tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261923494451820843.post2922842133752297204..comments2023-12-22T10:05:42.994-05:00Comments on Put Up Your Dukes: of (little) milk and (little) menkeight dukeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04887072283297653771noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261923494451820843.post-85492557883887678282009-10-17T17:43:20.097-04:002009-10-17T17:43:20.097-04:00i see that i am not alone in thinking that you hav...i see that i am not alone in thinking that you have done an AMAZING job with Judah. funny thing is that i started reading your post last night while pumping and had to finish it this afternoon because elsa woke up a little early last night before i finished. i couldn't wait to finish reading your thoughts today, knowing that you are talking about something that so many moms go through. i admire your honesty and certainly feel your pain. who knows how long i will be able to keep up the exclusive bfeeding!?!? like you, i'm hoping for a year, but i'm reminded through your example that if things don't work out like i have planned, it's not a failure. giving our little ones all that we have for as long as it's ours to give is a beautiful gift. you should be proud, k8. keep growing up that beautiful boy. can't wait to see him again...and his padres. :)Erin McDadenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261923494451820843.post-39421620390580098182009-10-15T04:01:56.229-04:002009-10-15T04:01:56.229-04:00Keight...so love your comments, your honesty and y...Keight...so love your comments, your honesty and your quest for answers. You have been such an amazing breastfeeder, I wouldn't have known your concerns unless you wrote about them! I imagine you are already driniking lots of liquids (water is best, of course, if you can get it down) and some breast feeding books have recommended brewer's yeast. You can check it out, but I have some if you want to try it. <br /><br /> Looking at Judah, and seeing how contented he has been, you've obviously given him an AWESOME start on life. Our big challenge (yours and mine) is how to respond when life (on any level) doesn't turn out like we EXPECT it to. The tough part is to have dreams, but not paint the pictures too 'tightly'...to hold our dreams with open hands knowing that our Heavenly Father (who loves us much more than we love our children--even though that doesn't seem possible!) has a plan for our lives that is better, but sometimes different, from the one we have. <br /><br />We won't want to surrender to His plan unless we believe He really loves us, and that He's really good and looking out for us. This is the central element of our relationship with Christ, and one that keeps being brought into question by the enemy when things don't go as WE planned. Does it sound like I've been there??? More times than I'd like to recount!!!! I love you, Keight, and am glad we can keep growing together by the grace of our great God and Father, the LORD Jesus Christ!!Linda Dukeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12328010935528038852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261923494451820843.post-30320305280763965952009-10-13T11:16:34.900-04:002009-10-13T11:16:34.900-04:00I think you are an absolute champ. Every single d...I think you are an absolute champ. Every single drop of that liquid gold that you have given him can never be taken back. The time you spend with him during those intimate, bonding times can never be taken back either.<br /><br />As someone who could not breastfeed (I managed to pump enough to give him one 5 oz bottle of bmilk a day for 3 mos, which was all I could do, and basically all made from pride and countless hours attached to the hated squeezer.. and then I could do no more.)<br /><br />All of that is to say, I do not know the other side of what this feels like, to be able to and then try to make the decision to continue or not... BUT, what I can say is that Benjamin and I have a great bond, and now that the stress of trying to pump is gone I have more time to just hold him and love him, read to him and sing to him while I give him bottles. I love the time I get to spend with him and for those first few weeks I had to will away those evil thoughts of what I could not do. Also, baby aside, I feel better about myself and my body now that I don't feel like a milk truck... and, for me, when i feel better about myself, I am a much better person for everyone in my life--including Benj.. (Robert would be amen-ing that) <br /><br />You are a brilliant mother, and you know I am 100% for you in whatever you choose. You have given Judah 4 months of full time boob feeding--that is truly a gift for him. You are a great mom, no matter what you choose.<br /><br />love u.Nataliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10831927515237120411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261923494451820843.post-69765310753324536372009-10-12T18:01:40.440-04:002009-10-12T18:01:40.440-04:00Oops, that last post was from me (in case the kids...Oops, that last post was from me (in case the kids' names didn't give it away!). KristyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261923494451820843.post-80690396014186074922009-10-12T18:00:51.119-04:002009-10-12T18:00:51.119-04:00Great post, and I know this is hard for you. When...Great post, and I know this is hard for you. When I started back at the church full-time, I only made it a couple more months after that with feeding Drew. He was always so hungry that I started one formula bottle at night when he was about 3 months old, but I was able to only give him breastmilk for all his other feedings until he was 7 months old...then we went to Disney and I got dehydrated, and work got to be too much after that...<br /><br />Anna was a formula baby (I tried for a week but it was a little too much at my young age), and she has always been healthy and wonderful. It's taken until the 7th grade for her to get sick more than once or twice a year, and she is in the gifted program! I breastfed Alli for a month exclusively, but my modesty is what started her on the bottle more than anything--and my trying to do both ended up stopping that experience so soon. Also another healthy, gifted girl...<br /><br />I was so ready to do it exclusively with Drew, and he was great from the start like Judah. And even though I had two great bottle babies, I cried at my last feeding with Drew, too. It's just knowing that they're growing up so fast. I was trying to make it to the one year mark, too, and I had wanted to have been able to do that so badly. But at least we made it as long as we did. I'm so glad you had a wonderful experience with your first one! You are awesome! And damn the need to work...both financially and socially so you don't go completely crazy. I struggle with it daily, and I love being there...argh, I wrote a lot...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261923494451820843.post-61041998473386994002009-10-12T14:56:20.277-04:002009-10-12T14:56:20.277-04:00Hey! So glad you wrote about this. We're goin...Hey! So glad you wrote about this. We're going through the same thing. I mean I've been having to supplement w/ formula for the last couple of months...but my supply has dropped EVEN MORE lately. she probably gets 2-3oz MAX of my milk in every bottle...it seems to be getting worse by the day. <br />I think regardless of what happens from here on our, we all have to pat ourselves on the back for the amazing effort and work we've put into breastfeeding them up to this point...so many people never even try for the fear or inconvenience of it. <br />Love you girl!The Del Angel Familyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13133885372461967462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5261923494451820843.post-86286202177277027822009-10-12T14:01:03.729-04:002009-10-12T14:01:03.729-04:00Keight,
Thank you for posting this! This is my is...Keight,<br /><br />Thank you for posting this! This is my issue right now too! I had an enormous supply of milk and now that my daughter, Molly Grace, is three months old, my supply has been decreasing by the day, from what it seems. I breastfed her exclusively every meal until last monday. Pretty much three months to the day she is born. I am also working and finding it soo hard to pump enough at work and sometimes not even finding the time to pump. <br /><br />The first time I gave her formula I cried. Like real tears. I felt so awful and less of a Mom. I know that MG is happy and healthy and I know that having to supplement formula is ok but I really wanted to breastfeed up to a year too.<br /><br />I completely related to this blog and you pretty much put into words what I have been thinking. Thank you for being so open and giving me a perspective and someone to relate to! <br /><br />Mary Beth<br />(in case you don't know who I am, I am friends with Anna Bryant and Luke Batchelor)Mary Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11069464065777619521noreply@blogger.com