Got milk?

One of the biggest surprises for me personally, was the decision to breastfeed. Most women know without a doubt that they want to. I was extremely hesitant. I was always really open about my concerns and to be honest, I sometimes felt like I was being judged by people or even woman who were baby-less. The biggest concern was the transition from the ta-tas being a just a womanly feature to having a baby latched on there with milk coming out of them. It may not seem like that big of a deal, but to me the thought alone made me cringe. My very dear friend, Brittney kept telling me that I would feel different when Penelope arrived and I was like "do you know who you're talking to?!". Well, after twenty two years of friendship she did know who she was talking to.. she was right. Talk about motherly instinct kicking in! It felt so natural to provide that for your baby. Let me be clear, some woman can't, have difficulty, or simply make the choice not to breastfeed, and in no way makes them less of a "good mom" or any other negative thing some critics say about bottle fed babies. Again, this is just my personal experience with it and I hope some moms can relate to these stories. But, like all other things, there were so many surprises that came from nursing that little bundle of joy.
My favorite thing to share with non-moms is that your nipple doesn't have just one hole that milk comes out of. I learned this in my anatomy class and it was quite shocking that there is a large number of holes covering that small area. More holes, more milk, more mess. While my body was adjusting to making the right amount milk, it's motto was "better to have too much, than not enough". This left my me with two things- full, painful boobies and a newborn being hosed down like a fire in a bush with milk! I'm not even joking when I say that her face was literally being covered in milk, and it was coming out in every direction! Releasing the girls from the bra was like a super soaker on a hot day. Luckily, this is one thing that has mellowed out for me and the down pour of milk on Penelope face is a thing of the past.
In order for your baby to get full of of milk, the boobs need to fill up. You would assume they would just look big and voluptuous, but no. That would be too easy, almost even a perk to this whole thing. In reality they HURT! When they are full and no feedings in sight, it can be pure torture. It feels like rocks covered with tacks are taking over the inside of your boobs. Fun times. Now lets talk about leaking.
Nothing will make you feel sexier than a huge circular wet spot on your chest. Side story- There was a short time I went back to work and had to pump while I was there. One word- awkward. I worked with teens and there were only two bathrooms, and I had to pack my pump in there and hope that no one came knocking on the door. My first concern was they would think I was going in there to do some other "business", if you know what I mean. Since I didn't want the teens to think that I was always pooing at work, I had to turn it into a lesson. Like, don't have a baby if you don't want to sit in a hot bathroom on a summer day having milk pumped out of your boobs like a cow on a diary farm! Next concern was that someone would mistakenly do something with the pumped milk sitting in the fridge. Ugh. While at work or just out and about there is only one brand of nursing pads I will trust, Laniosh. They are fantastic! At home and at night to combat leaking I use cloth diapers. I found some great tank tops with a built in sports bra ( very loose fit) and just stuff the cloth diaper in it. This works great for soaking up the milk and it's kinda handy to have something to clean up a spit-up if your in a pinch. ( I use cloth diapers as burp rags as well! They are awesome!) Sleeping in these types of tank tops also make the middle of the night feeding much easier, you can just slide one strap down and not have to lift your entire shirt up.Cause lets be honest, my stomach isn't really looking beach ready! Liz Claiborne has a great line of these at Target. My favorite discovery was the side nursing technique. Laying on our sides on the bed became my go to style. She could eat, and I could sleep. She would just do her thing and fall asleep when she was done. It's strange how a mom brain will never let you roll over or even move a muscle when your baby is laying next to you. I have awaken with many sore necks because of this, but at least I got some sleep!
Another thing I said was that I was only going to nurse for the first six months. Penelope is now almost seven months and we are still nursing. Granted, it isn't as much as we have entered the world of baby food, but still. I can't say I will be sad when it comes to an end, my cute bras are collecting dust and after experiencing a pretty brutal infection in one of my boobs, I would say it's been a good run. Being scratched, hair pulled, sneezed on, and puked on all while nursing are not things I will miss. What I will miss is my sweet little baby falling asleep with a full belly of milk.