If Le Leche knew what I did last week I might be tarred and feathered. I threw out a week's worth of breastmilk. More than 100 ounces of precious breastmilk down the drain...as if it were simply water.
I can't believe I had to do it! And I wish there was another way, but being away from my 9 month old daughter for a week and with no way to bring back all that milk I had to "pump and dump." I poured a good 10 oz of milk down the drain of two different airplanes when I had to sit in that tiny, smelly bathroom and hope we didn't hit turbulence. (Of course, that was only after I ran my pump through security and the female TSA officer coudn't figure out what "it" was. "It's a breastpump," yelled her co-worker from three aisles away. Gee, thanks!) I pumped in an airport bathroom carefully balancing one butt cheek on the paper seat cover while trying to hold the pumps in place with on arm and stretching to keep the bathroom door pulled shut since it had a bum lock. I dumped about 12 oz there.
I pumped in the passenger seat of a two seater, lowrider convertible (top up, of course) going 75 mph down I-17 from Scottsdale to Sedona....forgot a blanket, so that was a little tricky keeping everything covered. As you can see, the highway pumping session was well worth the view!If there's a bright side - I did enjoy a few drinks, a caesar salad, goat cheese and ahi tuna...a few favorites I've had to stay away from the past 18 months. And my fears, that my daughter would refuse the breast when I returned from a baby-free vacation, were unfounded. She latched back on like we were never separated. But after a week of exclusive pumping, 4 or 5 times a day I can't imagine how mom's who exclusively pump do it. Breastfeeding is just so convenient.
Ah, the things we do for our kids!
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Hi,
ReplyDeleteI saw you on Maria's blog and wanted to introduce myself.
God bless you in your parent journey, I nursed all four of my children, don't cry over a little spilled milk...lol...
J- Thanks for stopping by! It's always nice to hear from other moms!
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