Moo

So one of the challenges of coming back to work was going to be how and whether breastfeeding would survive.  In my typical fashion, I assumed that pumping during the day would be impossible, my milk supply would be compromised, and AJ would be drinking formula (and throwing it up [another post for another time]) in a matter of weeks.  Week 3 back to work is proving that I might actually be wrong about all of that.  Despite my challenges on Day 1, I've been able to manage pretty well getting 3 pumping sessions in over the work day.  Having a dedicated room is a huge help and my schedule has been pretty flexible and has allowed me to make it a priority during the day.  Based on what I have read, when you change to exclusively pumping or 'mostly' pumping versus actual breastfeeding, your supply tends to diminish.  I have been obsessing over supply since AJ was born.  Amazingly, thankfully, it was never a problem for me, even when I thought it was.  Now that I've gone to pumping, amazingly, thankfully, its still not a problem.  I am sure I am jinxing it by even writing this post, but I feel lucky that we have a substantial stash saved up in the freezer that continues to grow daily.  In fact, it kind of forced our freezer into overdrive, and we now have a second refrigerator in the garage that has become milk storage central.  I am positive that I will have nightmares about the electricity going out or some other device malfunction that will spoil what I've worked so hard to collect.  This picture does not even do it justice.

So yes, I'm married to the pump.  Yes, it dictates most of my day.  Yes, sometimes I am almost in tears because I can barley fit in 20 minutes to pump when I'm very overdue.  And yes, I am bitter about getting up to pump when AJ is sleeping an extra long stretch at night, and its my boobs that wake me up and not his fussing.  But, every time we go to the Dr and he has put on weight, I remind myself that I'm lucky enough to have given him that weight, those chubby cheeks and those chunkier-by-the-day thighs.  And that makes the obsession pretty much worth it.