Breastfeeding

I choose to breastfeed and cloth diaper not because they worked into a particular parenting ideology, but because they both worked for my family and our lifestyle. Breastfeeding wasn't always easy for me. Those first few weeks were hard, emotionally and physically. However, although there were set backs, every week it got easier. When I headed back to work when my daughter was four months, breastfeeding seemed like a walk in the park. The next challenge was pumping at work for the next eight months. Here, you'll find an archive of my best anecdotal breastfeeding resources and information.

  • Breastfeeding

    Pumping Schedule At Work

    This is the pumping schedule at work I followed when I returned to work at 4 months post pardum until 13 months when I stopped pumping (but still kept breastfeeding). Because you’ll be relying on your pump to not just provide you little one food but also keep you healthy and comfortable, you need a reliable pump. Check out my comparison of the two most popular insurance-covered pumps here. My Pumping Schedule 5:30 a.m. – Dream feed. When I was pumping, I found that I liked dream feeding Charlotte as soon as I got up. After nursing her, I’d drink a 16 oz. glass of water. That was also my…

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    Pumping at Work

    It’s no secret that maternity leave in the United States is tragically lacking. The American Association of Pediatricians and the World Health Organization recommend exclusively breastfeeding for 6 months. However, American mothers are sent back to work within weeks of their delivery dates. For breastfeeding and pumping mothers, however, this quick return to work presents a logistical challenges. What do you need to do to prepare for pumping at work? Can I make it pumping at work? I was “lucky” enough to get four months of maternity leave. Back at work, I pumped for 10 months, including the month it took me to “wean” off my pump. Over that time I…

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    My Experience Using a Nipple Shield

    I had given birth in the wee hours of the morning. While I was overjoyed at the birth of my daughter, I was beyond frustrated every time I tried to nurse her. Every nursing session was a teary failure. I’d clumsily try to manipulate myself and latch my daughter; she would want nothing to do with me. A LC at the hospital had suggested using a nipple shield in passing, but it was hard to use and I had read that some babies could not transfer milk using them. When my daughter was born, she would not eat. She. Would. Not. Eat. One lactation consultant (or “LC”) said she was…

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    Breastfeeding Must Haves

    Registering for your baby shower can be overwhelming. I had very little experience with newborns and was clueless as to what I needed. Worse, I was sucked into believing I needed a LOT of things that I didn’t ultimately need. 14 months later, here’s my best advice for breastfeeding must haves. Breastfeeding is free! Except for… If you’re like me, one of the selling points of breastfeeding was the price…free. However, like anything, all those little accessories add up. From cheapest to the most expensive, here is what I recommend for breastfeeding must haves. Duckbill Valves: The standard valve for the Medela pump is a yellow piece of plastic with…

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    A Tisket A Tasket, A Breast Feeding Basket

    When my friend Lynn told me she was going to breastfeed, I was excited for her and determined to help support her. When she told me she was going to cloth diaper, I was ecstatic for me that I was going to have someone to nerd out about cloth diapering with. So to help support her goal to breastfeed, I put together a little support basket of all those things I needed in the first few months of breastfeeding. Many things I never realized that I would need and ended up either having to run out to the store to buy or order on Amazon and wait. Hopefully, Lynn will…

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    The Silicon Savior

    I had given birth in the wee hours of the morning. While I was overjoyed at the birth of my daughter, I was beyond frustrated every time I tried to nurse her. Every nursing session was a teary failure. I’d clumsily try to manipulate myself and latch Charlotte; Charlotte would want nothing to do with me.   When C was born, she would not eat. She. Would. Not. Eat. One lactation consultant (or “LC”) said she was a “lazy latcher.” Another LC said she had a minor posterior tongue tie preventing her from bringing her tongue to the front of her mouth. That, combined with my apparently faulty nipples, did…

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