I've Created a Monster!!

It has come to my knowledge that I may never be able to leave my child during a mealtime (ok, "never" may be a bit much...but at least for as long as I'm still nursing). Why?? Because I've created a monster!! Hopefully, this post will be helpful to some nursing mamas or those of you who may be expecting.....this is what NOT to do!

Bug is 100% breastfed, with the exception of solids and finger food. Needless to say, she needs ME for most of her nutritional needs. I'm planning on nursing somewhere beyond a year, and she'll be a year next month. So we'll see how I feel in a few months. Several months ago, my milk supply started slowing down. She was nursing less often with the introduction of food. I even added the number of meals very slowly so my supply wouldn't take such a huge hit. I thought I was doing everything right, and I definitely did my research (total nerd like that). Anyway, my daughter takes her breastmilk like one would wine---a little at a time. Yet another hit to my milk supply. Prior to maybe September, she would occasionally get a bottle of pumped milk, and all was well to the world. Here's the science of nursing for those who may not be familiar....the more they nurse, the more they tell your body to produce. The body gives what is needed, so if they're nursing less, the body thinks it needs to produce less. Pumping is good, but it isn't as efficient as nursing. Nothing gets more milk out than your baby.

With our little science lesson behind us, you'll understand why I decided to hold off the pumping and keep her nursing. I didn't want to waste any of my liquid gold (frozen milk) I stored up unless there was an emergency. That was the beginning of the end. Braya was nursing more often and my supply went up more, but it was only enough to feel her. I wasn't making much extra to store. Basically, the milk I stored up was probably going to be "it" as far as my supply went unless I could up my supply, which I was hoping to do by nursing her more often. I guess at some point in those months, she got so used to nursing that anything other than the tap itself was unacceptable.

We found this out the hard way. The other night, my boobs just really wanted a break. They were drained. The tap was dry. So Darling Dearest heated up some liquid gold. He attempted to give her a bottle of it...NOPE! Bug threw a fit and wouldn't take a bit of it. So we put it in a sippy cup, which is what she normally drinks from. NOPE...this girl is not taking the sippy cup either. Back in the bottle it went because goodness knows I wasn't about to waste any of this milk. She was going to drink it, even if I had to put a funnel to her mouth. No need to call child protective services, the funnel comment is an exaggeration (maybe). :-) We tried different size nipples--thinking if we tried one with a huge hole, she'd be forced to taste enough that she'd realize it was the same thing.

Darling Dearest and I had two different approaches. His was much more annoying and angrying than mine. She looked away, he found her with the bottle. She got mad and he continued to chase her down. Finally, mama had to step in. Darling Dearest is usually amazing with his Bug, but tonight....he didn't have the golden touch. It's basically a miracle she didn't learn to punch and slug him right in the face with how much he was annoying her with the bottle.

So did I get her to finish the bottle? You bet I did. Did it take distraction with a book, a million sips before she actually stuck with the whole drinking thing, and a ridiculous amount of time?? You bet it did!! I swear I aged a good 10 years from start to finish of that bottle, but hey...no liquid gold was wasted. I should've just nursed her and had it over and done with, but through this experience...I learned the hard truth..............

I've created bottle-refusing, boob-lovin' MONSTER!! I'm counting down the days until she's one when she can drink cow's milk amd all the water she'd like to supplement her mama's milk. This mama would like to be able to go do some things without her! Here's to hoping she finds something she loves just as much as her mama's milk!