A section of my pregnancy confession was “My milk will flow abundantly as soon as I give birth and my baby will never lack food to eat!”
God was ready to ensure this happened to the last words but I had to be ready to collect the ‘abundant milk so my baby won’t lack food to eat.’
This meant that I pumped both day and night. I pumped at every chance I got. I had both manual and electric breast pumps. Infact, at some point they all spoilt and I had to buy a one which later spoilt and I had to buy another one. Just do the maths! I was truly ready!
My breastfeeding journey has been one I’ve been waiting to tell. The past six months have been the busiest of my life.
What was I busy doing? I was busy producing and expressing breast milk while working, wifeing (being a wife) and raising my toddler. If you ask me how I survived it, I can only remember God strengthening me one day at a time.
Truth is I doubted I’ll get here because I resumed work when my baby was just a little over two months old and I had four long months ahead of me. So your guess is right, I have been pumping every single day from then till now.
Did I break down? Yes!
Why wouldn’t I when I had to pump and breastfeed intermittently through the night so I’ll feed him and still have milk to keep for him before racing off to work in the morning? I literally became a mobile breast milk factory.
Did I want to give up? Many times. You don’t want to imagine the long nights and body aches with little or no sleep and having to rush out super early so I’ll be in the office before 8am.
I have no idea how I would have done all these without my ever supportive husband who constantly cheered me on and on countless occassions would leave his own job to stop by my office to transport expressed milk home!
Sometimes, I worked a 12-hour shift and this meant I had to keep many bottles of breast milk and when I didn’t get enough at a time, my husband would come pick up the remaining from my work place and even buy plenty goodies for me to eat and regain my strength.
I remember one day I forgot my breast pump and bottles at home while racing off and I had to work a 12 hour shift. My husband had to leave his work to go home and bring them for me!
Talk about sacrifice and commitment on two feet!
When you declare a scripture, just know that God is ready to do it but are you ready to receive it?
Everyone in my house bore the heat. In fact my mother was at the forefront, she never got tired of taking care of my baby even to this moment! Even my colleagues at work were not left out as they constantly supported me.
I can now make this post because this morning, my baby had his first pap and surprisingly, it went down well.
Though I am not done breastfeeding yet, but the pressure has been lifted and I will now resume the next duty of blending smoothies and making purées for him.
That is a lot easier (I already gave him banana puree with his first pap and he almost ate his plate. Lol!)
“God! Motherhood never ends!”
I’ll miss those days of waking up to pump and carrying breast pump round the world like it is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Lol.
Dear working mom, please be encouraged. You can work and breastfeed your baby exclusively for the first six months of life but I must be honest with you, it’s not easy.
If you are not able to do it, it doesn’t make you any less of a great mom and it won’t make your baby not to grow. If you have your mother or anyone to help, you are most blessed.
Mothers are golden and I totally agree! No wonder colostrum is golden!
Cheers to many more days of not pumping at all!
Cheers to many more nights of waking up only once or twice!
Kudos to every mother doing her best to raise her child/children and the amazing husbands who make this journey less stressful.
Be encouraged, you are not alone!
This is uplifting and encouraging. Thank you.
Thanks sis. Good to hear from you.
THANK YOU MA