It will get better. Next week will be hard. And you will second guess yourself a thousand times. But soon it will work itself out. Even though my girls nursed at night, I pumped for daycare bottles (breakfast, lunch and snac) for both of them. Which means I pumped less than you did but a fair amount. It is a labor of love. And you will know when you are comfortable stopping. I had a love/hate relationship with the pump the entire time- and, as I've mentioned before- the pump made me bleed when I pumped with Rachel (it didn't at first but for the last three months it was very painful). I kept judging myself as a "bad mommy" if I stopped but once I did stop, I realized that I should have stopped months earlier. Keep going if you can but you have already hung in there longer than most people. -MH
You've done so great with the pumping. Once he started getting a bottle all day at daycare, Andrew refused to nurse, so I had to pump exclusively. It rubbed me raw. I gave it up at 3 months, so you've already done better than I did. If Kaia goes the the Richmond Renaissance, they provide formula, which is a huge financial help. Just with evening and weekend bottles we go through a big can a week. Also, at Richmond the infant teacher, Miss Vickie, is excellent.
I'll add that both girls could go back and forth from breast to bottle which made my life easier. But they only nursed in the evening once I went back to work (it was easier just to pump on weekends). I never supplemented for Lauren and stopped pumping at 10 months (went to cow's milk then- shame on me). With Rachel, I started supplementing bottles (half breast milk/half formula) at about 7 months. She ended up in the hospital at 9 months and the stress pretty much took care of the milk supply. I should've stopped at month 6 with her since I bled on the right side from month 5 on. Rachel's daycare supplied the formula too. But I was too stubborn/stupid to let them supplement until after I stopped nursing. -MH
I never had a bleeding problem with baby 1. Maybe it was the brand of pump? Who knows. But it was a bitch!
I think that you should hire a foriegn wet nurse- she would supply a foriegn language and breast milk...
You know, I never understood what a wet nurse was when we read Shakespeare in high school...
On a serious note- I think that this whole younger generation has a real shot at being bilingual and I am a bit jealous. I'm pretty bad with English to start with. Of course, if our *wonderful* politicians have their way Oklahoma will be down to just two languages- English and conservatese.
I'm sorry it's back-to-work time already :( I know I have an anxiety attack whenever I have to leave my cats in somebody else's care, so I can't imagine how hard that first day will be. Will it be five days a week?
She's getting cuter and cuter every day... the three pics in the post before this one are my favorites so far!!!
12 comments:
Baby and you need a tiny bit of separation. You guys will be fine. Let us know how it turns out.
Monday will be hell, there's no way to make it easier or I would. If I win the lottery you can stay home with her.
Candice, get on those lottery tickets!
It will get better. Next week will be hard. And you will second guess yourself a thousand times. But soon it will work itself out.
Even though my girls nursed at night, I pumped for daycare bottles (breakfast, lunch and snac) for both of them. Which means I pumped less than you did but a fair amount. It is a labor of love. And you will know when you are comfortable stopping. I had a love/hate relationship with the pump the entire time- and, as I've mentioned before- the pump made me bleed when I pumped with Rachel (it didn't at first but for the last three months it was very painful). I kept judging myself as a "bad mommy" if I stopped but once I did stop, I realized that I should have stopped months earlier. Keep going if you can but you have already hung in there longer than most people.
-MH
You've done so great with the pumping. Once he started getting a bottle all day at daycare, Andrew refused to nurse, so I had to pump exclusively. It rubbed me raw. I gave it up at 3 months, so you've already done better than I did. If Kaia goes the the Richmond Renaissance, they provide formula, which is a huge financial help. Just with evening and weekend bottles we go through a big can a week. Also, at Richmond the infant teacher, Miss Vickie, is excellent.
I'll add that both girls could go back and forth from breast to bottle which made my life easier. But they only nursed in the evening once I went back to work (it was easier just to pump on weekends). I never supplemented for Lauren and stopped pumping at 10 months (went to cow's milk then- shame on me). With Rachel, I started supplementing bottles (half breast milk/half formula) at about 7 months. She ended up in the hospital at 9 months and the stress pretty much took care of the milk supply. I should've stopped at month 6 with her since I bled on the right side from month 5 on.
Rachel's daycare supplied the formula too. But I was too stubborn/stupid to let them supplement until after I stopped nursing.
-MH
just be like the snooty east coasters...hire a foreign nanny. I know that won't help with the pumping but just think, little Kaia could be bilingual!!
I would love that, I hope Kaia is bilingual even without the foreign nanny!
does eakspaying igpay atinlay count? Harharharhar.
What's with the bleeding nipples from pumping? I didn't know that could actually happen :( Technology has got to give us a better way!
I never had a bleeding problem with baby 1. Maybe it was the brand of pump? Who knows. But it was a bitch!
I think that you should hire a foriegn wet nurse- she would supply a foriegn language and breast milk...
You know, I never understood what a wet nurse was when we read Shakespeare in high school...
On a serious note- I think that this whole younger generation has a real shot at being bilingual and I am a bit jealous. I'm pretty bad with English to start with. Of course, if our *wonderful* politicians have their way Oklahoma will be down to just two languages- English and conservatese.
-MH
I'm sorry it's back-to-work time already :( I know I have an anxiety attack whenever I have to leave my cats in somebody else's care, so I can't imagine how hard that first day will be. Will it be five days a week?
She's getting cuter and cuter every day... the three pics in the post before this one are my favorites so far!!!
How you hangin' in there, Momma Sneffnee?
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