10.01.2005
breast (feeding)
So, I've decided that my breasts need to earn their keep. If I'm going to be buying $70 bras to keep them in style, they're going to have to be giving something in return. No more tolerating lazy lumps of flesh around here, nosireebob. Unfortunately, they have very few skills, and those that they do have are not in demand at the moment. So, it's time for them to acquire some new tricks. I've decided they can begin pulling their own (considerable) weight by helping with the baby. 
So, for the last couple of nights, I have been breastfeeding Julia with the help of the SNS. The idea was to increase our bonding time, provide Kristin's hard-workers with a bit of a break, and help ease Julia's way into sleep without over-feeding her. I've been letting her suckle for a week or so now (without the SNS) to try to get us both used to the change, and because she's suddenly decided that though she wants to suck constantly, pacifiers are no longer good enough for her. Only nipples in her mouth, please. Though it's been difficult and an adjustment for me, it's poor Julia that nightly has had an epic struggle of mammalian proportions... though the satisfied look on her face when we finally achieve the far-fetched goal of latching on an obdurate nipple attached to something the size of a watermelon with the added difficulty of pokey tube that refuses to just lie against the nipple leads me to conclude that she thinks the whole endeavor is worth it.
Here is a picture of Julia scaling the mountain.
(this is an artist's rendering, NOT a photograph, for those of you that were confused by consummate skill in which such life-like detail was captured.)
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Thoroughly enjoyed this post. Thanks for the giggle of the awesome rendering of Julia's quest to the top!
I'm curious: are you trying to stimulate your own milk production or do you plan to keep using the SNS?
It's not really an option for us (Cait's on too many medications for Lyme to b/f) but we have idly talked about both of us nursing if that WEREN'T an issue.
I'm not going for an all-out attempt to lactate. We've been struggling enough with that for Kristin and I've seen how disapponting it is to want to lactate and be unable. We do have a hosptial-grade pump, though, so I may change my mind.
A few weeks ago Nik over at otterbutt asked me if I was going to try to lactate and I said that we had thought about it but decided against it because we were thinking of trying to get me pregnant in the next year so the babies wouldn't be too far apart in age. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha (ma laughing hysterically) That plan has changed now. So I don't mind if I start lactating and it affects my cycle. The biggest thing I'm worried about is leaking at work and maintaining a supply, particularly if the latest thing we're going to try with Kristin works, then she will be taking the big pump to work (once she starts in November) leaving me with the little hand pump to use at my work, and I've been told that won't be enough to maintain the supply on someone who didn't give birth.
So, short answer: If I lactate and can actually feed her from my breasts, fine. If not, (or if I lose the supply) I'll continue with the SNS and be happy with it. That is, if my nipples don't crumble and fall off...
I comfort nurse Charlie... oh how he loves it. If he is just being gringy, he prefers me, because Jean has the unfortunate side effect of squirting milk whenever something starts messing with her nipples.... very strange.
Anyhoo... Charlie loves it. And an added bonus is that i have no feeling... so he be as violent as he sees fit and there is no effect on me whatsoever :)
I know I will never produce milk, but he is happy with things like they are. Actually is he latched on to the other side (right) which has some small smidge of feeling... it is possible that after prolonged suckling he might begin to make some milk... but so far he only wants the dead side. Fine with me!