke up to him sucking my boob (not the nipple just the flesh), pecking like a pigeon trying to find nip!  It was so cute.  I love snuggling with him at night and watching him fall asleep.  He tickles and massages me and gives me big smiles and sometimes tries to coo and chat with food in his mouth, he has bad table manners! 

Til Now I Always Got By On My Own

linking up for this week's Breastfeeding Blog Hop through Life with Levi

This weeks topic is Support Groups.  Did you or do you have a Breastfeeding cheerleader? A support group you can turn to when you have questions or need advice? Share your stories here!

I wouldn't say I have a "cheerleader" but I have found a couple of very supportive friends who have fresh little babes at home and are also exclusively breastfeeding.  It's nice to be able to go over to another woman's house and pop out your boob and talk about sore nipples and late night feedings and various holds or positions.  There is a definite sisterhood.  I find that if you find a group of women or even just one or two who have the same beliefs as you re: b/f, chances are they do other things similar as well like baby wearing and co sleeping. 
I feel like it's a necessity to have this.  People need people to use an old cliche.  I think women often fail or don't even try because of lack of support.  I was just talking to a mom last night about how she tried and tried to b/f but had no resources at hand and no one to talk to about it.  She was a young mom and just gave up.  If she had of had even just a neighbour to support her she may have done things differently.
I'm an avid reader and researcher so I am constantly looking things up online, reading books, reading blogs and trying to get as much info as I can about things.  B/F is one of those things.  I like to be one of the moms that the others think they can go to for help. 
I keep meaning to call LLL and find a group in my area.  I would absolutely love it.

Weekly Blog Hop

This weeks topic for the Blog Hop, @ Life with Levi, is multitasking.

Do you blog while breastfeeding? Tweet while nursing? Multitask in other ways? Share your stories here.

I have not yet mastered the art of multitasking.  Funny cause when it comes to just about anything else in life I can do two or three things at once.  When it comes to b/f though we are pretty stationary.  Little man is easily distracted and any noise or movement causes him to break off and investigate.  He is also a puller of hair, a purple nurple giver, an eyeglass bender and breaker and a lip pincher.  I had to get a local crafter and fellow mom to make me some fabric necklaces I could wear around my neck for him to play with.  I could blog or email while b/f but I find it painfully slow to type with one hand and I usually give up.  We like to be comfy on the couch or lying down when we nurse so I haven't tried walking and nursing,  The most I do is play a handheld game or watch a show.  A couple of times I've pumped one boob while nursing him on the other (very effective btw) but now he would be too distracted by the noise and would keep wanting to watch the pump instead of eat.