I'm now officially a lot of weeks back at work.  Well, not really, but when I look back to maternity leave, it SEEMS like I've been back a while.  One thing's for sure... I still hate pumping.  That hasn't changed.  Every time I sit down, I think, "This is going to be the time it doesn't suck!"  Well, not literally.  I mean, I want the pump to suck as much out as possible.  That's the point.  I mean the whole pumping experience.  To all you women who exclusively pump, I give you props.  I'm sure people would say that about exclusive breastfeeders, but it's different.  As a breastfeeder, I get to interact with my mini me.  She's at the distract-o age now where she wants to stop and smile periodically.  Even then, she's always been an excessive spit up baby so after I feed her, I try to stay in the same spot for a bit to let her belly settle.  During that time, I get lots of smiles, giggles, grabs, talks... When I pump, the only interaction I get is the repetitive cush, cush, cush, cush, cush, cush. Or if I pretend it's saying things, I get the occasional, "When I pump. When I pump. When I pump."  I use a Medela pump.  Seriously, if you have one, try it out.  I bet you'll hear the same thing in your head.

I thought by now my body would be used to the pump and the milk would flow more freely.  Wrong! I now have bruises on both of my boobs from squeezing the milk out.  A friend suggested warm compresses to help.  I'm still trying to figure out how I can do that and still fit within my time window.  I don't have a problem at let down.  My problem happens about 7ish minutes in.  All of a sudden I stop flowing and can feel there's a lot left.  It's not the most comfortable thing in the world, but I've started taking the flange off in the middle of the pumping session and putting it back with the nipple in a different position. If I hit it at the right spot, it starts flowing like Niagara Falls.  If I don't, I'm still at square one with a newfound level of discomfort from "breaking the latch" of the pump.  To stop and go to the kitchen to heat something up, or have a compress that's cost effective that would be warm at that point in my pumping is not time efficient.  I've yet to come up with a warm compress.

Work is still being awesome with me.  I've started using my lactation consultant's shop as a place to pump since it's within the zone I work in the City.  I nurse there often.  KH and I frequent her place on my days off and it's almost as if she knows when we walk in that she's going to eat.  The crazy thing about that is:  I still don't produce as much from the pump at her place as I do at my own house.  I still don't understand that totally.  I know it's all hormones, but if I'm in a place enough that my baby knows she's going to eat when she gets there, wouldn't my body think the same?  Then again, looking back on the days, maybe it's the types of calls that are going on within the city at the time.  Although I'm "out of service" at work, I always have my radio on and could have to jump and put everything on extremely quickly to go.  I've started limiting myself on time as well.  I try to get back in service within 30 minutes of going out of service.  That's undressing, pumping, labeling and putting the milk into bags, redressing, and being ready to go.  30 minutes.  And I constantly check the clock to make sure.  I'm still good with my supply.  I'm still maintaining about the same numbers and I haven't decreased my supply at home.  From an outsider looking in, I'm still good.

I've started trying a schedule at work.  Since I'm supposed to pump every 2-3 hours to keep my supply up, I am trying to pump at 0800, 1100, 1400, and 1700.  If I get a small window before any of those times, I jump at it.  The most I've had to go between pumping sessions to this point is almost 5 hours.  I noticed about 3ish hours in, I was squeezing the sides of my vest to try to relieve the pressure on my boobs.  I tried to do it nonchalantly so it wouldn't look bad.  By the time the end came, it just hurt.  I was pulling the vest out at my neck with one hand and doing everything I could to push the vest in at the sides with the other hand.  I think putting a bulletproof vest on a lactating non-Police Officer mom could be a fun game.  "See how long you can wear it without readjusting in some way."  Ha!  I bet an hour, tops!!

Anyway, thanks for reading.  KH has been in bed for a while so I'm going to go join her while I have the opportunity.  Until next time!!