3 is the magic number

This week Sulaiman is 3 months old!

He is so chubby and cute and lovely. Such a good baby, doesn’t cry, always talking and smiling and able to chill out on his own. Sulaiman loves going for walks, watching his big brother’s every move and bathing.

This week also marks 3 months of exclusive pumping. 2 months more than I managed the first time with Ayub. Looking back on 3 months, there have been ups and downs and challenges that I expected as well as curveballs that threw me off completely.

Here are the highlights:

– getting my milk supply up at the beginning took about a week, pumping every 2 hours for just 1-2ounces of milk, so exhausted mentally and physically

– tears on my nipple from using the wrong sized flange, throwing out milk that was tinged with blood, such heartache

– over pumping causing oversupply which lead to my left breast getting engorged for a day, unbelievable pain and discomfort, hot flashes and chills, had to 1 ounce pump every hour to help release the engorgement

– leaking through all my clothes

– also due to over pumping, baby started having bright green poop (twice!) was cranky and upset, because of too much foremilk, had to throw away the first ounce of milk pumped from both breasts so that baby would get hindmilk

– changing flange size (again!) after very bad tearing and bleeding on both sides

– staying up half the night to pump enough for baby while I returned to work

– going on the pill, as per doctor’s suggestion, decreasing my milk so substantially Sulaiman had to have half a bottle of formula, heartbroken

– increasing milk supply again, pumping every 3-4hours for 30minutes each side!

– switching to mini pill, drinking fenugreek

– figuring out a pumping schedule to fit with my work schedule

Ah… but it’s all worth it. Here’s to another 3 months of successful pumping and more! CHEERS!