World Breast Pumping Day January 27th

Today is the first annual World Breast Pumping Day!

Pumping has been an important part of my breastfeeding journey with both of my babies.

I suffered (yes, suffered) with oversupply when Grady was a newborn. I pumped to relieve pressure, which triggered my body to make even more breastmilk because it's all about supply and demand, baby. I wish I had known then what I know now: pumping to relieve oversupply can actually create an even bigger supply. I would have saved myself a lot of engorgement (and maybe I wouldn't have stretch marks on my boobs now!). Grady couldn't drink all of the milk I produced (though he certainly tried; looking at his baby pictures always makes me laugh because of his giant, smooshy cheeks). I donated my surplus to the BC Women's Provincial Milk Bank.

This time around, I started with the same oversupply and then it suddenly dipped. I'm not sure if it was stress, my thyroid hormones, or the phase of the moon, but my supply started to taper off. I pumped to give my body a nudge to boost my supply and keep up with Poppy's needs. I'm lucky that my body quickly responded to the pump and my supply was sufficient in no time.

I'm lucky. My breastfeeding issues were fairly easy to manage and were resolved quickly with pumping.

There are a lot of women who aren't so lucky. Latch difficulties, structural issues with the breast or baby's mouth, emotional or physical trauma, baby loss, medical problems, separation, premature birth, the list goes on and on. Some women are unable, or choose not, to breastfeed. And that's perfectly okay. Women should make the choice that fits for them and for their family. But for some women, pumping bridges the gap between wanting to provide breastmilk for their baby, and not being able to breastfeed directly at the breast.

World Breast Pumping Day celebrates these women. The women who spend hours hooked up to a machine, literally draining themselves (both of breastmilk and energy!). The women who sterilize pump parts and bottles and nipples...and then do it all again the next day. The women who can tell you to the ounce how big their freezer stash is. The women who pump in offices; on airplanes; in bathrooms; while driving; at work; every two hours; while eating; for months. These women deserve to be recognized. These women are amazing.

If you want to show your support for moms who pump, there are a few ways to do it:

Fed is Best

Late last year, a local mom suffering from post partum depression disappeared. Her body was found weeks later.

Her husband spoke out this week about the pressure Florence felt to exclusively breastfeed their infant son. This story hits close to home and understandably, there's a lot of discussion in local mom's groups about breastfeeding support, or the lack thereof, in our community.

I can only speak to my own experience; I don't pretend to know how other women feel about breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding, for me, is not just feeding my baby. It's a source of strength (finally my body does something right) and my magic trick (screamy baby? to the boobs!). It's not just functional, it's emotional. It's a part of how I mother my child. To be clear: I do not think that women who feed their babies formula are not mothering their children, they are just making one choice that looks a little different than my choice. Neither is right nor wrong, neither is better (or best, for that matter). The "breast is best!" message can be very damaging, as Florence's husband points out. She felt intense pressure to breastfeed. She struggled. She also suffered from ppd and ultimately, she did not survive. The "breast is best!" message hurts some women.

I've seen the argument that "fed is best!" is just as damaging and I disagree. Yes, breastmilk is biologically the perfect food for our babies. But if given the choice between eating the biologically perfect food or having his mother, what do you think Florence's baby would choose? Now, obviously I know this is an extreme case. Not every mom who struggles with breastfeeding will suffer from ppd, and not every mom who suffers from ppd will take her own life. One does not necessarily lead to the other. But the moms in my community who have spoken out about the lack of breastfeeding support, the pressure (internal and external) they felt to breastfeed exclusively, and the negative feelings they still harbour surrounding breastfeeding, make me feel like we need to do so much more for women who are struggling with feeding their babies.

"Fed is best!" can damage breastfeeding relationships because supplementing with formula can decrease a woman's breastmilk supply. The first six weeks or so of breastfeeding are fragile. A woman's body determines her breastmilk supply by how much milk is removed from her breasts. It's all about supply and demand. But "fed is best!" can save breastfeeding relationships by taking some of the pressure off moms. Breastfeeding doesn't have to be all or nothing; every ounce counts. Pumping and feeding expressed milk, combo feeding breastmilk and formula, exclusively breastfeeding, exclusively formula feeding: these are all valid ways to feed babies. If your baby is fed and loved, you're doing it right. Period.

I don't have a solution. I don't know how to make all moms feel supported. I've realized that part of my motherhood journey has been constantly feeling like I'm messing something up. And maybe that's not right but it's what is.

How do you think we can support moms in their feeding choices? Did you have a positive or negative breastfeeding / formula feeding experience? What could have made it better?

Meal Plan 1/16/2017 - 1/20/2017

I'm over here waving my white flag. We're finally, slowly, weakly getting better. We've had every annoying household illness in the last five weeks. We're finally on our way to being well. Shawn's still battling a brutal sinus infection, and my cough is lingering and doesn't feel like it's going anywhere anytime soon, but at least the kids both seem to be healthy, or at least health-adjacent.

I'm trying to keep things simple and hop back on the meal planning horse this week. Grady continues to reject all the food we offer but I'm attempting to get him more involved in planning our meals in the hopes that he'll actually eat them.

Monday: leftover Sriracha Meatloaf with Boursin (I made this tonight and it's insanely delicious) served with roasted cauliflower and broccoli

Tuesday: Vegan Chickpea Curry served with Coconut Quinoa (I'll leave the chickpeas out of the quinoa though. Shawn might leave me if I serve him double chickpeas in one meal.)

Wednesday: Fish tacos made with salmon. Served with guacamole.

Thursday: Carrot Soup with Miso and Sesame served with whatever leftovers we've got in the fridge and possibly homemade breadsticks if I can interest Grady in a baking adventure.

Friday: homemade pizza

What's on your meal plan this week?

Dragon's Breath Juice Shot

December has been hard on our family. We've battled stomach flu, head colds, chest colds, Poppy ended up with pneumonia, and now Shawn has the flu flu. Influenza flu. The "can't get out of bed, everything hurts, I have a fever and it's the end of the world" flu. 

He also has New Year's Eve and New Year's Day gigs so we need to get him back on his feet quickly. 

A friend suggested a dragon's breath shot. Squeeze some lemon, grate some fresh ginger, sprinkle some cayenne into a shot glass and drink.  

I decided to whip out my good ol' Omega to make it a fresh juice shot. 

Ingredients 

1 lemon, peel removed but leave as much of the pith as possible

1-2 inches fresh ginger (don't both peeling) 

1/2 jalapeño (leave the seeds and membrane for heat) 

Directions 

Feed ingredients through juicer. Consume within a couple hours.  

The quantity you end up with will vary depending on the size of your ingredients but I got approximately 3oz of fresh juice.

This juice is not a sipper. I literally poured it into 1oz shot glasses and we knocked it back like it was tequila. It isn't a miracle cure but it does provide a boost of vitamin C, the ginger helps with headache and body pains, and the jalapeño can help clear the sinuses. 

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