Milk It

For months prior to giving birth I fretted and worried over whether or not I would breastfeed or formula feed my baby. I devoured article after article on the debate and even attended a free breastfeeding class offered at a local hospital. Advice was given freely to me on the subject and each seemed to have a strong opinion one way or the other. I found that scientific research varied just as much as human opinion as to which was the better option. There are numerous reasons and scientific proof on both options and for some the choice is made for them. I was lucky enough to be able to make my own choice.

One month before my son was born I made a decision to breastfeed with a realistic goal of 6 months; keeping in mind that my goal may change once I returned to work and saw how my body responded to pumping. Again, the advice came pouring in: bottle vs. breast, pumping vs. nursing, how often of each, ect. My head, yet again, began to swim with all the options that were involved when feeding my son as I, for the second time, set out to take in as much information on the subject as my brain could handle. In the end I decided to make my own decision and I find that it changes on a daily basis as I allow my body to tell me whether or not I need to nurse or can allow my husband to give our son a bottle.

My need to work both emotionally and financially sent me out on a search for the perfect pump and for the third time this first time mom scowered the internet for research and reviews. I learned very quickly that my insurance would completely cover the cost of my pump with a prescription from my doctor and an order from the right provider and I was able to save us over $300. With the goal of 6 months of breast feeding in mind I began pumping and saving and storing every drop of breast milk I could.

Surprisingly, some of the most common questions asked to me as a new mom are: "How is the breast feeding going?" and "Are you still sticking with it?"


The picture above shows our current supply of breast milk. Each plastic bag (5) contains around 20 6-8 ounce bags of breast milk, which is roughly 700-800 ounces of milk or a 2 months supply.

I'd say the nursing/ pumping is going pretty well... ;)