Exclusive Expressers #2

[Lisa B]

Hey ladies,

Teesmum - great news on the operation. Wow now maybe you can begin the journey of getting onto the breast. Very exciting.

Cece - thanks for sharing your experience. I wish I didn't have the whole duct issue to consider.

Part of me is looking forward to the complete freedom from the pump and I see what I have done as an achievement. I wasn't even intending on BF for 12 months and here I am at the point of EBM feeding for 12 months. It's been a hard journey but I think a worthwhile one and I'm glad I have done it. The last 6 months has been a cinch. It's been an emotional journey from the grief of not being able to BF, there not being a simple answer as to why we couldn't do it, learning how to fit pumping into my life as a mother and hitting my stride in the last 6 months. I guess I do feel emotional about stopping as it is a connection with my bub that is ending and sad as I reflect on what never was for us (a few tears now as I write this statement). I also feel emotional about the concept that EBM feeding is the next best thing to BF. I know why it is so, but I feel like I have worked harder than if I had have BF and no matter how hard I worked it could never replace the real thing. aaahhh...anyway...we all stop at some point BF or expressing and I'm sure it's often with mixed emotions no matter what our experience has been.

I'm down to 16 minutes 4xday. I felt like I was going to burst when I got up for my 6am pump. I thought I was going to be in trouble duct-wise. I think I will stick at the 16 minute mark for a few days before taking the next step. My fridge is still overflowing with milk. My DS is only taking about 300-400mls now and that's with me being assertive in how I offer the bottle.