The Ease of Pumping

One of my pet peeves is moms who wont nurse for a variety of reasons including: "It's just uncomfortable" "It hurts" "It's inconvenient" etc. I want to pop them!

Of course it isn't convenient all the time... However I never have to clean a bottle, prepare it and then carry it everywhere... and make sure I am carrying enough. Some times it hurts... have YOU been engorged? How about bitten? Or have you pumped so long that your nipple is trying to run away? OK so? You're normal. And if you stick with it, you are providing your baby with what nursing moms call "liquid gold" for a reason! It IS gold! The CDC agrees. >shock<

OK enough harping... you know how *I* feel about it (and you are welcomed to leave your findings and opinions in the comment section.)

If you have been following my blog here, and I am certain you have because unless I told you about it, you didnt find it searching, I had cancer. However, don't worry, it was the "no-big-deal, if-you-are-going-to-have-a-cancer cancer, then-this-is-the-one-to-have."

I need to tell you about something that saved my milk supply WHILE being drugged up and out of it...

I have this strapless pump holder. I didnt hand make it, it is not a cut up sports bra. It's a real life, designed for this, kind of contraption. The PumpEase. And like it's name, it adds ease to pumping. I use mine 4-6 times a day.... on top of nursing.

So when I was told that I would be away from my baby for 48 hours... AND I needed to dump for 24 hours due to the anesthesia, I was fearful of engorgement and MORE fearful of losing my supply. Of course with the anesthesia my supply DID drop (it is back up.. it was just the drugs) but I was also kinda drugged for a while there and when I strapped on the PumpEase I could pump and rest and let it go and I must admit, a few times I dosed off ::whoops::

I was in the hospital for 48 hours. I dumped almost 50 ounces and saved over 37. while that seems like a lot, it's not for me... kinda depressing to tell you the truth. I was pumping almost 40 ounces a day for donation to Get PUMPed before I learned that I had to have my thyroid removed [and then I pumped for saving - almost 2500 ounces before the surgery] AND Atlas didn't take a bottle... so if you do the math I was excreting 70-80 ounces a day. So WHILE IN the hospital my supply was halved. Regardless, after the anesthesia wore off and I was back on fenugreek, my supply has returned, but my baby is also eating solids now, so I am sure my supply is less these days.

When I got my own room after the surgery I asked for help putting on the PumpEase, but I never took it off... kinda made me feel I was wearing my clothes and not just a robe, or 2. I also put my underwear on. TIP: If you MUST stay in the hospital, carry clean underwear and a bra. It makes a huge difference.. you can pretend you are walking the halls in a ball gown holding onto your staff... rather than your hospital gown and IV stand.

Had I not had my PumpEase, I would not have been physically able to pump. There was at least 2 times that I fell asleep with it on and my Medela doing it's thing.

I just checked the website and the PumpEase  is $38, plus S&H.... but, if you are like me and use it a minimum of 4 times a day... in a month (30 days).. FOR ONLY one month, makes it less than $.32 a use. However... who only pumps for a month?!!? My dang Medela cost $313. However, the first 5 people to email me at - beadandelion at gmail dot com - will get an amazing diiscount. Nope, wasn't meaning for this to be an advertisement, I just REALLY believe in this product and think once you give it a try you will recommend it to others.

Which Medela is an AMAZING company! My pump DIED when we reached my in-laws house the day before Thanksgiving. They overnighted me a brand new one. Their customer service is top notch!

One last thing, the PumpEase is one of those mom-created items that "made it big".... Wendy Bell is super friendly and not just the dreamer/creator/CEO, she is a concerned mom. She wants you to pump/nurse as long as possible and if you have any suggestions to make her product EVEN BETTER [good luck] she'd love to hear it. Again. something you could comment me on!