This is going to sound crazy, but I'm not ready to retire my breast pump.
I wasn't working all summer, and by August, I stopped pumping. Not on purpose, I just got busy with other things.
Up until then, I had mostly been pumping, I suppose, for our donor milk baby, though also for Calliope in some sort of "just in case" way.
And now I'm pumping at work as a way to keep my supply up for those morning and evening nursings, so that there is a good supply there.
I guess I should add that I don't really mind pumping. I have the awesome Freestyle pump which hooks onto my bra, so that's easy and totally hands free. I typically eat and check email while I pump, so it really doesn't interfere with my life much.
But apart from a few sips of milk she took from a cup once, she has refused to take either breast or cow's milk all summer, from either a bottle or cup. She hasn't been a fan of the bottle in a long time -- she would only take 1-3 ounces, usually, from bottle last spring, once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
I only came back to work last week, and that was only for a three days week, but so far, she is still refusing to take milk while I'm away at work. The nanny generally gives her yogurt as an alternative.
Over the weekend, she saw her four year old idol drinking cow's milk from a glass, so she willingly tasted that... but only one sip.
But I'm hoping that as she will change her mind once she sees that I am gone all day, five days a week. And will relent about taking milk.
On the other hand, I wonder if I'm completely nuts. I mean, she's growing up, right? She's supposed to wean at some point. It's okay if my supply dips. She can eat other foods.
Right?
I have a feeling that this is really about me. But I'm not sure what to do about that. Maybe at some point I will be ready to stop. Or the pediatrician will tell me I'm crazy (so far she has counseled me to continue as long as I'm feeling like I want to).
Do you think I'm nuts???
Nuts? No. Well, at least not about pumping. :)
ReplyDeleteI struggled with giving up pumping - though my days got so much better once I did.
Now that he's weaned, Finn almost never drinks milk during the day, and will have maybe 4-6 ounces at bedtime, sometimes less. He did ask for milk with supper today, but that's rare. He more than makes up for the lost calcium with all the yogurt and cheese he eats!
Have you or the nanny tried a straw? Carys doesn't take bottles from me, isn't good with cups yet, but does great with a straw. Anyways, my thought is that it might be nice to keep her drinking as much as possible just for the ease of getting extra calories down her.
ReplyDeleteWeaning Elena was one of the hardest parts of parenting for me...there were parts of me that SO wanted to be done BF & other parts that never wanted to stop. Elena didn't take to milk right away but now she drinks it like a champ & enjoys it cold more than when we would warm it up & she seems to drink more & more now.
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