This control freak finally had to let go of some

coasterqueen wrote: control I'm a bit sad about it. I am such a control freak and everything just has to be perfect in my world! DH just LOVES that part of my personality, let me tell ya

With every part of my being I didn't want to start Kylie on whole milk. My intentions were for her to get her dairy in all other sources. Nothing wrong with whole milk, I just wanted her to have my milk I'm doing everything I can possibly do to pump enough milk for her at work, but I am just not succeeding these days. I did decrease to 2 pumping sessions from several months back to "refresh" my sanity a bit since pumping for a long time can really get to one's mind. That helped and I didn't really see too much of a decline in my milk.

But these last few months, Kylie is *snacking* more than ever. And instead of just nursing on one side for several let-downs, Kylie is nursing on one side only long enough to get the first FAST letdown and then she wants the other side. Well as most of you know when a baby doesn't stimulate the breast for very long, it tells your body to only make so much milk and that's it. Well that is what my body is doing. I try to pump several times a night and in morning to also help stimulate, but I am not making as much milk as I did, even with everything I'm doing.

So....I intro'ed whole milk last month, but Kylie just absolutely hates it. We've flavored it, disguised it in breastmilk, given skim milk instead, etc. Just to see and nothing works. So we've just been giving it to her off and on.

Well today I had to send whole milk with her ebm because I didn't have enough ebm to send her I haven't gone to pick her up yet today from the sitter, but I hope she did okay.

I did everything I could to pump enough milk last night and this morning to send her and I failed. I just hope she didn't starve today without her milk.

I'm sorry for rambling and blubbering, but I knew you all would understand. I probably should have given in to my perfection and given her whole milk at sitter earlier, but I just didn't want to admit I couldn't send enough.

Thank you all for listening if you read this novel.

kit_kats_mom replied: Awww MAN! I'm so sorry Karen. I have a feeling that this may be happening here to since we are night weaning & my pump broke.

You have given Kylie the best start possible and you have really been commited to it. She is one lucky little girl...ahem, BIG girl , to have such a dedicated mommy.

I hope that she takes to the milk for you. I finally bought rice milk today (both vanilla and plain) and Katherine gagged like I was trying to make her drink battery acid! Ridiculous really So now I have 2 gallons of another type of milk that will never be drunk in our house. Grrrr!

The only thing that I can tell you is what we do. I don't think it says anywhere that babies have to drink milk as long as they get dairy from some source. I send her to daycare with diluted apple juice which she will chug (that or ice water) and I try to get her dairy in other ways. She would eat pudding all day long if I let her and she has just begun to eat yogurt every day. She hates cheese, unless it's melted in a sandwich or on top of a pizza or pasta, but we are working on that. I try to get at least one dairy product into every meal. I plan to ask the ped if I can offer her a tums once a day as well because I've read that it's ok for babies who won't drink milk.

Good luck to you and big hugs. What are we going to do when these girls wean themselves????

amynicole21 replied: Oh, Karen, I'm so sorry I remember when that happened to me, and I had to send some formula to daycare with Sophia. I felt like the worst kind of failure imaginable. Bear in mind though that your incredible daughter thrived (and continues to thrive) on your milk for nearly 18 months. That is an astonishing feat which requires lavish praise Really, how many people can say that?? You got your platinum star and my undying respect

PS - Sophia will only drink cow's milk warm. I have to heat it up in the microwave for her, and as soon as it cools down she quits drinking it.

coasterqueen replied: Thanks Cary and Amy.

I have NO IDEA what I will do when she weans. I will probably lock myself in a room and cry for days. LOL.

I have tried juice and Kylie hates every juice out there. She's a weird kid, lol. I will have to try the warm milk idea, Amy. thanks

I will still continue to pump for her, I just won't spend every waking moment trying to get every last drop. I will just do my 2 pumpings at work and maybe one in the evening. I keep asking myself when I will completely give up the pump. I think my answer to that is I will for sure do it when I get pg again, lol.

A&A'smommy replied: Aww sweetie! (((BIG HUGS)))

paradisemommy replied: i'm sorry you are going through this, but know that we are here for you!!

Schnoogly replied: Iain hates juice too. And will only drink milk warm. I'd try that for sure.

He is OK with rice milk but it gives him stinky gas

Fenugreek? The motherlove More Milk Plus tincture might give you a boost.

MylittlePaige replied: Hugs to you.

I commend you as well for nursing Kylie for 18 months. Not many mommies can say that they were able to do that and you did all you can to give her the best start she could have.

Also I would try the soy milk. Paige really likes it which we are lucky since she can't tolerate milk. She likes the plain, she will gag like crazy on the vanilla. I don't know if that would work for Kylie though. She may like the vanilla more since it is sweeter. Isn't breast milk sweeter? It is strange the things you rememeber huh?

Alli and Paige

Kaitlin'smom replied: awww sweetie its okay and yes try the warm milk idea Kaitlin loves it that way, she will drink it cold but really prefers it warm, I just nuke it for 1 miunte, works perfect in our microwave! Best of luck and you got to go longer than I did.

kimberley replied: sorry to hear that. it is so hard to watch them grow . the boys only drank whole milk warm too. just wanted to give lots of (((hugs))) and support.

aspenblue1 replied: I am sorry. I rember when I stopped producing enoungh milk and I had to give Isabella some formula.

Julie (jem0622) replied: You have done a fabulous job for her. Do not feel like you failed her b/c that is far from the truth. You set expectations upon yourself and look and what you have done for your daughter so far. She is a beautiful, healthy little lady! Go Mom!

She will adjust to not having the EBM. She may refuse cow's milk. And that's okay because cow's milk is really for baby cows and not humans. Not trying to start a debate, just stating the facts. And lots of people have trouble with cow's milk. Why wouldn't they? So don't fret. She can get calcium and milk fat from other sources. I could not get milk into Nathan (4) until a month or so ago. But he would eat mac-n-cheese, pizza, yogurt. So that is what we fed him (especially yogurt) to get those things in him. There is also calcium fortified juice, bread, cereal bars. You name it!

Julie

coasterqueen replied:
Thanks Julie I am still pumping, so she is getting some ebm still, but I'm also sending 3 ounces of whole milk too. I am with you, I agree cow's milk is for cows, human milk for humans. LOL. I think that is why it was hard for me to send it I agree she can get dairy in other ways, but Kylie has this oral fixation thing going on that she needs something to drink as well. I guess maybe it's because she's used to getting her ebm at the sitter at certain times. So instead of ebm with her lunch the sitter is now giving her whole milk. She wasn't crazy at first, but she did a bit better yesterday.

It's weird because we give her water with her meal, but the sitter says she refuses to drink water. I'm literally confused about that one, but oh well. I've tried to fight that fight a million times and give up. LOL. So that's why I sent the cow's milk, but she's only getting 3oz or less a day, which is good in my book LOL.

MommyToAshley replied: :grouphug; Awwwee, I know that is tough on you. But, I have to agree with others, you have done a wonderful job BF Kylie for the first 18 months. I admire you for having the dedication to pump all this time at work. I don't know if I could have survived that long if I worked outside of the home. I hated pumping just the little I did for Ashley's cereal and babysitting reserve. You have given Kylie the best start in life, you should be very proud.

As for whole milk, Ashley likes her's at room temperature, but not warm. She has just started drinking more milk recently. Until this past month, I had been giving her cheese and yogurt everyday to make sure she was gettting enough calcium.

coasterqueen replied:
I'm glad to know Kylie isn't the only one who hates juice! Maybe it goes along with being high needs huh LOL. Who knows sometimes with these kids.

I haven't tried fenugreek. The only reason I haven't is because I've gone 18 months w/o using it and I just don't want to start now. KWIM? I just had to just say enough was enough, lol. She's still nursing and I'm still pumping, I'm just sending less than I used to.