Breastfeeding Resources

In the weeks since my last post, I've had a lot to think about. Should I give up pumping during the day and introduce formula? Should I hang in there for six more weeks til my son's a year old and I can replace breast milk with cow's milk?

Now that I'm a semi-seasoned breastfeeding and working mom of a 7 1/2-month old, I thought it would be interesting to review some of my old posts and think back to what I thought, hoped, and feared in those early months.

Integrating the Pumping Me with the Working Me: My anxiety about pumping at work did ease over time. It's gotten very routine. Even though in the early days I felt like I had to stop working and relax while pumping, I now work straight through.

It's been a while since I last posted because things have been going just fine in the breastfeeding and working world. Breastfeeding with Aaron is a snap these days. He's pretty quick (typically less than 15 minutes) and flexible with places and positions. This period must be the reward for making it work early on. Sometimes I think I can feed Aaron faster than it would take to even prepare a bottle of formula.

I’ve been struggling for a few months with milk supply problems. For now, things are going well. In this post, I’ll share what I’ve learned about how to approach the problem and finding a solution.

I find it fascinating how different women fit breastfeeding into their work. Their personal stories inspire me and help me think creatively about my arrangements. Here’s the specs on a few women I know.

Lately this blog seems to have turned into Kris’s Supply Problems Central. Truly that’s all I think about with breastfeeding and working. I can understand how the strain of this would cause people to stop breastfeeding in really reasonable steps. First you supplement with formula, then you’re less diligent about pumping regularly at work, then you stop pumping at work. This is no fun.

Last week continued to be a struggle with milk supply. Aaron was eating more fresh milk than I provided, and then he ate the last of the frozen milk I had brought to the child care providers. I opened the freezer to replace her supply, and…nothing. Whoa! I completely lost track of what was in the freezer, and now there was nothing.

Today, out of necessity and not adventurousness, I pumped while driving. I was running late, and it was either this or skip, a bad idea given recent supply worries. And the result: it was great!

Any time I can find a way to pack something productive into pumping time it makes me happy. Here’s what I did:

Last week, my pumping production was down by about 3 ounces a day (one feeding’s worth). On three of four days, whoever was caring for Aaron had to use frozen milk to supplement the fresh supply I brought. That was quite worrisome. Four to six weeks ago, I was pumping enough extra to freeze some at the end of the week.