World Breastfeeding Week

Warning: This post is about breastfeeding, if you didn't pick that up from the title.

My blogger and Facebook friends have reminding me that this is World Breastfeeding Week. As an exclusively breastfeeding mother, I felt I should write a post.

Give it up to all mommas that breastfeed! Hooray. It is no easy task. We take on the responsibility to solely feed our children, including all hours of the night. We give up our bodies, our time, and our sleep. We have to plan our social events around feedings or have to step away to feed our children. Then we occasionally get criticized and judged for simply nurturing our children and heaven forbid we feed our children in public. And as a working breastfeeding momma, I pump twice a day at work to keep up my supply. I get the luxury to be strapped down, away from my baby. I stay longer at work to make up the time, pray no one walks in on me, and have to avoid awkward conversations about where I disappear to during the day. Hooray to all breastfeeding mommas out there!

I do not judge a mother's decision to use formula, breastfeed, or both. Nor do I judge a momma for how long they breastfeed. I support any mom for just being a mom! I will encourage any momma that does breastfeed.

While there are many benefits to breastfeed, the two man reasons I breastfeed are 1) the support I receive from other breastfeeding mommas and my husband and 2) my employer provides mother rooms for me to privately and sanitary pump at work. If it wasn't for these 2 reasons, I know I wouldn't be able to breastfeed.

Now I consider myself a closet breastfeeder. I cannot bring myself to "whip it out" in public. But good for you to any momma that does. No judgement here. It is difficult to go out and run errands, attend social events, or simply go to the zoo with your older children in 2-3 hour increments.

I believe the support for breastfeeding is growing. I can see a difference from my mother's generation. And I hope that one day, it doesn't matter if you breastfeed or formula feed. And that there will be no judgement. And that women won't have to justify their choices.

I am woman, here me "MOO!"

Love,

Transitioning to Daycare

A friend of mine recently posted on Facebook asking for advice on transitioning her baby from breastfeeding to bottles. This reminding me I need to do so too! Lacey will be starting daycare in just 2 weeks and we haven't introduced a bottle at all. I guess it is true you forget to do things with the second child.

I'm not too worried. Teagan refused to take a bottle. We bought every kind of bottle/nipple there was without any luck. And you know what? After a couple of days at daycare, she decided she was hungry enough and took a bottle.

Besides mommas having to transition back to work, babies transition too. Our Sweet Tea was a sensitive little baby and the transition to daycare was tough on her. The first week all she wanted to do was nurse when I got home. I don't think she slept much at daycare either since the first time she slept through the night was just after the first week there. But that was short lived. The following few weeks she would wake up every 45 minutes to an hour at night. Talk about exhaustion.

Lacey has been a calmer baby then her big sister. I'm using this as hope that her transition to daycare won't be as traumatic. She loves to be held though. I wanted a cuddly baby and my husband jokes that I sure got one. Her big sister did not cuddle. Lacey won't let me put her down. And I have no problem spoiling her. My time off with her is so limited that I will spoil her. I know at daycare its impossible for the teachers to hold her all day. This is really the only thing I worry about.

We shall see how the transition goes.

Love,

Studying While on Maternity Leave

I started a new position earlier this year. One of the business goals and objectives my new manager has set forth for the year is to learn two new areas of study. This is a goal I struggle with. Since I am a mother, my free time is very limited and spending it advancing myself for work is a challenge. I had brought up my concern to my manager. He is understanding and said its not a high ranking goal. Many of my coworkers take classes on their personal time and I cannot afford the time to do that. I feel guilty.

I had this great idea of learning a new technology while on maternity leave. I would have lots of time, right? Well, here I am only a few weeks left of leave and I have studied nothing. I'm a software engineer. My team uses LINQ and I had planned to brush up on that. I even borrowed a book on LINQ from a coworker before my leave started. I have not opened the book.

I'm already panicking how quickly my return to work date is approaching and I have very little desire to spend it studying. I am being a lousily employee. When I look back at this time will I think about the technologies I learned or the time I spent with my new daughter? The LINQ book just might stay closed.

Love,

Last Friday of You and I

This is an overdue post.

Fridays are Teagan and my's day. That the is day of the week just the two of us hang out. No daycare or busy schedule of the weekend. The last Friday before Lacey was born was important to me. I wanted it to be special. I took my girl to an amusement park farm. As we waited in line to enter, I teared up. Partially from pregnancy hormones but partially from knowing this will be the last Friday of just us two. Teagan couldn't care less about that, she wanted to see goats!

Sorry for the poor quality, this is a photo of a photo.
And don't mind my very pregnant swollen face :)

Love,

Children

Watching children is quite a different task then watching a child.

Teagan recently had a birthday. I kept her home from daycare on her big day. This was the first time I had both kids all day with just me. (My C-Section recovery has not been easy and I'm very grateful Teagan attends daycare while I heal). Wow. I had nothing accomplished. Between the Lacey's frequent feedings and diaper changes and taking Teagan out to celebrate her birthday (slushy store and inflatable indoor park), I wore myself out.

Luckily, both girls napped at the same time and I passed out. I woke up 3 hours later (yes a 3 hour nap!) to my husband coming home. The house was a mess, dishes were not done, and I hadn't started dinner. My husband jokes that if this was an interview to be a stay at home mom, I failed.

How do women with even more kids do it? Stay at home moms/wives have one tough (and exhausting) job!

Love,

Nursing With Siblings

Warning. This post is about breastfeeding.

I breastfeed my children. I could probably write a whole blog just about that.

Teagan had no idea about breastfeeding. She was very disappointed she couldn't feed Lacey a bottle. She tries to tell me that babies take bottles. I came up with the idea to tell her that older babies take bottles.

Teagan's comments make me laugh daily. Her comments on breastfeeding really do the trick and I wanted to share them:

1) Teagan once told me that its "cool" that I can make milk. (Win!)
2) Other times she has said "Mom can you put your boob away."
3) And the best one was occurred when we went out to breakfast one morning. Teagan started singing a song for all to hear. It was to the tattling tone of "Nah Nah Nah NahNah" and went something like "We all have food. Lacey doesn't. She eats from boobs." Shhhh child! Others can hear you.  Her daddy and I are still laughing about that song.

Love,

Maternity Leave

Maternity leave is never long enough. My return to work date seems like its forever away and at the same time I feel like its just around the corner.

With Teagan, I was naive. I thought I was ready to go back to work. I had no idea how hard it would be. This time around, I'm very anxious. Other mothers have told me its easier to go back to work with child #2, but I'm skeptical. I don't think I'm cut out for it. At least this time I work part-time. I went back to work full-time with Teagan.

I do like working. In my ideal world, I would like to stay at home for the first 6-8 months. Then go to work part-time. I think its a better adjustment for the baby too. 6-8 weeks is so young.

Who wouldn't want to snuggle instead of work?

Do you have any advice for momma's returning to work?

Love,