![]() I have now been pumping for 6 weeks! I have pumped over 170 times (averaging 7 pumps per 24 hours) and now have a "freezer stash" of over 150 ounces of milk!!! WE ended up buying this deep freezer! I am now getting around 1.5 - 2oz per pump. My Lactation Consultant said if I'm at 2oz per pump by the time he's here I have a great chance at being able to exclusively breastfeed him (without having to supplement with formula). So I have done everything I can to make sure I pump as often as possible, and eat as healthy as possible to make sure I can get enough milk every day. DISCLAIMER: This post contains affiliate links and banner ads, which means I receive compensation if you make a purchase using these links. Most Lactation Consultants will tell you, "It doesn't matter what you eat, your body will make perfect breast milk." Which is true, even if you eat only fast/fried foods your body will pull from your own bones and cells to get the nutrients it needs to make every milliliter of milk perfect....but its misleading because if you don't eat enough calories, fats, greens and oats you may not make ENOUGH milk. And that's especially true in my case. So with Lee's help I have a food regime I try to stick to every day: Breakfast: Oatmeal (steel cut oats if I have time), with a bit of cinnamon and sugar & cashews, then I add chia seeds, flax seed, and nutritional yeast, toped with fresh blueberries. Oatmeal is a known galactagogue which means it helps milk production. Second breakfast: (many days I wake up before 5am, so by 9am I am starving!): eggs and avocados or a breakfast wrap from a local deli. Lunch: left overs from the night before; usually chicken, veggies/salad 3pm snack: Shavarti & Cardamom Tea with a Milkin Cookies (has similar ingredients to what I put in my oatmeal) Dinner: Lee cooks :-) usually chicken with veggies/salad (maybe an avocado if I didn't have one already- fats are good!) bedtime snack: a few Oreos or berries and whip cream. Oh the adventures of pumping. I have pumped in my car (what better way to multitask then to spend my 1+ hour commute pumping!). I pump a few times each day at work...and have spilled it a few times.... whoever came up with the saying "Don't cry over spilled milk" never had to pump breast milk before. I didn't cry, but I did let out a few very loud cuss words! I wake up atleast once during the night to pump. I pump while I eat my breakfast, lunch and dinner, and I pump before I go to bed each night. I recently learned what Lanolin is.... everybody was raving about this product which help reduce friction and help heal sore nips.... well I wanted to know what it was and come to find out its Sheep's hair grease!! Its the stuff that makes wool so water resistant and keeps sheep warm! Strange thing to realize...but its still awesome! I have had 2 clogged ducts so far. I thought I would avoid it since I am taking Sunflower Lectithin as a precaution. But I have come to find out if you're a stomach sleeper...you get clogs... boo! so I had to play around and find a new position to sleep in.. I've been a stomach sleeper since I was a toddler! After a few bad nights of sleep and a sore back I think I finally figured it out. Clogged ducts are NO fun!! And can actually lead to serious infections, so I'll do what I can to avoid them. Only a few more weeks until he's here...and then hopefully I won't have to pump as often until I return to work in 3 months. It truly is a labor of love!
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March 2017
Our Timeline2000- Chrissy dx w/ MRKH
2002- Chrissy & Lee meet 2007- Chrissy & Lee Marry 2009- Chrissy 'hysterectomy' 2013- Awarded Cade Grant 7/3/14- IVF egg retrieval (5) 1/18/15- Embryo Transfer (1) 9/29/15 - Bram born! |