liquid gold

Well finally!  I haven't really gone into detail here about the struggles of nursing my son.  Suffice it to say that we brought little L home, and I fully expected to regain back the time we lost in the NICU AND him latch perfectly.  Wrong.  L would not latch and was not interested.  By this point, two weeks post partum, I had already become a pumping mommy.  I knew nothing about pumping, but I learned fast that you have to pump every 2-3 hours in the beginning (just as a baby will nurse).  I was producing a TON of milk.  I froze every drop we didn't use in a freezer in the garage.  

The journey we went on included many visits to a wonderful lactation consultant named Jane Kershaw at Centennial Hospital and also persistence.  Every time I would go see Jane, I would find some hope though L would scream and cry and want nothing to do with the breast.  Can't blame the little guy!  Every time I would ask Jane, "How much longer do you think it'll take?"  I would constantly imagine quitting.  I would set goals that would be another week, month... even so low I would think... just one more day.  I have to add though, the hormones really heightened everything because in hindsight, formula would have been fine as well.  (I was formula fed!)  I think part of my worry was that L could be our only child.  I wanted to experience nursing if possible.

L finally latched just at 4 months old.  I learned how to stop logging every mL produced, and I stopped pumping more than 2 times a day.  I'm still having to do a little, but it does allow me to have a freezer stash.  I am thinking right now I have about 320 ounces or so.  

I am happy to say that all of that pumping and pain of not sleeping trying to latch him, etc... has an even better ending.  Not only has he latched a little over a month ago, but I have found an adoptive mother who relactated for her new son and is still only making a third to half of his daily needs.  I am donating all that milk which represents a lot of dedication and hope to them this week.  I'm so glad about it!  I do know he is a Vietnamese baby, and I hope the liquid gold fares him well!