Just to Catch You Up...

This is what's been happening y'all:

 I'm breastfeeding.  Its what I do these days.

I never thought that I'd be the type of person that would do such a thing.  It had always appeared awkward and unnatural to me.  All through my pregnancy when someone would ask if I intended to breastfeed, I'd say (in a rather apathetic way), "if I can I will, if I can't I won't."  I took no classes and the only research I did about breastfeeding was to skim over the chapter in "What to Expect" the day before we left for the hospital.  But then in recovery, when it was asked if I wanted to try I said yes.  The mild sedative that had been given to me in the operating room while they were sewing me up probably kept me just relaxed enough that before I knew it, Little Girl was happily feeding with absolutely no problems.

Little did I know that I would be spending so much time feeding.  The first two weeks I fed her every hour on the hour while she experienced her first big growth spurt.  I never had the bleeding nipples, but I did experience pain and my pediatrician referred me to the on-staff lactation consultant.  I recommend everyone go to a pediatrician that has a lactation consultant... she is the only reason I'm still breastfeeding.  Psychologically, breastfeeding 24/7 can be draining.

At week three I contracted Mastitis which persisted through week four (see why below)... it is the sickest I've ever been since having the flu in 10th grade.  I had a low-grade fever that left me shaking and chattering for hours on end until the fever reducer would kick in and then I'd be sweating like a stuck pig.  I had body aches that radiated to my core.  I got a huge lump under my arm pit and it hurt to walk (yes walk!) and feed and the only way to make that feel better was to feed and try to "express" the lump during pumping or feeding which made me want to run in the opposite direction of that precious, crying (hungry) baby.  On top of that-- I started throwing up. And I developed an allergic reaction to the medication I was on.  I no longer can take penicillin.  So after spending one night in the throws of body aches, chills, fever, chattering, crying, throwing-up, itching, etc. I was taken back to the doctor for a different medication.

And of course, after taking antibiotics, Little Girl got thrush in her mouth.  And of course now I have thrush... on my nipples and milk ducts.  Yea!

Again, if I didn't have good support I'd be hawking the formula right now.  But now I have a special medication and so does Little Girl and hopefully we will be completely well in a few more days. 

These days you'll find me sitting around my house in some state of undress in the attempt to air out my boobs all while leaking breast milk... I'm afraid that most days I permeate the air with the soft aroma of slightly soured milk.  Little Girl likes it.  No complaints on her end.  I on the other hand prefer the scent of Ralph Lauren's Romance.  But I do firmly believe that my discomfort is a small price to pay for all the benefits that are gained from breastfeeding.  So I'm taking it week-by-week, day-by-day.  And this week we are feeding!