Adventures in Breastfeeding

Amelia is now 4 1/2 months old, and until yesterday, she had never had anything but breast milk. Yesterday, she tried rice cereal for the first time. As a working, nursing mom, I have faced some breastfeeding challenges, and I would like to share a little of what I have learned.
1. The baby is now out of my body, but I still have to closely watch what I eat. Of course we all know that nursing moms shouldn't drink alcohol. Easy peasy. What I have learned about this is that every baby body is different. Different foods have different affects on babies. For instance, when I have milk, yogurt, or ice cream, Amelia gets an upset tummy and she spits up profusely. When I have a diet coke, Amelia gets painful gas.

2. To be successful, you can't embarrass easily. I have accidentally flashed my dad, my father-in-law, and probably a couple friends. It just comes with the territory. You can cover baby with a blanket, but sometimes baby pulls that blanket off! My mother-in-law found me a neat little nursing apron. It has an adjustable neck strap and a flexible, but stiff band on the front. This makes baby visible to me and my goods hidden from the world.

3. Ask for help. Let other people know what you need. I have to travel quite a bit with my job. Last week, I drove to Miami on Tuesday and Enid on Wednesday. When I need to pump, I need to pump. I have had to ask my colleagues to help me find a private place. Many have given up their offices for 20 minutes at a time to help me out. Others have found alternative rooms for me to use.

4. Be resourceful. On long car trips, it is sometimes impossible to find a comfy chair or a room with a door. I have a great breast pump with a car-adapter and a battery pack. I have pumped in my car before. The nursing apron mentioned in #2 has been useful when pumping as well. On more than one occasion, I have even pulled my car to the side of the road, got all hooked up, turned on the breast pump, and driven on down the road while pumping. Then I pull over again to undo everything!

5. Drink plenty of water. Nuff said.

6. Cuddle that baby whenever possible. Skin to skin contact is so good for milk production. When I have to go to work, being away from Amelia can be a little hard on me. Breast pumps don't extract the milk like my baby can. I cuddle and nurse her whenever I can at home, at the mall, in restaurants......wherever we are!

I am by no means an expert. I hope that this blog post may help other new moms who are dealing with working and pumping. It can be a challenge, but it is so worth it!