ME!!! I've been a cow for more than a year!!! HURRAY!!! moooooooo... moooooooo...
This past year, I've been eating more fish and vege (more than I usually do!), and keeping off caffeine (coffee, tea, coke) and hardly had any alcohol at all. Generally eating healthily and trying my best to keep off the "harmful" stuff, and try to remember to eat my calcium pills, fish oil, and multi-vites - all in the hope of producing good quality milk for my Isaac.
Yes, Isaac is still on my milk, COMPLETELY. coz he still refuses to drink any kind of milk through the bottle/cup! Whether it is expressed breast milk (EBM) or frozen breast milk or formula milk or fresh milk - once he sees the white liquid in the cup/bottle - he refuses to even TRY it. sighz. Thus, he is still not drinking milk in the day time (when I am at work) - only at night and on weekends, then he would latch on and drink.
As a result, I haven't been pumping in office for the past few months already - partly coz supply dropped, and he drinks immediately before and after work, but also coz I've been quite sianz that he doesn't drink my EBM or frozen EBM anyway, so I didn't feel encouraged nor motivated to continue pumping.
Though I must admit that I am quite glad to stop pumping, coz you do gain back that bit of 'freedom' and normalcy, once you stop. Though I have been pumping for more than 6 months, I must say that it is still quite bizarre to, like - milk yourself, if you know what I mean. People who have never pumped before all are equally curious yet kinda part disgusted with it all. It's really hilarious the way their face contorts and eyes widen when I tell them about breastfeeding and pumping - if and when they ask.
When you breastfeed or pump, in a way, one also becomes more 'open' sometimes. There's been a number of occasions at work, where, due to time constraint or venue shortage or whatever - I've actually had to pump in the same room at the same time with other colleagues. But, of course, we would like take opposite ends of the room, and face away from one another while pumping - but still, I think only pumping mothers would be able to do something like that.
There was one time, just coz there was "urgent office gossip" (kekeke intepret however you want to), I managed to convince two female colleagues to be in the room with me while I pumped, just so I could take part or at least listen in on the conversation. hahahhaa... these two colleagues are not married and hence not mothers yet, so were very squeamish about it, and refused to look in my direction at all - even though we had a noticeboard between us!
Yet another time, we met one of my best friends - JH - for lunch one saturday, at Novena Sq's Pizza Hut. Then Isaac wanted to drink. So, as I was in my nursing wear, I could nurse discretely. So discretely, that JH, who was seated beside me, didn't know that I was nursing. That is, until Isaac started to fuss, and unlatched himself in the midst of my letdown! So the milk was spurting out like nobody's business, and wet JH's arm with it - she was like:"How come wet wet suddenly?" And THEN she realised... I must say she looked quite stunned. hahahhahahaa...
I remember, the day we sent Andrea, Jarrod & Zac off at the airport, after that, we had a bite at the Burger King there. Then Isaac wanted to drink. So, I draped over me and Isaac his wrapper (this big cloth used to 'wrap' babies up), and proceeded to let him drink. I had to use a cloth to drape over coz at that time, he had a high tendency to unlatch and fuss during a letdown. So, he started drinking, and true enough, he started to unlatch and fuss during a letdown. Plus, he was not used to having a cloth draped over, so he was trying to pull away the cloth with his hands! Hubbs had to help me with holding the cloth, while I was trying to ask Isaac to start drinking again. "Isaaac!!! Drink! Drink now! Stop playing! Drink!!! Isaaaaaac!!!" But the lil guy was inside waving his arms, having a good time, with milk spraying over his face. sighz. hahahhaa... oh yes, everyone was staring by then. But we laughed it off. It was HILARIOUS!!! hahahaha...
People were very incredulous at the amount of milk I was producing initially. Especially my colleagues in office coz they see my collection for the day in office. Initially, when I first came back to work after the 12 weeks of maternity leave - I could pump almost 300ml each pump (total for both sides). So, I consistently brought home more than half a litre everyday minimally. Well, after my bout of mastitis, and then work stress etc, supply went down. But still it was pretty decent. So I was a great source of envy for many a pumping mother in office.
However, our dear hero here refused to drink most of my frozen store. Or rather, at the time when he drank Expressed Breast Milk, I had enough to pump for his to drink the next say day, so he had "fresh milk" to drink all the time. So, my frozen store just sat frozen. Thus, I decided not to let it go to waste, and started to give it away. Gave batches to two singapore motherhood mothers (unknowns). Then I found a pumping mother in office who would take my milk! Hurrah! So I started to pass all my milk to her :) Even now, I am still passing her the remnants of my frozen store. I am happy that the milk's not gone to waste - though I would have much preferred that Isaac drank it. I think he probably drank only like 5% of all the frozen milk I had stored. Sighz. Silly boy...
So... other than the above, what do I think about being a Moo Moo Mama? Well, I love it! Despite all the inconveniences, I think it's worth it! It's really this feeling of closeness and bonding that I have with Isaac - especially now, when his eyes light up when I come home from work every night. He would bury his face in my chest and/or start to chew on my shoulder... He's my Isaac! and he only wants my milk! hahahaha...
For those who are having problems with breastfeeding - I'd say:"Persevere!!!" I had my fair share of problems too, but once you come through it, you'd look back and laugh at all the suffering you went through.
Like my colleague once told me:"There is no epidural for breastfeeding (pains)"
Which is true. So, take the epidural, and try out breastfeeding! kekeke...
For all you know, you may one of the lucky ones who have a smooth Milk Trail, unlike others who get the Milk Trial. But you'd never know till you try...
I'd passed my Milk Trial! Have you? :)
This is Zenon, he's hubb's friend's son. Zenon is 2 months older than Isaac. He looks bigger, doesn't he? He is! And he's one SOLID boy, you know!? He's got very firm limbs, if you know what I mean ;p These two pix show the boys when they were very young - Isaac was only 2 months old then! :)
pictures above taken on 15th October 2007
Hubbs and Zenon's papa were ex-colleagues. They're very good friends, and they're both sporty and skinny and balding. HAHAHA... They look alike too! So much so someone asked them before if they were Father and Son. hahahahhaaa.... no prizes for guessing who's the one thought to be the"Father"...
So here're the two boys - their papas can't wait for them to grow up so they could go running, and rock climbing with them. And all other forms of sport you can think of. Right now, we'd just be glad if they don't maul each other.
They seem to be doing fine. These pix were taken during one of our gaming sessions. Oh, hubbs and I are into boardgames and Zenon's parents are our gaming partners! In fact, the day before Zenon was born, we played games at Zenon's home till about 2am in the morning! And ten over hours later - Zenon was born!
Oh I forgot to mention! You like Isaac's new hairdo? This was specially requested for by hubbs. He'd been bugging me for the longest time to leave a tuft in front, when cutting Isaac's hair. So finally I relented and this is the result! I must say he looks rather cute lah :p hahaha as always!
above five pix taken on 21 June 2008
