Breastfeeding While Pregnant

When I was pregnant with Zoe, I knew I would attempt to breastfeed my baby. There was no question about it. Breastfeeding didn't start as a magical experience for us. Well, I guess it was magical the first night of Zoe's life, but before we even left the hospital the trouble set in and continued for the first 4.5 weeks of Zoe's life. Once we got nursing fully established, there was no looking back. Initially I wanted to make it to the six month mark. Made it. Then I decided I'd nurse Zoe for a year. No sweat! As I started contemplating weaning her, I realized I couldn't do it, and I didn't want to do it. We had a good thing going, she still really enjoyed it, so why end it. I decided I would nurse Zoe until she turned 18-months and if she hadn't started showing signs of weaning, I'd start the weaning process. Neither happened. My new timeline became 2 years or when I got pregnant. Well, I got pregnant and continued to nurse Zoe. After doing extensive online research, I found plenty to support our continued nursing relationship. While nursing while pregnant is ill-advised for women with a history of pre-term labor, that isn't my story. After my first prenatal appointment, I received Dr. S's blessing to continue nursing Zoe, particularly because we weren't nursing very frequently (at the time, 2-3 times per day). She just urged me to take a calcium supplement to compensate for the extra demand on my calcium stores. So, 20-months later, Zoe is still nursing. Unfortunately, nursing became extremely painful once breast tenderness set in around week 6 of my pregnancy. After two weeks of enduring horrendous pain, I decided to try to wean Zoe down to morning nursings only to manage the discomfort. She cooperated quite well. Now it seems she's ready to wean entirely. The past two mornings she has shown very little interest in nursing. She nurses briefly on one side and then she's "all done." I don't know if the weaning process is because Zoe is ready or if my milk supply has diminished to the point of making nursing pointless. Honestly, I think it's the latter. Regardless of the reason, I'm a little conflicted about the possible shift in our relationship. I'm so pleased that I was able to nurse this long, especially as a 1st generation nursing (and working) mother and given all the issues we had in the beginning. I'm also happy that Zoe is doing the weaning instead of the other way around. I really didn't want to "take" this away from her. I know I'll miss the extra cuddling that nursing provides, but I believe that nursing created an impenetrable bond between Zoe and me, for which I'll be eternally grateful. I'm also happy I've been able to give Zoe such a wonderful gift and lots of good antibodies! Assuming Zoe is in fact weaning, I guess this means I won't be tandem nursing once Baby D2 is born. Trust me, I was fully prepared and willing to do so if necessary. (I'm sure someone would've called Nati.onal Ge.ogra.phic on me!)

Boob Woes

Two weeks ago, while nursing Zoe, I found a lump in my right breast. I've had several clogged milk ducts since nursing, but this one was different because it wasn't painful at all. And the lump was rather pronounced. After feeding Zoe, I pumped my breast dry; the lump was still there. The next morning the lump was still present, so I called my gynecologist and got a referral for a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound. The tests revealed a cyst with a small portion of solid matter in it. I was given the option to "wait and watch it" for a couple of weeks or to have a biopsy via fine needle aspiration (FNA). I chose the latter.

Last Friday, I had the FNA done. Thankfully, the aspiration revealed 100% milk, so the diagnosis was a galactocele, or a milk cyst. I was, and still am, relieved!

Last Friday night/Saturday morning, around 4am, I woke up to intense burning and pain in the area of the biopsy site. There was also a small knot in the area. I woke Zoe up to nurse, which provided some relief. Throughout the weekend I continued to experience pain and discomfort in my right breast so I nursed Zoe and pumped on that side like crazy. Trevor and I returned to the clinic Monday morning to figure out what was going on. It seems that I've developed an infection in breast, so now I'm on antibiotics for 10 days. The doctor said that it is likely that bacteria from Zoe's mouth entered my breast through my nipple, thus causing the infection. What a pain!! (both literally and figuratively)

The things we go through to nourish our little ones. Zoe's worth it though!