Milk Slave

I’m a milk slave right now. 

I call my newborn my “Milk Master”. He has been having trouble gaining, so I am really focused on feeding him right now. 

I nurse on demand all night. Usually get 1-2 hours of sleep between feedings. Nurse him on one side and doze, nurse him on the other side and doze, sleep a little while, repeat.

During the day my routine is to put him in his bouncy seat in the sun while I scramble to make breakfast and do the dishes. He usually gets fussy before I’m done, so I baby wear and try to finish it. Then he wakes. 

I nurse him on one side, nurse him on the other side while hooking the haakaa up on to the first side, hook the haakaa up on the second side while burping him and ask one of my girls to warm up an ounce of either pumped milk or formula, whichever I have ready in the fridge. Give him the ounce (or as much as he will take) while being hooked up to the breast pump. Store the milk from the haakaa and pump in a bottle and fridge it for next time or give it to him right away if he isn’t satisfied with his feeding so far. Then burp him. He’s a hiccup baby, and usually gets the hiccups even if he does burp. I entertain him for a while or give him to someone else to entertain so I can try to get some more housework done or at least wash all the bottles and pumping equipment. Sometimes I wash the bottles and pump equipment with one hand while I hold him in the other arm. He is happy for a while, but then wants to nurse again to get rid of the hiccups. He falls asleep and wants to sleep on my chest, where he can hear my heartbeat. 

When he wakes up, we repeat it all over again. 

And I try to snag special moments to share with my other children throughout the day so they don’t feel left out, and to do things like feed them and put them to bed.

It’s a lot of work. It’s rather exhausting work. But it’s worth it. Breast-feeding is very important to me. One of the main reasons is that my husband is a type one diabetic, and, although diabetes usually skips a generation, I want to do everything I can to make sure my kids get off to the healthiest start possible.

I’m not telling you about this because I want you to think well of me or have sympathy for me. I’m sharing my day with you because I know you are going through the same thing, mama.

Maybe you aren’t a Milk Slave right now, but you are still doing it for your kids. 

Maybe you are waking up early every day to get the kids off to childcare so you can scurry to work to provide for them. Then you pick them up and go right to dinner and chores and bedtime. You are amazing.

Or maybe you are holding down the fort at home while your hubby works, carrying most of the  housework and child raising responsibility. You are amazing.

Maybe you are the mama of a special needs child. A teething child. A child who is going through a “phase”. Maybe you are struggling with depression or another health problem and yet you are doing everything you can for your kids. You are so AMAZING!

And you are not alone. We mamas are kind of crazy when it comes to doing what is best for our children, aren’t we? Doesn’t matter how inconvenient it is for us, if those kids need something, we will find a way to make it happen. We are amazing.

I know its tough, mama, but you can do it! It may take some blood, sweat, and tears, and then more blood, sweat, and tears, but you can do it! You are amazing!

Love,

Lee