Props to Grandparents--and Milking Mechanics

We have been really fortunate to have had Robin's parents visit last weekend and my mom here for the next week. It is so much fun for Robin and me to watch them with Lydia, and it is a welcome relief from constant baby care.

Today and tomorrow, I am at school working with the members of my house at school, the community within a community that we are implementing this year as part of the restructuring we must do for No Child Left Behind. (Yes, we are a low-performing school and are required to do this. I could go on and on, but I won't right now.) On top of the general anxiety and melancholy that accompanies going back to work and starting daycare with Lydia the week after next, I am "house leader," and I wasn't sure exactly what that would entail or how our first house meeting of the year would go.

Today went better than I expected for several reasons. 1.) We made some good headway in our house with meeting norms, expectations, and classroom procedures while avoiding unproductive conflict. 2.) Lydia and my mom had a great day together, which I will talk about in a bit, 3.) I was able to pump enough milk so that we won't have to dip into my frozen store for tomorrow, and 4.) Mom took me shopping, which is fun, even when you're way closer to thirty than fifteen.

For those that have never nursed a baby while working (or nursed a baby at all), preparing enough milk for the day can be a huge source of stress. I had been perhaps unfairly harsh on my mom for the last time she took care of Lydia when the baby blew through twice as much milk as I was able to pump. Since then, I have been dreading going back to work and trying to keep nursing. For many women, the pump isn't as effective as a baby, so the milk that can be expressed (that word makes my skin crawl) and stored in bottles doesn't match what the baby actually takes in. For lots of moms, this isn't the case, but for me, it seems to be it. I would sit and try to focus on what I was doing and think of Lydia and even look at pictures of her to try to get my milk to let down, but sometimes I would only get two or three ounces, sometimes even less.

Like the fabulous parenting partner he is, Robin did some research and rigged me up with the perfect solution. When I pump, I use my phone and watch the video below. I pumped everything I needed to for Lydia tomorrow, AND my mom rose to the occasion and followed the feeding (and napping) schedule we left her to a tee. Lydia's sleeping is a little thrown off with the change, but all in all, she ate exactly as we'd hoped today (and I was able to replace what she ate), and she went to bed at her usual time. Mom did a great job, Robin's video was the perfect solution, and I think I did a pretty good job, too.