Bittersweet Milestone

It's funny the moments that suddently become important to you when a year ago or so you wouldn't have even given it a second thought.

Last Tuesday, I carried my breastpump to work for the last time, Elle had her last bottle of pumped milk at daycare and I now have my freezer back.

The last of the freezer stash.

My Medela Pump-In-Style (is that really possible?).

It was a huge part of my ability to continue breastfeeding Elle when I went back to work. When she was born, my goal was to breastfeed her for at least 3 months. That soon became a goal of 6 months and suddenly a year seemed possible. Now, here we are at 13 months and she is still actively nursing at home and has made a decent transition to cow's milk while at daycare.

A few months ago, a good friend of mine wrote a poem after finishing her last day of pumping at work.

So, in honor of my final pumping session...

Good Night Purple Goose

by Chandra Burnside

In the small beige office/lactation room

there was a working, pumping mom

And a spreadsheet

And a picture of--

The baby to help with letdown

and there were rubber valves, and nipple salves

and two flanges for boobs, and all sorts of tubes

and tissues for weeping and baby clothes for sleeping

and a tub of oats and the rue of goats

and a towel for spills, and domperidone pills

and a Medela Pump

And the Purple Goose, honking "HE-BUMP!"

Goodnight lactation room

goodnight spreadsheet

goodnight rubber valves and nipple salves

goodnight boobs and goodnight tubes

goodnight weeping goodnight clothes for sleeping

goodnight oats and goodnight goats

goodnight spills goodnight pills

goodnight Medela and goodnight pump

goodnight Purple Goose and goodnight "HE-BUMP!"

goodnight pumping daily, goodnight supply fear

goodnight precious infant year.

The Purple Goose was a breast pump that Chandra tested for a focus group over the winter.

 

Who knew that having kids turns you into a complete sap??