Breastfeeding Update

Happy girl after a bottle of 80% formula

I want to thank you all so much for your support. I worried I would get at least one nastygram but I didn't. I just got letters of support, and people telling me that I'm doing the right thing for me and my family and that that's really all that matters, and to not let anyone make me feel otherwise/guilty/etc. That meant so much to me! I enjoyed those who shared their stories, many of which were similar, as well as the decisions made as a result. Bottomline to me is, just like we always say with working out and weight loss, listen to your body. Well, in this case, listen to your heart and your baby. I think I knew for a couple of weeks that it wasn't working, but it's like I just had  to do it because it was the right thing to do and I'd made the decision so dang it - I was going to stick with it even if it wasn't working! Once I really listened to myself and stepped back and started asking for advice and getting support from others, I knew what I had to do for Beckett, even though I didn't want to do it!

As far as the transition from BM to formula, I know you can go 'cold turkey' with the drying up of your milk, but I'm scared to death of a blocked duct or mastitis so I'm taking a longer road but it's working so far! I'm basically:

• removing pumps and cutting the times every 3 days (so 8 pumps for 20 minutes; then 7 pumps for 18 minutes; then 6 pumps for 15 minutes; etc.)
• wearing a super tight sports bra 24/7
• doing frozen cabbage leaves treatments (2/day)

I'm now down to 2 pumps a day for 10 minutes - WOO! After I do 1 pump for 5 minutes and am no longer pumping, I'll do the band-aids + sports bra + ace bandages + tylenol and hopefully that will do the trick - so we're getting there. I can definitely tell that I require less calories and less water now. Don't get me wrong - still eating my fair share and drinking a lot but before it was like I was STARVING and PARCHED all the time. I'd wake up in the middle of the night and in the morning and feel like I was hungover from dehydration no matter how many times I filled up and drank my huge water bottle. I would go to the fridge, open a water bottle and drink it under 3 minutes. Seriously. Then fill up that same water bottle with the cold fridge water and drink it down. THEN fill it up, fill up my big reusable bottle and ALL OF THAT would last me about an hour.

Anyway, enough complaining! I'm much less thirsty - yay - and happy to report that thing are going better in that area. I'm very happy with our decision and am finding that I have SO much more time in the day to spend with Beckett while she's awake, and to spend with the pups/cook/work out/blog/etc. when she's sleeping!

Thank you again for your Facebook and blog comments and emails of support - I appreciate this community so much!!