1 year, 8 months, 1 week, 2 days, 11 hours, & COUNTING

WARNING: FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY:

1 year, 8 months, 1 week, 2 days, and 11 hours ....

you're probably thinking i'm talking about the age of Cadence and though that is exactly how old she is, i'm talking specifically about how long i've been a milk maid. Yes, i'm talking about (music dund dun duuunnnn) BREAST MILK!!!

Yes, it has been a LONG LONG road, and yes, I think i'm ready for this road to end.

There are MANY benefits of breastfeeding (though I didn't "nurse" i pumped and bottle/cup fed) and NOTHING in the world can compare to the nutritional benefits that a child receives from their mother's milk. No formula, vegetable, fruit, nor milk is full of more nutrients than breast milk.

As far as providing milk for your child is concerned: THE LONGER, THE BETTER!!! Most women are gonna quit within the first month... Let me encourage you... KEEP GOING! and when you wanna give up, just go one more day because LITERALLY, every ounce counts! And a common misconception is that you're not producing enough milk. That is EXTREMELY RARE!!! If you are nursing, you cannot base your milk supply based on how much you're pumping (unless, like me, you exclusively pump). I was a pumping machine! I was blessed enough to donate over 1,000 oz to the north texas milk bank which supplies milk to sick and premature babies in the NICU. You have to be screened thuroughly in order to be a donor and the milk is cleaned. Though you may not see "immediate" benefits, breast milk sets a foundation for a LIFETIME of health benefits and i'm glad that not only did I provide for my child, but many many others.

Anyways, like most extended breastfeeders (and for lack of a better word, i'll say breastfeeding, though i pump) I never EVER intended on going this long! I thought, i'd go 6 months. The American pediatric association suggests and recommends infants go 6 months on breastmilk exclusively, no other food or drink, for optimal nutrition so that's what I decided to do... AND breast fed baby poop is water soluble (dissolves in water) and that made washing cloth diapers a breeze! so I knew i'd go at least 6 months! 6 months rolled around and I decided to go for a year :)

I actually had an episode after my myomectomy (surgery on my uterus) when Cady was 7 months old. The first day back home, my body went into shock from the pain and i COMPLETELY stopped producing milk! I mean, i went from pumping 10 oz in 20 minutes to pumping 1 ounce in an hour! I called every lactation consultant in DFW crying bc my dr was off that day. I prayed and prayed and PRAYED and pumped enough to make 2 bottles before I got in touch with my Dr. who told me what herbs to get and then prescribed a medication to bring my supply back! The lesson learned: After surgery, when your doctor suggests you stay in the hospital one more day DO IT!!!

Well, like I said, i only planned on going until she was 12 and then switching her to whole milk. 2 days after her first bday, we learned that Cady was highly allergic to milk! It was by the grace of God that we found out about her allergy before we ever gave her any milk. (We knew she was allergic to eggs so she got an allergy test via blood work and that's when her milk allergy showed up). Then I said i'd pump until she was 18 months. All the while I've been preparing my body for the change. I went from pumping 5 times a day (at the beginning) to 4 times, to 3 times, to 2 times.

This week... i'm down to pumping just one time a day which means eventually I will dry up and will be DONE for good :) Whoo Hooh, right?

Honestly, it's bittersweet. For starters, i had my milk analyzed and found out that I burn 20 calories per ounce of milk that i pump!!! It's free exercise! lol Man, at the beginning, i'd EASILY pump 60 ounces a day!!!! That made losing my 45+ pregnancy pounds a whole lot easier to lose let me tell you! I would eat and eat and EAT and still lose weight!!! I lost all 45 lbs in about 10 weeks!!!

Anyway, i've been on a mad hunt to find a milk alternative for Cady because she, like all toddlers, need it in their life. I've tried soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, and coconut milk. And i have not been successful :( She won't drink it!

So, we have decided to make her homemade yogurt smoothies at least twice a day and that will be considered her dairy beverage. Lucky her right!!! You know how much Jamba Juice charges for fresh fruit and yogurt smoothies, lol! Oddly enough, she doesn't have any reactions to yogurt but she does react to yogurt beverages like Dannon, etc. It sucks! Her milk allergy affects her internal organs so we can't SEE her reactions like we can see her egg reaction. It usually starts with stomach pains and then she poops (black) which means her organs are bleeding. It's kinda scary to say the least but usually, once all the milk is out of her system she's fine.

Anyways, I'm down to pumping just once a day and it's bitter sweet! My morning "sessions" have been WONDERFUL... it's quite, just me, and it's the perfect time for bible study/devotion! It's not like I'm going anywhere, so i give my undivided attention to God.

Last week, I told Chris that I was going to stop (my supply is dwindling so it's not like I have that much of a choice) and i actually cried! I never thought i'd be emotional about it and still don't really know why i cried but I did. But my mind is made up and nature has ran it's course :(

Oh, and just remember, JESUS WAS BREASTFED :)

xoxo ~ you can call me COW and I won't be affended