Diary of a pumping lady! (do not read if you are offended by boobs :)

Hi everyone, 

Since my blog has covered everything from infertility, loss, joy, pregnancy and complications why not throw in their some more TMI stuff such as boobs and pumping/breastfeeding.  Since the boys are in the NICU for 5 weeks so far I have exclusively pumped for their every meal and we have worked on breast feeding a bit. Luckily, both boys have a good sense of what a breast is for and I think we might have a good chance for breastfeeding once we are home and able to really work on it "comfortably."  

At this point the boys are each eating 50 CC's of milk every three hours and they eat 8 times a day so if we do that math they are eating 27 oz a day.  Luckily, I am pumping roughly about 40oz so i am able to keep up for now :) However, pumping is no joke! Every 2-3 hours around the clock I hook myself up for about 20-30 min so I can maintain and up my supply for the boys. Most days I am a zombie and waking up at 12:30am, 3:00am and 6:00am can be very hard but, I really enjoy knowing the boys are getting strickly breast milk while in the NICU. I am setting little goals for pumping. I want to make it to three months with pumping and if we can transition to both pumping/breastfeeding that would be great. I would love to set my goal for breast feeding to six months and then if it works out well we can extend that goal.

However, the things nobody tells you when pumping...sizing of the parts, itchy/burning nipples, plugged ducts, mastitis etc.  So far in five weeks I have had one plugged duct and one milk blister. I am pretty sure after five weeks I am learning that my right flange (breast shield)may be too big causing my nippy to turn every shade of purple and blue I have ever seen! I am not going to lie it is awful.  When I had the plugged duct I spent four hours pumping, heat, massaging, showering so this DAMN thing would let the milk pass. With the milk blister (bleb) I spent almost the  same amount  of time until I read if you take a sterile needle you can lift the skin and relieve the milk pressure. Thankfully that worked, but the damn blister keeps coming back!! GAH! 

I am hoping that once the boys are home and we can work more on breastfeeding things will become a little easier in the pumping  dept. I just have to figure out a routine. I guess I will put them to the breast at every feeding and hope they get some milk and then follow it up with a bottle to make sure they are full. Then I will pump to make sure I am empty as well. Now all I will need are extra hours in the day to make sure we can accomplish all this in a timely manner and still manage to not look like a zombie :)  

So, please, feel free to give me ANY tips on pumping along with breast feeding. I did make a pact with myself that if at any point I am hating life pumping and breastfeeding does not work out, I will not be misterable and force it. I have nothing against formula and If need be in order to get quality time with my kids I will just have to make the switch.  I have worked too hard for these babies to miss out bc I am constantly at the pump and frustrated. 

In regards to the boys! Maddox passed his car seat test :) and Mason's numbers went up with the meds for the Anemia (didn't get Maddox's numbers yet) So, he might come home this week!  Maddox I dont think is too far behind. Both boys are within an oz of eachother at 5pounds 5 oz and 5 pounds 4 oz. They look so good!

Thank you for making it this far!!

Shannon