To Pump Or Not To Pump?

I know one of my biggest questions when I first began breastfeeding was...should I pump my milk so my baby can drink from a bottle sometimes? Should I store the breastmilk? How much should I store? When can I pump? Well, I started thinking, what if I had to go into a doctor's appointment by myself and my baby was left with someone and started crying because he was hungry, what is that person gonna do? I'm a person that likes to be prepared so I thought,"Yes, definitely pump or express breastmilk." You can store it in a deep freezer for up to a year so at least I'd always have it if I needed it. If you have a freezer that's connected to a refrigerator, you can keep it for 3-6 months and the refrigerator itself for 5 days. MY next question was..when can I pump? My son eats so often how am I EVER going to get time to pump some milk for storage. (LIGHTBULB GOES OFF) ..I can pump when he goes to sleep that way I don't interfere with "his" milk, lol. But when I pump when he's sleeping, I make sure to begin pumping within 5 minutes after he's sleep or otherwise I risk the possibility of him waking up and wanting to eat again. As to how much breastmilk you store, it all depends on your child. Some store their milk 2 ounces at a time, but my son is extremely greedy so I have to store it at 4-5 ounces at a time. Usually I leave 8-16 ounces of milk in the back of the refrigerator all week in case I'm cooking and he gets hungry then my husband or daughter can feed him. If you do this, make sure you use the milk before the week is out though or you risk your baby getting all the nutrients from your "magic milk" as they possibly can. I call it "magic milk" because my son "magically" becomes calm or goes to sleep after he eats :)

My Breastfeeding Journey

On July 16, 2012, I gave birth to a handsome 6 lbs 15 oz little boy named Malachi. When he was born, I promised to give him the best life has to offer whenever I can. The best thing I can give him is breastmilk. I tried breastfeeding my daughter back in 2009, but it didn't turn out like I wanted. I've learned three important things 1)Keep myself well hydrated so that I can produce enough milk, 2)Eat about 2700 calories of nutritious food everyday to make sure that the milk I produce has substance and 3)Eat and drink regardless as to how I feel. I think those are the three key things when one is breastfeeding. When breastfeeding, you have to make sure you are drinking enough water to keep yourself hydrated while also providing enough milk for your baby. You are supposed to drink a 1/2 ounce of water for every pound you weigh. Doing this should ensure you produce enough milk. You can always drink a couple more cups to be sure, but you don't want to drink TOO much water as this isn't good for you either. I have a 32 oounce cup that I refill a about four times a day to make my liquid quota, lol. As far as food goes, make sure you aren't eating things with empty calories such as potato chips, snack cakes, etc. Munch on fruit, vegetables and eat hearty meals such as stews, steaks, sandwiches, things like that. Something I've recently starting eating is Greek yogurt. Why? Because it has 2x protein of regular yogurt and I want that protein to pass to my baby via my breastmilk. Just think of breastfeeding this way...don't give your baby anything that you know isn't good for YOU and you can't go wrong.