I haven't pumped for 9 days. Man, that feels good!
I still can't quite bring myself to stop feeding him completely though. If anything though, things have actually gotten better with breastfeeding. I could only feed him once per day in the past due to his latch and pain, but since supplementing him and quitting the pump, I feed him 2-3 times per day. It's not for very long as I don't think my supply is very high, but at least we still have something and I think because he's quick and he sees it as a "top up", it's not hurting me too bad.
When I pumped I never quite felt empty and I think that's what brought on all the clogged ducts and mastitis. Now I feel totally normal and like I said, I doubt I have much milk left (even though I hear him swallowing) so when we come to stop for good, I don't think I'll get the engorgement issues.
It's just handy to fall back on when he needs comfort - fast - and it's a nicer experience when he's all sleepy. Not so much when he is super distracted and reacts to any sound by yanking his head while still attached. I've been bitten, scratched, kicked, slapped... the things we do for kids! This has been an odd 8 months. I'm glad he's gotten the benefits, but if I'd known at the beginning of the problems that would come, I'm not sure I would have started. Knowing me? Probably. I'm too stubborn for my own good.
I don't know how much longer we'll go on. Depends on my supply and the teeth! I doubt I'd ever make it to 12 months, but if we did, that would be my limit so I'm still wait and see what happens.
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Congrats on making it to the 8 month point, with 3 kids, to boot ! Yay you !
Even if he's not receiving a lot of milk, it's still a bonding experience for both of you. It's really nice when you have more than one child, to be able to stop and tune in to your youngest baby and nurse them, even if it's only for 5-10 minutes. :)
~Lisa
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