And with that, the 2023-2024 breastfeeding journey comes to an end.
Honestly, when we found out we were pregnant, I knew I wanted to raise our baby as naturally as possible, because that is the way we live- we eat a ton of veggies and fruits, and free-range meats and at the time of becoming pregnant, I actually was a vegetarian believe it or not-- but the babe demanded meats and cheeses so my diet changed drastically haha
BUT I wasn't sure what was in store for me when it came to breastfeeding. Would the baby latch right? Would I have a good supply? What if I can't make enough or its too tough. But I still registered for the pumps, milk bags, and the alike. I wasn't sure, but I made a goal to myself to at least try for a few weeks when the baby was first born to see if I could do it.
When Flora was born, I as astonished by how she latched immediately. How fricken INSANE and cool it was that this fresh baby- maybe a few minutes old knew exactly how to latch and get her food. Nature is neat(ure) you know! It was after our first day with her Earthside and seeing how well she was doing that I made the new goal of 6 months.
Today is my last day I pumped. We stopped nursing a few months ago, and the sporadic nursing a few weeks ago when Flora found it oh-so clever to chomp down with her fresh top +bottom teeth while eating- fricken OUCH GIRL- but I continued to pump- like I have been doing since Flora was 3 days old. Im thankful our pediatrician recommended I started to pump at that first visit so Trevor could help feed her through the night. It helped us build a giant breastmilk supply, and helped me get through those long wedding days without being in some serious chest pain.
So here we are, 46 weeks of breastfeeding- roughly 10.5 months and packing up all my pumping gear is really, really surreal. I feel so grateful I was able to nourish my baby with my body for so long. I am blown away with how long I stuck in there, even after having mastitis twice. I will admit I wanted to give up so many times, especially when the freezer outside took out 3/4 of our breastmilk stash- but I am proud that I stuck through for almost all of Flora's 1st year.
I learned so much in the last 10.5 months about how to produce more milk through protein, hydration and oats- lats and lots of oats, oatmeal, oatmeal creme pies, oat bread, oatmeal raisin cookies- you catch the jist. I learned about the benefits of nursing- that Flora was passed along immunity through the milk which helped prevent a nasty cold season over the winter. I learned about the do's and don'ts for freezing, storing, and warming milk- which ultimately swayed our decision to purchase a deep freezer. I saved us so much money by putting in countless hours nursing, pumping, and storing. It's a crazy journey that is almost second nature at this point, and today I get to let it go. But not forever- hopefully future little babes will do as well. Hopefully I will retain the information. I hope I am able to last 10.5 months for the next one.
Being a mom is wearing a million hats all at once. And this is one hat I get to hang up. I can't help but to wonder what new thing is coming my way as Flora grows and gets older. It's a little scary and quite unknown, but as is everything in this life, right?
Closing thoughts- Tsrete breast pumps are the best. Deep freezers are necessary for freezing stashes. Don't use your garage fridge freezer, it will unthaw and wipe out your hard work. Breastmilk is the universal ointment for everything-- baby acne, dry skin, pink eye, the alikes. Body builders pay $4/oz for the stuff and that is just wild to me, but also means that Flora has been drinking more expensive bottles than I had when I drank champagne. Breast milk contains an enzyme called lipase, which helps baby digest fats and sometimes when the milk freezes these enzymes multiply and can cause the milk to smell soapy. It's weird but its harmless. The human body is absolutely insane on the things we can do- like creating an entire human body, and being able to feed said human for extended periods of time. A skill women can do and we don't even know it. The Haaka silicone breast pumps are life changing when you're on a plane for an extended period of time. Pumping equipment and frozen breast milk are considered medical devices and can be brought as a carry-on for a plane without question. There's so much support out in the world when it comes to pumping and breastfeeding.
With little misty eyes as I close this chapter- I am grateful for all my body has done for our baby. If you have any questions about breastfeeding and how to make it 10 months (or further!!) I am moooore than happy to answer those in the comment section!
Rockstar!!