A breastfeeding update

(You can read my previous posts about breastfeeding here)

When Luke was 17 months old I was already a few months pregnant with Kevin. Knowing the many benefits of extended breastfeeding (and having a family member with breast cancer at the time) made me want to keep going for a while. However that was when Luke was diagnosed with food allergies and while pregnant I did not want to be overwhelmed by modifying my diet as well as his.

So I weaned Luke. I thought it would be a much harder process than it was. At that point he was nursing twice a day (morning and night) and I slowly started shortening our nursing sessions. We let go of the morning session and then kept cutting down the nighttime one. There were tears from both of us but after a few weeks we were down to one minute. I cherished that very last session. The next day he asked to nurse once, I said no, he cried for a moment and that was that!

Kevin came along and started nursing like a champ just like Luke did. I was so relieved.

I had more than enough milk with Luke (I donated over 1,200 oz) and seemed to have plenty this time with Kevin. However, after my time in the hospital with my kidney stone and high blood pressure my milk dropped significantly.  Kevin was only 2-3 months old and I barely had enough milk to feed him and my frozen milk stash was almost depleted.

I asked around if anyone had any spare milk and had three friends offer to donate to us. This time I was on the receiving end of milk sharing (which is a pretty common practice) and then I knew how grateful the families I donated to might have felt. It took such a burden from me to know Kevin was provided for.

My friends who donated are all women I have known for years. I know them. I know their lifestyles and I trust them. It is necessary to use caution when milk sharing and I felt 100% sure that this milk was safe for my baby or we would not have used it. 

Kevin continued to grow and grow with the donated milk. I would use 2-3oz of donated milk in a bottle for daycare and then added several ounces my own milk. Kevin didn't seem to notice the difference. At home I continued exclusively breastfeeding and my milk slowly started coming back up. Before I knew it we made it to my first breastfeeding goal of 12 months!

Kevin is now 14 months old and receives breast milk 3 times a day (morning, after daycare, before bed and occasionally in the middle of the night if he wakes) Like his brothers he seems to be intolerant of cow's milk so I don't plan on stopping soon because it still is a vital part of his growth. He's currently not even on the growth chart at 18.5lbs but he IS growing and developing. He's petite like his oldest brother so his doctor and I are not concerned about his weight.

Our nursing sessions are so precious to me. It's a moment during the day that is our time. It allows me a way to bond with my toddler who I don't see much during the busy work week. I feel like it's our calm in the storm that our house becomes with three very active boys moving all of the time.

So for now we'll just keep on keepin' on.

Nursing at around 7 months after getting bilateral ear tubes.

The Why

Well Hello.

I've been absent for quite a while on this little blog but my mind has been busy pondering it.

I wasn't sure what I want out of this. If I've been sharing too many things, too personal things. What Nathan might think about it when he's a bit older. The reason behind a blog. What I get out of it and what good it does. The "why" behind sharing a piece of yourself.

What good does it do? I'd lie if I said no good came from it. I enjoy writing although I'm not a writer. I know of friends who have shared my breastfeeding stories with a new mom or people who have been encouraged by identifying with my parenting struggles. So yes, good has come from this and I think it's something I personally need. 

After all- we have a voice like never before in this technology soaked world. We have a stage and I think it's a personal choice to use it or not. However if we choose to use this stage (no matter the size of the audience) I think it comes with a certain amount of responsibility.

So I will be intentionally blogging more except after a few months of reflection it may be a bit different of a tone. I want to be true to myself with what I blog. I want to be vulnerable and personal yet not share anything that my family would consider private. I want to encourage (something that does not come naturally to me yet I am SO uplifted by my friends who are encouragers) and I want to glorify God. And if I make someone cry or laugh along the way that's even better.

Mostly I just want to remember. Photos and story telling are the best tools for that. 

So- I'll be back :)