Someday I will write a post about something other than my boobs
I forgot to mention that Bat Girl has recently been nursing less and less, though not for the reason she was rejecting the breast before (the insufficiency of milk). No, I have concluded that she doesn't want to nurse because there is (brace yourself)...too much milk.
What? How is that possible when I am producing less than 12 ounces a day? Well, I have always let down really easily and quickly--that's why I leaked so much in the early days, and why I still leak even now. It's why I could get away with pumping for just five minutes at a time for so long--because what little milk there was came out in the first 2-3 minutes. (Once I mostly gave up nursing, I started pumping for 10-15 minutes just to make sure I was emptying my boobs, but most still comes out in the first five minutes.) A couple weeks ago, when my supply leveled off at around 1.5-2 ounces per session, I noticed that during those first 2-3 minutes, the milk was seriously gushing out, which was kind of cool--I imagine that's what those women who brag online about pumping 50 ounces a day see all the time.
Then I noticed that Bat Girl seemed to be gulping a lot during our short nursing sessions. Sometimes she'd even stop sucking and just take two or three gulps in a row, like it was just too much for her. And I guess she decided it really was too much for her, because now she never nurses for more than a minute or two. The nice thing is that at least she doesn't scream and push away and beat at my chest like she did when she used to reject the breast. No, she'll latch on for a bit, suck, swallow, suck some more, start gulping and choking, then look astonished (like, "Where the hell is all this milk coming from?"). Then she'll pull off and very politely decline to latch back on. No tears, no fussing--she'll smile at the boob and talk to the boob, but suck on it? No thanks, Mom.
I know this post falls in the "boring minutiae" category of blogdom, but I just want to document for future reference: Yes, Virginia, it is possible to have low supply and forceful letdown at the same time.
What? How is that possible when I am producing less than 12 ounces a day? Well, I have always let down really easily and quickly--that's why I leaked so much in the early days, and why I still leak even now. It's why I could get away with pumping for just five minutes at a time for so long--because what little milk there was came out in the first 2-3 minutes. (Once I mostly gave up nursing, I started pumping for 10-15 minutes just to make sure I was emptying my boobs, but most still comes out in the first five minutes.) A couple weeks ago, when my supply leveled off at around 1.5-2 ounces per session, I noticed that during those first 2-3 minutes, the milk was seriously gushing out, which was kind of cool--I imagine that's what those women who brag online about pumping 50 ounces a day see all the time.
Then I noticed that Bat Girl seemed to be gulping a lot during our short nursing sessions. Sometimes she'd even stop sucking and just take two or three gulps in a row, like it was just too much for her. And I guess she decided it really was too much for her, because now she never nurses for more than a minute or two. The nice thing is that at least she doesn't scream and push away and beat at my chest like she did when she used to reject the breast. No, she'll latch on for a bit, suck, swallow, suck some more, start gulping and choking, then look astonished (like, "Where the hell is all this milk coming from?"). Then she'll pull off and very politely decline to latch back on. No tears, no fussing--she'll smile at the boob and talk to the boob, but suck on it? No thanks, Mom.
I know this post falls in the "boring minutiae" category of blogdom, but I just want to document for future reference: Yes, Virginia, it is possible to have low supply and forceful letdown at the same time.
posted by electriclady at 9:22 PM
2 Comments:
I'm giggling compassionately over here. You've experienced so much that me thinks you'll be a lactation consultant by the time this is over.
Isn't it ironic...Bat girl refusing to nurse due to too much milk!! I agree with Meira, I think you can be a lactation consultant with everything you've gone thru!
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