TEAM BABIES::THE BOOBIES

I decided when I was pregnant with the Triplets I wanted them to have the same opportunities as every other baby. 

Remember when I said I do pregnant well? That was the whole reason I knew I could carry Kim and Curtis' baby for them without any problems. Which unexpectedly turned into 3 babies..... Well I have magic boobs too. 

I did nurse all 4 of my babies for a period of time. Ranging from Olivia, I only nursed her for 6 weeks because her reflux was so bad she wasn't gaining weight and needed a special formula. Then there's Esther that refused to ever take a bottle in her little life, forcing me to nurse for a very very long 10 months. 

But through all 4 kids I never experienced any problems. None. 

Sore this. Cracked and bleeding that. Mastitis. Pain. Never had any of it. It's a sunny walk in the park when I nurse or pump. And on top of that I'm one of those people that can pump 10 ounces at a time. I think they call that a cow. 

So why the heck wouldn't I pump for the triplets?

The pumping started the day they were born. Of course we hear the "gold" is the colostrum so we wanted to make sure they got that. The nurses said even if you can only get a drop, they would put it on a q-tip and swab it inside their mouths. Gold I tell ya. 

Here's my first pump of colostrum.

Then I started hearing that with a C-section your milk can sometimes not come in for like a week. I had never thought of that? Mine always came in while I was still in the hospital. Well this time was no different, it did come in while still in the hospital. 

And I was sent home with a hospital grade pump.

He's a he (for obvious reasons) and he's a beast. But he get's the job done and done fast.

Dairy Queen (that's me) runs are a daily thing at this house. Fresh is best. So Kim or Curtis or whoever come get the milk and take it to the babies.

These were the bottles early on.

Now we've moved onto the big boys, 10oz bottles.

Nothing makes me happier than to see the babies drinking my efforts. Keeps me a little connected for a moment longer...

BUT as I write this I've already started to wean... The babies bottles right now consist of half breast milk half formula, so their tummy's can get used to the formula. So the hospital has plenty of supply to get this family to California. Sad times for sure. Whether it be with my kids or the triplets it's always so hard to wean. It should be a joyous occasion but no matter what you always feel guilty. No worries though, I'll be over it in a couple of weeks or days.

So questions have been did I make more because there were three? And my answer is probably not. It's so different when there are no babies around you while you are pumping. Although Esther or babies at church would occasionally cause the let down it's just not the same. And I never was super aggressive with it knowing I was only doing it for a month. So I think it's been about the same. But I do have to say I know it's played a huge role in my fast recovery (my body blog post will come soon).

I'm so grateful I could do this for these babies even if it was short lived. Looking back it means a lot that I could give them the start to life they absolutely deserve.