Tomorrow is Easter.  The second holiday since my little angel made her way into this world.  Also, a day I will be spending at work, instead of with her and family.  I'm already starting to get emotional and the day hasn't even come yet.  Sigh... That's one part of the job I never minded.  I would always work holidays so my co-workers with kids could take off.  Now, I'm that co-worker with a kid.  For the record, I've never been much on holidays.  Even as a college student, it was rare for me to go home for any holiday but Christmas.  It has nothing to do with not liking my family and everything to do with my anti-Hallmark ideals.  I am a Christian, but I am not extremely fond of churches.  I go and feel like everyone is being super fake with forced smiles and false friendliness.  I know not everyone is like that, but that's how it seems in my mind.  Maybe it's because I worked nights for so long and would go to church grouchy.  When I'm grouchy, I don't want to smile!  I feel most holidays, religious or not, have turned into huge marketing schemes for a way to make money.  I mean, look at Christmas.  They're now having sales on Thanksgiving which takes people away from their families.  It makes absolutely no sense.  Man I got WAY off subject!! Anyway, tomorrow is my first holiday without my baby and I'm not looking forward to it!

I guess since this blog is about boobs, I should talk about them.  I hit and passed the dreaded 3 month mark.  I had started taking a supplement that included fenugreek and blessed thistle.  I was pumping awesome amounts but felt like it wasn't the right thing to do.  After all, there was nothing wrong with my supply to begin with so why should I have to supplement?  I got off of it and felt like my world was ending.  Not because I was depressed from not taking the supplement, but because the amount I was producing was so much less! I went from pumping at least 4 ounces every time to lucking out at 3.5.  I even pumped 2 3/4 ounces in one sitting.  I know you're not supposed to look at the flanges while you're pumping but I was staring them down hoping for more drops!! I was feeling terrible and almost started back on the supplements.  Alas, after 2 days of work pumping and 2 days off with my munchkin, my supply got back to where it needed to be.  I pump as close to every 3 hours as possible.  In doing so, I pump 4 ounces.  If it's a little under 3 hours, it's a little less.  If it's 4.5 hours like it was today, it's a lot more!  Did the supplement work? Absolutely.  Did I need it?  Absolutely not.  I've successfully hit and bypassed the 3 month mark as a continued successful breastfeeder!  I counted my freezer supply and I'm at about 190 ounces.  I was at 180 the last time I counted.  What that means is my supply isn't increasing as much as it was, but I'm still ahead.  To be morbid, if I were to die today, my child could eat for at least a week! Since that's not happening, I have a huge cushion.

Speaking of my freezer supply, I've enjoyed talking to friends about what they do to get and maintain a supply.  Of course my situation is different than most.  Being the single mom, the opportunities for me to pump are not always there.  Ideally, if I could, I would've started pumping after every one of her daytime meals.  That surely would've brought my supply up.  However, since that is the farthest thing from practical in my world, I pump after her morning feeding.  Before I started back to work, she was sleeping 7-8 hours in a row on her first stint.  On those days, I'd wake up all kinds of engorged and, after feeding her, pump 6-8 ounces.  Now that I'm back to work, she has regressed in her sleeping.  She's now up at least once a night, but more often 2-3 times.  What does that mean?  It means my body is constantly replacing the supply and I don't wake up with the feeling of, "Oh shit if she doesn't eat now, my boobs are going to explode!"  Instead, I feed her and do good to pump 2 ounces after.  My favorite question to be asked is, "Does she sleep for ya?"  Ha!  Yeah, right!  If you're reading this to try to find a solution to sleeping woes, you're not going to find any.  I can't even get her to sleep in her own bed.  But that's another story for another time.  It's late and I'm going to go cuddle up with my munchkin.  Until next time!