Tits Up to Tits Down...

I was recently browsing through old posts (procrastination on writing a new post... lol) and came across this one...

I remember basically having a break-down one night when Ms. Mack was about two weeks old... it was pre-lactation-visits but a few doctor appointments into a shaky weight gain...

Well.


Here we are, 8months (and 1 week) later - STILL NURSING!!!! (and pumping at work...)

Now I feel like I should kick myself in the butt, because I somewhat blame my fatigue for her poor weight gain: I could barely keep my eyes open even while standing, so to get some sleep I just laid her on my chest, so we both slept for more 4-5 hour streches, when really - she should have been waking up to eat...
Que sera, sera...

Of course, it hasn't been smooth sailing the whole way - as I currently down 4 lecithin horse pills a day for a recurrent clogged duct and carry around tweezers/safetypins/alcoholswabs to keep the clog-causing milk bleb open... (a case of chicken-or-egg, this bleb/clog combo... I thought the bleb caused the clog, but then I'm opening the bleb nearly every nursing/pump session, so lactation-consultant-friend thinks the bleb is a symptom of a deeper clog, hence the lecithin (a fat-emulsifer))

This development has also totally impacted pump out-put: my first-morning session at work went from a typical 5-6ounces to a measly 3-3.5ounces, and the second session went from a typical 3-3.5oz to 1.75-2oz...

but - but...

My nine-month goal is fast approaching, and given Ms.Mack's affinity for all things food (baby purees, bananas, cut-up blueberries, pieces of bread, puffs, carrot sticks that she gums) I am anticipating a transition to cow's milk at the nine-month mark, releasing me from my indentured servitude (of work pumping twice a day). 

We'll heavily depend on the freezer stash (down to 75 ounces) for the next few weeks (the three previous work days she's taken all three bottles at daycare (10oz) whilst I'm only pumping on average 5oz at work...) and I'll squeeze in a hand-pump session before bed here and there (will usually yield just under 2oz!) and we should just* make it...

*ok, we'll make it if I use no more than 3.4ounces a day from the freezer stash... yup, I am that freak that creates and runs formulas to calculate if Sally has 1,000 ounces of breast milk, and wants to make it last for 49 calendar days, but wants to wean and use 1 ounce less per day as each week passes, at what rate should she decrease....
ok yea, you get it - I ran those formulas... lol and I can't use more than 3.4 ounces per day, or I'll run out before she makes her nine-month appointment!

And this mathematical brain of mine always feels so much better with a plan in place, The Plan now being: keep pumping x2 a day at work; if the freezer stash diminishes too quickly before her 9 month mark, we'll supplement with a little formula to get us there...
Once nine months hits, I'll drop to pumping once a day at work (still nursing in the am and pm, and weekends) and eventually all-together drop pumping at work (OMG CANNOT WAIT! the work-wardrobe options that will open up when I no longer have to access my boobs twice a day!