Pumping pointers...

Probably TMI for moat people... but I think there is a population looking for support.  I know I looked for advise when I first started breast feedong/pumping and had trouble finding it... so here is my two cents.
So let's get down to it. People tell you "breast is best," but what does that really look like in real life.  This post is entitled pumping pointers... But I will probably add some tidbits about my whole breast feeding experience. First let me say this: So when we had BD one of the things I was most nervous about was not producing enough milk for her. This is a very real situation for some women. And it is okay... I have a theory... Babies are resilient. I encourage you to try, get help from a lactation consultant, pump while you are trying to figure it out.  Push through the pain, I mean this quite literally. But if you discover you have to supplement, it is okay, and life goes on :). Now that we have that out of the way...

Getting Started

First of all, I was not one of those moms who had that magical moment, where straight out of the womb baby was breast feeding. So don't worry things can still work out even if this is your experience. I don't know if it was BD or me, but I don't think she ate much for her first 2 days. We kept trying every 2 hours and eventually we got it. Now, if you are going to pump (or really breast feed in general), the first thing you need to do for the first few months of life is feed on demand. Scheduling mamas out there probably don't want to hear this, but it is usually necessary to pumping success.  Why you ask?  It is all about supply and demand, and when you limit the feeding through scheduling so early it can diminish your supply. But I promise it is not bad.  Even at the beginning I could make a general prediction of how long BD would go between feedings. And now, I would still say I feed on demand, but we have really fallen into a schedule and rarely deviate from it.

Starting to Pump

I found that at first I was feeding BD so often that I did not know when I was going to be able to pump. I  was worried thinking, how will I ever build up a stock (at this point I thought I was going back to work full time). I started by just setting up my pump stuff so it was ready, and after a couple of feedings a day pumping whatever was left. Then at about a month BD transitioned to only feeding off of side each feeding, so then I could pump the other side ( this does not happen for everyone, but works for us). Then I transitioned to pumping before bed and first thing in the morning. Since I am not working full time, I realized I only needed to pump first thing in the morning to get enough milk for BD's bottle, so we moved to that. We have plenty stocked and I pump 1-2 bottles each day. Could I pump more, yes, but it is just not necessary, breast feeding is just so much more convinence than bottle feeding. We try to only give one bottle a day since we can.

Pumping at Work

Now if you are working full time you will have to work it out with your boss or schedule to pump as often as you usually feed your little one, this probably means every 3 hours at the beginning. You might have to get work done while pumping. I know many women who have sat in meetings while pumping or continue to work at their computer. You do what you are comfortable with.... make it work. But if you want to exclusively breast feed, you are going to have to pump often, even at work.

Freezer/Fridge Storage

This was one of the hardest parts for me. Our fridge and freezer were already so full... How was I going to make room. The fridge ended up easier than the freezer. I just designated a small section just for breast milk. I keep less in the fridge, so it takes less room. I usually keep a bowl toward the front for any milk being defrosted... just in case somehow a bag has a hole in it ( this has happened before... no fun).   As for the freezer, this is where I had soooo much trouble at first.  I can say even with the most organized system, you are going to need some space.  We have a really small freezer and 1/3 of it is breast milk!  That being said, I have devised quite the system.   I have turned a rubbermaid ice bin on its side.  There I stack breast milk bags laying flat to freeze.  Newest milk goes there.  Once it is full, I rotate them standing up into gallon size bags.  This keeps everything organized by date, so I can make sure to use the oldest first!

Lastly, 

This does not have to do with pumping... but I feel it needs to be said.  Just because you are out, does not mean you have to use a bottle.  You can breast feed in public.  The reality is that this is not a weird thing and really needs to be normalized.  Personally, I like to use a cover or blanket even with my wiggly 7 month old.  
When I started pumping, I searched for pointers on getting started, storage, and making it work...I hope  this provides helpful info to someone out there. 

Comparison

So everyone has heard this saying. But it is one that tends to go in one ear and out the other. 

Lately God has really been putting it on my heart.  

Social media has taken this comparison thing to a whole new level.  People put their life on facebook, twitter, intagram... and even their blogs.  I obviously do this too. This is okay, but we have to keep things in perspective.  Most of the time we are not putting our whole life on display.  We don't show the despairs and struggles.  We share celebrations and successes.  So others get a beautiful highlight reel, while living they are living their own challenging behind the scenes.   Even more pressing, what does all of this mean we are focusing on. Colossians 3:2-4 says

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

If I am comparing my life to someone else's... then I am certainly not focused on things above.

But here is the part that really has hit me lately- how we avoid the comparison... Aka focusing on earthly things.

We MUST be in the Word.

We MUST be in constant conversation with God.
We MUST serve the world around us.

We MUST participate in real community with real people (read- not social media).

When we live our life in prayer, in the Word, in service, and in community (focusing on things above :)) we can't live in constant comparison.

So my challenge for myself is to do this (only through Christ of course), to spend more time being real and to be focused so totally on above that there is no room for comparison!

5 things this week...

Linking up with

one

Loving me some EBAY... been selling random stuff, mainly clothes.  We made our first $100! Sure beats the clothing just sitting in our closets!

two

Put Bailey Drew in her first Halloween costume, for the very first time for a Halloween event.  I don't think she smiled the whole time she was wearing it, between the beak, the hood and the stuffed body suit... she was unimpressed. Maybe next week she will enjoy it more?

three

Loving fall. In fact I wrote a whole post about how much I am loving it!

four

This chunk is 7 months old (cue tears) and I just cant believe it... just look at how much she has changed in the past 7 months!

five

We talked about Romans 8 in Bible study last night... here is a teaser but you should really go read all of it!

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:31-38

five

BD 7 months...

BD 7 months...

Monthly Milestones

*First tooth!  You cut it while we were out to eat with grandma.  You just started talking REALLY loud... in fact you sounded like you were screaming.  Then I felt in your mouth and there was a tooth.  No pictures of the actual tooth yet :)

Sleeping all day after her first tooth!
*First ride on a swing... you LOVED it!!!!We have been searching high and wide in Statesboro to find a swing and we finally did!

*You have been afraid of dogs... but you finally warmed up to dogs this month! You were even crawling to get to the puppies.  My only fear is that you will forget since you do not get to be around dogs often!

*Super baby push ups... with her super chunky legs... which lead us to...

*CRAWLING!!!  Okay, really you army crawl most of the time, but you are totally mobile.  Favorite thing is to pull all of our stuff off of the bottom shelves... I am not sure we are ready for this! 

You don't like being trapped in the pack n play... you try to crawl right through the mesh!

She even crawled under my table in the classroom!

*Opening your first present (okay really eating it).

 Favorite Things...

*Walker thing :)

 *Pulling out your bows... and chewing on them!

*Sitting with daddy (he may be letting you watch UGA football here:))

*Play dates with sweet friends!  Seriously you love people and other babies!!!

*Playing with anything and everything... especially what you shouldn't have.  Andrew even got out a fake remote for you to use since you like it so much! :)

Weight...

It has been a while since the doctor, but we are pretty sure you are between 21-22 pounds! Our little chunk!

Her royal cuteness...

Height...

*Again, not sure.  We think she is somewhere around 28 inches.

Clothing Size...

6-18 month... Apparently Lolly Wolly Doodle has the smallest clothes ever.  The 18 month stuff looks small on her!

Sleep Patterns...

Still have great patterns for the day!  Usually one nap from 12:00ish -2:30ish and maybe another catnap during the day.  Night time... oh night times.  They are not bad, you like to eat a lot at night and sleep with us.  Some nights are better than others.

Eating Patterns...

Still breast fed 7ish, 10ish (bottle), 2ish, 5ish, and fish... and as much as you want at night... lol.
As for people food, we still love BLW.  You eat whatever we eat 1-2 times a day!

Outings and Celebrations...

*Seeing Grandma!


*Seeing Katie in ATL

*Seeing grandpa


*Seeing your Great Grandparents for the first time!

*Visiting Jes, and baby Graeme!

  

*Seeing your other great grandparents for the first time!
 

 

*Statesboro parade... nothing like NOLA

*Our trip to the pumpkin patch!

Nicknames...

*Little Bit

*Little Chunk

*Chunky monkey

*Bailey Boo

*Bailey Boo Hoo

*Bailey, Bailey Drew (Sung to the tune of Scooby Doo)

*Spit Up Queen- The picture below is living proof... Andrew said she'll kill me one day for posting this  :)

Spit up...

and so happy after :)

Things others have said about you...

*"She has so much hair!"

*"She is so big!"

*"She looks like she is about to crawl."

*"She is chill/easy going"

"Look at those chunks!"

Things we have noticed about you...

* You love eating and drinking real food.

*You seem really chill about things.

*You love seeing all different people! Little social butterfly.

*Persistent and determined... still

*The more people the better!

*You do like a little bit of alone play time.

*You love to smile and laugh.

For Bailey Drew...

 

Out little ray of sunshine.  You are filled with so much joy!   We watch you change everyday with excitement.  As you grow, we can't believe how God has blessed us.  We pray each day for your salvation and safety.  We love you soooooo much!

Looking back...

BD 6 month...

BD 5 month...

BD 4 month...

BD 3 month...

BD 2 month...

BD 1month...

Birth Story...

Bailey Drew is here!!!