Not So Easy

I was walking with a friend who I thought was a DF (dry friend—aka-former breastfeeder) the other day. We hadn’t really talked in about a week and she had since returned to work since giving birth to her precious baby earlier this year. I had assumed that she was a DF because, well—she already supplemented with formula and it just seemed like that was the direction it was headed. At the end of our walk I asked her how breastfeeding was going (because we actually had never talked about her plan for feeding when she returned to work). She replied, “I’ve been afraid to tell you.”

Oh! The pit in my stomach!!!! So let me interrupt myself to say this—I know I am passionate about breastfeeding. And when I am passionate about something, I go overboard and talk about it all the time and start blogs and stuff. For someone who doesn’t get it or doesn’t care—it seems obnoxious. But for me, it just seems normal and natural to be excited about something and want to share it with others. But I’m not the BF police and I would never intentionally make someone feel bad about their choice…

Anyway, she said that she tried pumping at work but the accommodations did not lend themselves easily to a comfortable setting, so she is not going to pump—but she is still going to BF mornings and nights.

(cue angel chorus)

How wonderful!!!! I commend her for doing what she can! Maybe one day each home and office and McDonalds will have a lactation room for pumping and feeding—but until then, I applaud those who make the effort to continue feeding their baby breastmilk in some capacity—even it is just once a day! Her plans exceeded my expectations—and I do hope that she will enjoy her mornings and nights with her baby for many more months. But as she has said, it is all day by day. That being said, I hope she enjoys breastfeeding her baby tomorrow morning and night.

On another note, for all you Queen Pumper Pumps-A-Lots out there—is your freezer overflowing with breastmilk and you are worried it may go to waste? Consider donating it to a milk bank. Or do you have a desire to pump a few extra times a day but you know your baby can’t drink it fast enough? Consider donating it to a milk bank. Or—the final scenario—do you need to pump off the foremilk to give your baby the hindmilk quicker (I had to do this for a little while). Don’t toss that foremilk! Consider donating it to a milk bank!