|
I'm a breastfeeding fiend
At 6 months old, my daughter is a regular Rip Van Winkle. But while she sleeps soundly, I've been waking up at 4 a.m for a date with my breast pump.
In the beginning, I kept my early-morning appointment so I could create a cache of milk for my baby while my husband and I vacationed in Jamaica. Then I kept it going so I could shore up my stash for the babysitter to use while I returned to work. Now, that I've settled into a routine of feeding my daughter before and after work and pumping during the day in my company's quiet room, you'd think I'd allow myself some extra zzzzs. But get this: I can't stop. I've got some weird form of mommy anxiety that equates skipping pumping sessions with the certain drying up of my milk supply.
My sisterfriends tell me to give myself a break and sleep soundly. They say that if it comes to it, one bottle of formula a day won't hurt my little one. WHAT? I've come too far, pumped too long, survived too many bouts of soreness and near-plugged ducts to turn around now. No, now that we've made it six months, we're going for nine. And, then, a year! Take that American Academy of Pediatrics! I have become a breastfeeding fiend.
It's only appropriate that I celebrate my efforts now during World Breastfeeding Week. Don't get me wrong, I am too modest to be of the whip-it-out anywhere crew. And I don't plan to join the extended nursing crowd, who breastfeed beyond a year. I just want my child to have the best possible start in life. Because I am physically able to give her this boost, I will.
This is what happens when an overachieving, but admittedly formula-fed GenXer embraces a challenge.
So should I skip the early-morning session? Maybe. But I think I'll keep it up just one more day
-Sherri Day
Most Recent Blog Posts
About the bloggers
Raising children isn't easy. Whoa, Momma! is here to help you with parenting tips and discussion of all parenting issues. We think there's no such thing as TMI, so our blogging moms aren't shy about the hot topics and won't back away from a good debate. Bottle or breastfeed? Public, private or homeschool? And sex -- it's all open for comment. Don't sit on the sidelines -- pull up a bouncy seat and join the chat.
Email us ideas you'd like us to write about.
Advertisement
Most Popular Categories
THE AUTHORS
Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.
E-mail Sharon Kennedy Wynne:
|
E-mail Kate Brassfield:
|
|
|
Freelance writer Courtney Cairns Pastor wasn’t so sure about having kids and how she would balance child-rearing with her journalism career. It turned out that her journalism training went to good use. As the mom to a funny, active toddler, she learned to handle him like she did her sources. Never ask yes or no questions (the answer will always be no), get him to be specific (are you crying because you’re wet or your tooth hurts?) and be prepared for anything because no two days are the same. When she’s not playing trucks, Courtney crams for her book club, trains for races and occasionally bursts into showtunes. E-mail her at 
Suzannah DiMarzio has it bad for the Mouse. Although she grew up outside of Boston, she took her degree in tourism management down to Orlando just to work at Disney and the travel industry. Of course, when she married her high school sweetheart, the reception was at Disney. She’s now a seasoned stay-at-home mom to two tweens and a toddler – and yes, that is as crazy as it sounds. Suzannah has her own blog, Comment Policy
| Please be sure your comments are appropriate before submitting them. Inappropriate comments include content that: |
| Is libelous |
| Is abusive, harassing, or threatening |
| Is obscene, vulgar, or profane |
| Is racially, ethnically or religiously offensive |
| Is illegal or encourages criminal acts |
| Is known to be inaccurate or contains a false attribution |
| Infringes copyrights, trademarks, publicity or any other rights of others |
| Impersonates anyone (actual or fictitious) |
| Solicits funds, goods or services, or advertises |
| The Tampa Bay Times does not edit posts but reserves the right to delete comments that violate our policy. |
Registration FAQ
| Read our Frequently Asked Questions on how to register to comment on the site. |
