THE p u m p i n g lifestyle :)

So I have almost been pumping for 8 months now!!!!!!!!!!!! I can honestly say that I DO enjoy hooking up to that noisy thing every day! {4x a day actually!}

I am going to give you the story behind my pumping because I don’t think I ever have!

 After I gave birth to Oakland over 4 years ago I thought I would breastfeed and that it would be simple. I mean God created me and he created in me the ability to be a mother and so I thought well I will FOR SURE be able to BF! Man it hurt! I pumped from day 2 when I was told he was going to the NICU because he had some sort of infection and they caught it early. THIS BROKE MY HEART! HE WAS JUST FINE THE DAY BEFORE!!!!!!!!!! WHY WERE THEY TAKING HIM AWAY?!?!?!? SO I was discharged and he s t a y e d. That tore Jerod and I apart. That experience definitely tested our faith and made us stronger. Trials always seem to do that.. Well I was pumping NON-STOP for my baby boy because I did not want him on formula in the NICU… they had to supplement a little or so they told me. I was bringing milk up every day when we would see him. I even had him nursing with a nipple shield. FINALLY the glorious day came 7 days later he got to come home!

 His latch was improper and it shouldn’t hurt my LC told me. He was a little lip and tongue tied and that could be a problem with his latching I was told. I continued to try and nurse but would have him on me for like an hour at a time! I was getting nothing done…. and so I started to pump…. I was getting a lot but I thought I should try and make more by taking an herb called fenugreek which I have talked about before and I highly recommend it! I took 9 pills a day and staying home with him so pumping was easier then with him.

I got a teaching job when he was 8 months! I was ecstatic! That’s what I got my degree in! BUT- I wouldn’t be with my baby anymore during the day. 🙁 I knew God had plans and that it was going to work out. SO I started to pump less because I was going back to work. I pumped while working for only 3 months because this was my first year of teaching and it was taking a toll on me. I pumped for 11 months straight for my sweet baby and wouldnt of had it ANY other way!

So this brings me to Ainsley! She latched on right away ( or so I thought she did) I don’t think she was getting near enough and she was realllllly hurting me also! OH NO NOT AGAIN….. well the doctor said she had a slight tongue tie also! I tried the nipple shield and it lasted for a little while but I was an exclusive pumper before and it worked so I thought I’d go back to pumping! I was okay with that. Breastfeeding didn’t work for us the 1st time and it was not working the 2nd time around. I thought as long as I am providing my milk for her I was okay with that! I was SOOOO blessed to have been an OVER PRODUCER from day 1 with her! So I started to freeze the milk… I was pumping 15 ounces at each session just about! I was not even taking fenugreek!!!!!!!! So then month 2.5 comes along and it’s time to go back to work… :/ I DID not want to leave my baby girl, BUT I did not want to give up my amazing teaching job which I know I have been called to do! So I go back and pump at work yet again….well it is now 5 months later and I am going strong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It feels so amazing to be able to provide the best nutrition for my little girl!

April 3rd marks 8 months of pumping exclusively! I am so incrdibily grateful for the chance to do this for her.

I stopped pumping for 2 days and couldn’t bear it… so I started taking herbs finally to get my supply back up and miraculously it came back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

As of now I am pumping anywhere from 20-30 ounces a day! Praise the Lord!!!!!

Here are some pictures of the herbs I have been taking for a few weeks now and I can honestly say they are WORKING!