My journey with Ben was so refreshing after my experience with Harvey. The labor was planned, due to having another C-section. While in recovery, I was able to breastfeed Ben right away. I was anxious about him latching, but the minute we started he latched perfectly! He ate well and finally I could breathe a sigh of relief.
After leaving the hospital — which went without a hitch this time around — things were going smoothly at first. Then my milk came in full blast. My flow was so fast that he would get choked and spit up after every feeding. I switched to pumping and bottle feeding so I could better control his intake and figure out what was going on. I even cut out dairy for a period of time, later finding out I hadn't done it for long enough, which is why it didn't work.
After many doctor appointments, we learned that Ben had a milk intolerance. He wasn't allergic, but he couldn't handle it well. I had to switch him to formula at that point. By the time he was six months old, I had already pumped enough milk to last him until he was a year and a half — and I could no longer use any of it. I had also already started the weaning process, and would have had to continue pumping for another four weeks before it would be dairy-free. I just didn't want to start it all back up again. I had come to terms with ending my last breastfeeding journey, and honestly, I was exhausted. Producing 100+ oz a day was hard on my body and my mind.
I followed the same pumping schedule I had with Harvey — getting 10–12 ounces every session, and in the mornings anywhere from 27–32 ounces. I saved every drop and tracked it all in the Dairy Bar app. By the 6–7 month mark, I had more than enough milk saved to make it past a year.
Even though I was mainly pumping by the two-month mark, I tried breastfeeding again once Ben was past the newborn stage. I hoped that with a little more development he could handle it better — and he did! I couldn't fully switch over because I still needed to track his intake closely. He was barely gaining weight and we were monitoring everything we could. But after his longer nap of the day we would breastfeed, and if I was out and couldn't easily heat up a bottle, I would nurse him then too.
The photo above is one I took one night that still makes me laugh. I wanted some alone time, needed to pump, and the laundry wasn't going to do itself. So I grabbed a snack, my water, and my favorite pumps — and knocked it all out at once.
Let me just say, throughout my pumping journey I tried many pumps. My favorites were the Willow Go and the Motif Luna. They were amazing and truly changed my life. The Willow Go especially gave me a freedom — I could use it anywhere and it worked just as well as my bigger pump. No more being attached to the wall. Seriously magical.
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