Moo

This is about the down and dirty of breastfeeding. This is not about how beautiful it is, about oxytocin release and lovey-dovey rainbow sparkles that flow from my brain when I have my letdown. This is a story of the nitty gritty crazy things you will do when you are providing a year's worth of liquid nutrition for your little calf. This post may make you blush and feel uncomfortable. Sorry. As an OB/GYN who preaches daily about breastfeeding's benefits, it's also up to me to comment on how NOT glamorous it is in the day to day life of a working mom. 

1). Bloody nipples. 

Yes! No matter how amazing your latch is, how perfectly shaped your baby's mouth is, how not flat your nipples are, you may have bloody scabs on your breasts at some point. This will pass. It sucks. Wear a black shirt on these days.

2). Your wardrobe sucks now.

I have a completely different set of clothing for the first year of my babies' lives. You will need button down shirts and stretchy tanks, you will ruin your cute Equipment silk blouses and you will ultimately decide between the lesser of two evils and become an "under-the-shirt" feeder or "top-boob" feeder resultantly stretching out the necks of all of your shirts. I am the latter because I would rather be topless than reveal my muffin top. True story. I'm excited to wear a dress again one day. This is almost impossible if you are pumping at work as it's not professional to have a dress around your ankles or around your neck in the middle of the work day. Asos.com has a ton of cute Co-ord sets which I highly recommend. These are basically dresses cut in half that are amazing for breastfeeding women. They are a favorite of Taylor Swift ...little does she know that she will have an amazing breastfeeding wardrobe one day.

3.) Your breasts will take on "Elastic-Man" qualities. 

Sadly, perky breasts attached to your chest wall will be a thing of the past. Your boobs will be stretchy and surprisingly maleable. They can point in different directions.  Bras don't really help. 

4). You will have a love-hate relationship with your breast pump. 

Buy lots of extra parts so you don't spend your life cleaning accessories and crying because you left something at home. Leave extra parts at the office and hidden in your purse.

5). You will breastfeed on the toilet in a public restroom and feel bad for yourself. 

It's okay. I've been there.

6). Lansinoh sheep lanolin stains your clothes. 

7.) Random strangers will tell you to get a room or that you shouldn't breastfeed in public.

Your baby has a right to eat. Brush it off :) 
8). The Dressing Room Attendant at Century 21 will accuse you of shoplifting.
Okay, so maybe this happened to me yesterday. It shouldn't happen to you...but it's what inspired this post. I ducked into the fitting rooms there to try on a few of the aforementioned Co-ord sets and realized I hadn't pumped in a few hours. I took the opportunity to manually express...which takes much longer than pumping but no hassle of mechanical devices, you just need two hands! When I emerged from the fitting room, the lady up front raised an eyebrow and said, "You were in there for a long time, can I check your bag?" After inspecting all the tags on my items and making sure I hadn't doctored the prices or stuffed anything into my insulated breast milk cooler, she had another employee escort me to the cashiers. I could have taken the time to explain my engorged breasts but it wasn't worth it. 

I decided to write this post instead. 

Xo

M

Vintage photo of me breastfeeding Maika in a furniture display at IKEA. Skaaagenfroudal anyone?

Birth

Today is my mom's birthday. Some sixty plus years ago my grandmother pushed out the first of four children and brought my mom into the world. 

It's a tough day for me but after a chat with my father, I realize that it's a celebration. A celebration of the start of her life and subsequently mine, my brother's and in some way, my own childbren's. 

My dad is spending the day making some of my mom's favorite foods. Barbecue ribs, meatball subs, asparagus.  She was a healthy lady but definitely indulged and found great joy in food. 

So I thank her today for passing onto me the delight she found in all things edible. It really is the center of most of my family gatherings. Ironically, I am terrible at making Chinese food but I make a damn fine turkey meatloaf. Growing up in a Chinese home, I often lamented the mundane white rice and vegetable dishes  carefully prepared by my parents. I yearned for Salisbury steak and the pot roasts I assumed all my Caucasian classmates must be eating followed by homemade apple pie nightly. 

I realize now, though, those homemade dinners around our small table were the heart of our family. My parents had a long day at the office and commuting to and from Manhattan,  yet we always had a homecooked, healthy Chinese meal. A mom of two now with a sometimes crazed day, I can get dinner on the table maybe 3 times a week. Takeout is my buddy.

Meat was luxurious while veggies were a staple... and I guess that was what the allure of wings and hearty ribs held for my mom. The luxury of meat-heavy meals was one my mom didn't have growing up in Taiwan. My parents often speak of the delight they had getting a big chicken drumstick on their birthdays and I think how simple that joy must have been. 

For you, mom, a meaty treat to celebrate you! She was never a fan of sweets or cake, so I will fittingly rejoice in her memory with an Atkins-heavy day. 

Happy happy birthday mom.

Xo

M