Most PWS kiddos can't suckle, so I get to become very good friends with my Medela pump. Here are some random observations regarding pumping:
1. People love to gawk at me when I pump in the ladies room. Perhaps it's the adult sized flower bib I wear or the humming sound of the pump. Either way it's impolite to stare.
2. I have spent more time hiding in the corner of a ladies room and it's flat out nasty. You wouldn't believe how many people don't wash their hands. Come on people - really? WASH YOUR HANDS. You are the ones that give my kid RSV.
3. My wardrobe is now centered on accessibility. Who am I kidding, it's also based on my new "motherly" figure, but still need to get to the girls with ease.
I'm 5 months into pumping and I'm keeping the faith. My initial goal was to make it 6 months, but think I'm finally finding my stride. Can i go for another 6 months? At this point I'm taking it one month at a time. Or should I say, one stare at a time.
You can do it!!!! I did it for a year; hang in there! You will be so glad you did it when the time is over. Olivia never ended up in the hospital again after she was born and there for almost 3 months. Once she left, she never went back even though she had Central Adrenal Insufficiency. I attribute a lot of that to the breast milk. We were told in the NICU at MUSC (one of the top 10 NICU's in the country) that breast milk has 3 different types of stem cells in it based on their research. Fascinating! It started getting really hard around the 9 month mark, and like you I had to take it one pumping at a time. I'll be rooting for you!
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