Breast pumps, bras & nursing pads----Oh MY!!!

[mommyissa]

Now that I've been a mom for nearly 3 months, I've learned some things: my nephew calls breasts, "boo-tatoes," Brian's friends are all "boob men," many people think breastfeeding is uncool, perverted & disgusting (guess some people would not have survived back before there was formula), breastpumps suck (no pun intended) & make one feel like a

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[mommyissa]

His friends are 30 something going on 16. When I ask him what "men's work" is, he literally doesn't answer. Also I need to tell you that he said that over a month ago, it's not like every day he reiterates it. I think he's beginning to put forth some effort. Not sure if I feel it's enough, but I'm not willing to give up on it yet at this point. If it were just the two of us that would be one thing, but I'm not just going to arbitrarily send Natalie's dad away.
Besides, he's better with her now.
Honestly, I'm paranoid & I kind of want them to play D & D here so I know where he is. He hasn't given me the impression that I have anything to worry about, I'm just a paranoid person, you know this. Hopefully he gets a job where he won't be able to play anymore because he'll be at work. Hopefully he gets a job at all! We're going to be out of unemployment by the end of the month. I absolutelty refuse to get a job right now, because I am taking care of my child. She would not get as much care & attention if I weren't here, & I'm not ok with

Re: pumps and pads

[anonymous]

Did you try the Curity disposable pads?? Yes, I agree... there's nothing you can do about the overnight thing, but for during the day, the Curity seemed to work best for me. Also, a touch of compression helps. That means that your bra should be a bit snug, and fill it with one or even two pads to tighten it up. Just watch out for the waterfall when you undo the bra to nurse or pump.

By far, the best pump I've ever used is a manual one!! The Avent Isis is so very portable, and has fewer parts. You may be overstimulating your milk production with an electric pump, which is why you're getting so much overflow overnight. The manual pump is much more gentle, and helped me feel less "moo-like."

There's nothing like giving birth to take away some of that female mystique, but, you have a chance at building something so much deeper out of this!!

Hang in there, it's all worth it!

Re: pumps and pads

[mommyissa]

Actually I use the Avent Isis, it's not so bad, I think I'm not getting the right amount of suction with it though, maybe I'm not doing it correctly.
I'm so happy that I have this kid, and even though all the new stretch marks (which are already fading) & the extra weight is something I dislike, it's definitely worth it to me. Sometimes I just feel like I'm doing this alone, and it gets difficult to handle. But, Natalie will always have me to be there for her, & that's what really matters, right?

Re: pumps and pads

[anonymous]

That is *so* awesome that you have such a good attitude!! It makes all the difference... Fast-forward 7 years, and you can do things with Natalie like I did today -- I took my son on a whirlwind tour of Liberty Ave. in A2 for lunch. He's grown into such a cool kid, and we can do so many things together.

The pumps, bottles, stretch marks, and unhelpful people are only temporary. This is an investment in a very precious life. Bless you for making the sacrifice!

Re: pumps and pads

[mommyissa]

Thank you, no matter how hard it gets I try hard to make sure natalie only sees my love for her. I don't want her to ever miss out on a happy life because things are hard for me.
See, some parents actually DO raise their kids & do things with them. I love it! I can't wait till she's older so I can do things like what you did with your son today, that is so great.
You're right about those things being temporary, thank you for being a reassuring voice for me, it really helps! I don't even feel like it's a sacrifice, I feel like it's a blessing. :)

[lackofgravitas]

Hello, saw you commenting on babies2004 and came over to have a look at your journal as I have a baby daughter Natalie too, she was born three days before yours. Anyway, saw this post and thought I'd share with you the fact that nursing bras with zips are *crap*. They undo okay, but to do them back up you have to pull the zip outwards to avoid zipping your skin into the zip, all the while zipping round in a circle. Basically can't be done with one hand, which to me is the basic requirement for a nursing bra.

[mommyissa]

That's so funny! What's your Natalie's middle name? Mine is Sharon, after her aunt.
Thanks for the info about the zipper bras, I wondered about that.

[lackofgravitas]

Her middle name is Hazel, it's not in honour of anyone, both names are just ones we liked.

I just wear my zipper bra at night, when discretion isn't a requirement, and I can use both hands to do it up!