Howdy breastfeeders, single parents, cops, or random person who has stumbled upon my blog. I write to you today to tell you a fun fact. KH has officially received tooth #7 at 17 months!!!

Wait. What? Why is that important? Most kids have way more teeth at this point in the game. Yes, that's very true. My kid is a late bloomer. The significance of this isn't the time frame. The significance is the teeth marks engrained on my nipple. Yeah, you read that right.

One day, breastfeeding was the same random fun it always was: acrobatics, abuse (slapping, punching, teeth grabbing), movement (arm rolls, ab strengthening, and more punching), and the loving part of 4 seconds of eye contact. The next day, I had a 7th tooth popping through the surface and an undeniable pain. I originally thought it was her fingernails as she has a habit of grabbing my boob while eating. Then, after cutting her individual daggers and removing them from my skin, I realized it was teeth.

When I mentioned my pain, people referred to it as biting. It's not at all! KH has done a lot of not-so-nice things in our breastfeeding journey. I've felt a bite or two. Trust me, there's no, "Was that a bite?" moment when it comes to breastfeeding. In our current situation, it's obviously not an intentional bite. What it is, is a.... I really don't know. Maybe a comfort thing?

When I started feeling teeth, I did like I'd always done and figured out how to fix the problem! I noticed it hurt like hell to feed her the normal side lie way.  I held her upright against my shoulder while I rocked her. No teeth. No pain. It was always painful on the left side, never the right. I noticed a small sore on my nipple which was causing the continued pain. I let it airdry after feeds, then expressed a little more milk to rub on it. It's healing quickly and healing well.

So that's our current hurdle. Like everything else, it's a small one and we'll get through it. Until next time!

Who Knew?

This post isn't specifically breastfeeding related.  Sorry, yet not sorry.  This post is all about the unsolicited advice about sleeping that everyone feels you need.  Boom! I got your attention back :-)  The biggest question, from the day I left the hospital, was, "How does she sleep?"  My response, every time, is that she is up every 2-3 hours.  Response from said person who asked the question, "You should add cereal to the bottle, add an extra feed at night, read this book, let her cry...." I lo(athed)ved hearing that question.  Every parent has a different parenting style. Mine is very pro-baby.  If she cries, I figure out why.  For a breastfed baby, it's common for them to wake up more regularly.  Breastmilk leaves the body quicker because it's easier to digest. Therefore, breastfed babies tend to wake up more in the middle of the night.  Cool.  I get it.  I know that.  I made the choice to breastfeed and wake up every 2-3 hours with my kiddo.  I understand. The major question is... Why can't everyone else?

Why is it that the most important question to a mom with a baby is, "How much does he/she sleep?" Why can't it be, "What is your baby doing developmentally?" That is so much more encompassing than sleep.  Who cares how much mom sleeps?  As long as baby is happy, healthy, and having a good time, it's no big deal.  I made the decision, as a single mom, to make the breastfeeding journey.  If I had a question, I asked.  If I wanted advice, I asked.  I was determined that my kid and I would eventually be on the same sleeping schedule and I would not push the issue.  Guess what?  It happened!

Today, KH is 15 months and some change on the weeks.  AKA, she's almost 16 months.  Guess what?  She sleeps through the night! How long has that been happening consistently?  2 weeks.  2. 2 weeks.  You read it right.  Want to read it again? 2 weeks.  That's how long my child has been sleeping through the night at almost 16 months.  How do I feel about it?  Well, I wake up a few times a night to make sure the monitor is still on.  When my alarm goes off, I pick my boobs up and move them because they still haven't adjusted to the overnight sleeping.  Frankly, it hurts.  Would I change it? Absolutely not!

So my advice, to new sleep-deprived moms embarking on the journey is to ignore the advice.  Enjoy your time with your baby.  Enjoy your breastfeeding fiasco.  Enjoy the middle-of-the-night feeds with Netflix in your background for, what seems like, hours and hours and hours.  Enjoy responding to your babies cues and cries.  Enjoy the bonding that no one else can experience.  Enjoy being a mom.  After all, your baby only gets one.  You want to be the best one you can be.

Until next time!

So, since my last post, I've had the opportunity to use the Medela Lactina pump. It's in the hospital grade style so I was okay with giving it a shot. My advice to anyone who tries it? Ask for directions. I used it the first time and was completely overwhelmed! I started my hospital grade lifestyle with the Ferrari Symphony. I pushed a button and everything else worked out. The Lactina is different. You have to turn a knob and turn another thingymajig while holding the flanges up to your boobs and not letting anything fall out. Um. I... I can't! For me, I didn't even think to ask. I had the parts and figured it would all be super easy. What happened, instead, is an open sore. That's right! Somewhere in the twisting and holding, I managed to move the flange the right way to "rub me the wrong way." Ha! Get it? Rubbed me the wrong way? Okay, okay. Pun's are over. Really, though, when I got it going the way it should be, it was pretty awesome. It worked within the hospital-grade suction and my pump time was in the 10-15 minute range. Had I started with that pump instead of the Symphony, I probably would've loved it. Instead, I started with the best and switched to the, to me, mediocre. Same results within the same time. I'll take the Symphony anyday, but the Lactina is a great alternative! Ladies and gents, I'm out. Until next time!

Happy Friday night! It's been 6 days since daylight savings. I will say, at the age of 32, I officially despise the concept of daylight savings time! My schedule is screwed.  KH's schedule is screwed. It's made for some long nights and exhausting days. Seriously. Who's idea was this? Clearly it was a bachelor who has no kids anywhere. Geez... Rant. Over. 

KH is 14.5 months old. Yes, I still count. The weeks ran together due to exhaustion, exhaustion, work, exhaustion, and a little bit of exhaustion. I can do the math to calculate months. That's easy! We're still breastfeeding! It's still a new challenge everyday. I now work 5 days a week and she expects her boobs before I can put her in the truck. One day I showed up at the sitter and she was at the end of the hallway. She saw me, smiled, started her normal grunt that translates to "hi mom," ran right past me and straight to the loveseat I feed her on. She stood in front of it, hit the cushion, and grunted more. Gee, what could she want? I put her on the love seat with me and she tried to unzip my zipper. Seriously. No joke. She knows what she wants and how to get to it! 

For about 2 weeks, everytime she nursed on the left side from a side lie position, I felt her teeth. I know I've said it before and I'll gladly say it again: TEETH HURT! I made adjustments throughout the day and made it work. Bedtime was the big problem. She didn't want to sit up to nurse, she wanted to lay down! I had to bite my lip several times and suffer through it. I tried a different position every night before putting her in side lie. Finally, after days of borderline excruciating discomfort, I felt no teeth! I don't mean my nipples got use to it, I mean she readjusted her nursing style to accomodate the position she liked. Whew! That was a huge hurdle to jump and one I'm extremely glad she did. 

That's my brief insight into the current world of me breastfeeding toddler KH. Hope all is well. Until next time! 

13 months!!!! I made 13 months of breastfeeding. I can't tell you how excited I am to be able to say I hit another milestone. The challenges don't stop. My poor kid is on her 3rd virus in 4 months. Hellllloooooo sleepless nights of worry and waking up to a crying baby. I made the comment a few days ago that I felt like I had a newborn again. I was so sleep deprived I was stupid. Like, couldn't complete a sentence. I could say it in my mind but it wouldn't come out my mouth.

One major challenge with all of her current congestion is BITING. Ouch! The teeth are a new thing for her and she's not really sure what to do with them. She's so congested that she has to break her latch to catch her breath. That would be awesome if she hadn't realized that she can open her mouth and bite me to keep in the right place. She got me one day and I didn't think she was going to let go! I had to grab the back of her neck to get her to let go. Yesterday she was getting ready for bed. I laid her on her boppy, like I do every night. She giggled at me, shook her head, and bit down. She didn't even pretend to try to latch. I yelled, "Ouch!" at her and she laughed. Um, no. Mommy don't play that game! I put her in her crib and walked out of the room. She started screaming immediately. I grounded her from the boob for a minute. I've been told I need to wait a minute per year of age so a minute was all she got. I walked back in, put her back in the original position, and she ate like she was supposed to.

Everyday is a new day with her and I love them all. I hate that she's been sick, but love the great cuddles. I'm ready to see the next battle she sends me.

Until next time!

After 2 weeks of working 8-4 Monday-Friday, I feel like a whole new person. Not working 12 hour shifts makes life so much easier. KH sleeps better and is less tired. She still wakes up 1-3 times every night so not much has changed there. We hit the year mark and a weight lifted from my shoulders. Whew!!! I now only pump once a day at work. I feed her as close to drop off time as possible, pump at noon, and feed her as soon as I get to the sitter. No engorgement and I pump 4-5 ounces. Not being a slave to the pump is amazing. I look at that thing and shake in fear. Well, not really, but it's definitely a hate/hate relationship. I'm still using the Symphony hospital grade pump. Even though it's nicer than the personal pump, I still hate it.

Nursing KH is "fun" now. She's finally getting teeth and I feel them on a regular basis. She doesn't bite, per se. I think her terrible latch adjusts and causes it to happen. Plus, she gets really distracted and tries to take me with her. I don't say anything to her because she's not doing it on purpose. That doesn't mean it doesn't feel uncomfortable!

I still get asked regularly how long I'm going to keep breastfeeding. Not that it's anyone's business, but I really don't know. She still likes it, it's better for her than cow's milk, and it's free. I'm not trying to make a statement. I'm simply doing what's natural and best. Maybe I'll make a few people around me realize it's okay and not abnormal to breastfeed longer. I'm only one person, but I hate the society belief that a walking baby shouldn't be breastfeeding. We make changes one person at a time, right? Okay, okay, small rant over. I'm off to enjoy my day off with my munchkin. Until next time!

In 2 weeks my little munchkin turns a year old. Where did the time go? I'm happy to report that I have enough of a stash in my freezer that I could stop breastfeeding right now and she would not have a drop of formula!!! Woohoo! What that means is I will successfully make a year of breastfeeding. It's been the hardest, most trying time of my life. I never knew that the decision to breastfeed would lead to such a difficult journey! Do I regret anything? Absolutely not. Would I change anything? Yes. I would've gone for the hospital grade pump a little sooner. Other than that, absolutely not. KH wasn't always a healthy ox. She found her fair share of viruses and allergy induced infections. Overall, though, she's a happy, healthy, vibrant, thriving human being. It's still crazy to me to think that she is who she is because of me. I grew her for 9 months in my body, for 6 months on exclusive breastmilk, and through (almost) 12 months on mainly breastmilk with some food for fun. A friend said breastfeeding made her feel empowered and I agree. I grew a human for almost 2 years!!

The next question is: how long do I keep going? People ask me that all the time and I give them the same answer every time. I don't know. It's up to her. She's at the distractable time now so breastfeeding is often challenging. She won't stay focused long enough to get to the let down. It's frustrating to her and even moreso to me. However, she also grabs at my clothes to get to what she wants. It's fun asking her, "Want some boobs?" Her response is a giggle and a head dive into my chest. I figure I'll let her make the decision to wean.

My job continues to be absolutely amazing and very flexible. I recently applied for a "normal" position in the schools. By normal, I mean 8-4 Mon-Fri. No more 12 hour shifts!!!! In the interview for the position, I was asked about pumping and how it would apply to the job. They asked how it would be included into my day-to-day activities and if it would work out. I can't even begin to express the gratitude I've felt with my supervisors in this continued journey. I wish every woman could have the opportunity I have!

Luckily, she only has 2 1/2 teeth. She bit me once and it was when she was distracted. It was absolutely accidental. She is waaaaaay behind the grade compared to all of my friends and I am completely okay with it! She has the 1/2 tooth and another about to break through. I keep telling myself that it will be alright but I'm completely gun shy. Yikes!

I'll post again after our year mark. It's so close!!

Until next time!