Becoming the Goddess with a PUMP

While pregnant with Teo, I learned that all new moms would have milk and that it is a fallacy that some women do not produce enough or at all. Armed with this knowledge, I was determined to breastfeed Teo exclusively for at least six months.

However, along with every single item in my birth plan, our breastfeeding relationship did not progress as I expected. Yes, breastfeeding (BF) is a learned skill for both mommy and baby -- given the right start, a good support system and lots of information. I had the last two but not the first. L My little angel was born stressed and so the hospital staff felt that he had to gain strength: Teo was given formula in bottles at the nursery even when I said I wanted to exclusively BF. I did not have control of situation because I was sedated that first night leaving the feeding and changing to my fearless husband (in itself a story I would be proud to tell)! I tried to get him to latch on before I completely fell asleep, about six hours after birth, but he did not.

Two days after delivery, upon the encouragement of relatives, I rented a hospital-grade Ameda Elite breast pump from a local hospital and started pumping 10 times a day to get my supply going – and that is on top of attempting to nurse him.

Even after two visits to a lactation consultant, a rigid pumping schedule and the full support of Ale and my folks, BF still took a toll on Teo and I. I became an unhappy mommy who felt like all I did all day was nurse. Teo must have felt the same, too, because he did not seem to be satisfied or he would fall asleep without draining me well. It also came to a point where I was in so much pain already that I cried each time Teo would latch on. Stressing about all this definitely caused my supply to be on the low-end.

Ale then suggested that I just pump milk and give it to Teo in a bottle. That’s when I discovered Exclusive Pumping (EP) and learned that there were lots of moms in a similar situation as I! I found an online support group and lots of information off the internet.

EPing meant…

Investing in my own high-grade electric pump
Hooking up to a pump every 3 hours for 15-20 minutes almost round the clock
Taking every single galactagogue possible (fenugreek tablets, old-fashioned oatmeal, mothers’ milk tea and, now, malunggay capsules)
Twice or thrice the work: pump, feed, wash parts and bottles
Seeing only 1-2 ounces every session for the first few weeks from BOTH boobs (when Teo would take 3 ounces)
Supplementing with a little formula for a week or two just to get ahead of Teo’s needs
Experiencing a plethora of emotions: boredom, tiredness, fulfillment, etc.

Teo is now three months old. He smiles, giggles and is very active (thus, the slender physique on his almost suprisingly long 25-inch long, 11-pound frame). Every time I feel that I want to throw my pump into the trash or simply skip a session, a peek at my little boy, the sound of his incessant cooing is more than enough to get me going!