Green Poo, Oversupply and Pumping v. Nursing

BITTERSWEET MOTHERHOOD

Part II, Green Poo And Other Breastfeeding Experiences

SOOOOO many new things I am learning relate to what a baby does 24/7 - eat, sleep and poo.

So, today, it's the green poo.

In the beginning, with Adia, I had NO milk. In fact, it took 5 WHOLE DAYS, an in-home visit with the best lactation consultant in the world, 2 different pumps, and 3 ALMOST giving-in's formula, before my milk generously overflowed.

So many women struggle with lack of milk supply.

I have ALWAYS had problems with OVERsupply.

Oversupply isn't all fun and games and donation to milk banks. It's about GREEN POO.

Breastmilk is composed of 2 parts: FOREmilk and HINDmilk. The FORE milk is composed of lactase, and a lot of water. It's there because your baby gets thirsty and it replenishes them. So, they will sip throughout the day the FOREmilk to replenish their thirst. When they are hungry, they keep sucking, and it's the milk that is the back of the ducts - that contains the FAT, the stuff that they fill up on. Both components are vital and necessary. The foremilk contains stuff for the brain they need, and the hindmilk - the calories they need to fill up, the fat they need to grow.

So, anyway, when you have overflowing boobs, your baby will fill up TOO quickly on the foremilk - which is high in water and lactase - the lactase is what causes the poo to be GREEN and frothy. They aren't getting the fat they need.

SO...I had to "block-feed", which is a fancy lactation term for "feeding from one boob only" for a few feeding until my body stopped producing so much milk.

These days, Raya still has one or two green poos a day (usually the 5 pm poo). But it's much better.

You can also remedy oversupply by pumping milk - and mixing it up in the bottle to feed.

But I don't bottle feed Raya.

With Adia, I exclusively pumped. Every day. I pumped 8 times a day (6 am, 8:30 am, 11, 1:30, 4, 6:30, and 9, and 3 am.). I would get about 1.5 ounces per hour. So, a total of 36 ounces a day. I was down to a SCIENCE. I was a freak. It took me about 20 -30 minutes per pump session, so I was spending roughly 160 minutes, or about 3-4 hours a day pumping, and then about 1 hour total washing and sterilizing pumps.

I pumped because I was afraid I would run out of milk. I pumped because I was afraid Adia wasn't drinking enough and I had to track it. I also pumped because I had to WORK, and I could work while pumping...but Icould not work while nursing.

The purpose of pumping milk and breastfeeding is the same - to provide your baby with the best nutrients nature intended. However, there is an added purpose to nursing - and that is to comfort your baby. There are lullabies that talk about breastfeeding...the famous Brahms' Lullaby with Lyrics states, "Lullaby and good night, Thy mother's delight, Bright angels beside My darling abide. They will guard thee at rest, Thou shalt wake on my breast."

When you say "mother", images of an infant nursing on a mother's breast comes to mind. It's not the same when you see an infant drink a bottle of pumped breastmilk.

Anyway, even though I went crazy providing the best nutrients for Adia - who didn't have a DROP of formula until she was 10 months old (only because I was on antibiotics for the D&C surgery from the molar pregnancy I had)...I always felt a certain guilt that I didn't nurse Adia as much.

So with Raya, it's make-up time! I nurse her ROUND the clock and it's giving her green poo!

OVERsupply is bad. Not only is it bad for the baby, but it's bad for MAMA. Constantly feeling full - unbearably leaky breasts - rapidly dropping weight! I was down to 85 pounds with Adia. I am 5'4. That's not normal.