An Ode to My Breast Pump..

And just like that, my pumping journey has come to a close. I sold off my breast pump last week, and I think that made it real. It is funny, but I felt emotional giving it away.

The only thing I asked was that she use it well, and stay committed in her journey to breastfeed.

Pumping! Sigh. Yay I don’t have to do it anymore, but yeah, closing a chapter is always bittersweet.

This is my tribute! (Am I loony or what?).

An Ode to My Breast Pump

All those long nights I stayed awake,
Your buzzing my only company when everyone slept.
Giving me reason and strength
To continue to nourish my child on my terms…

A decision I made when my boy was born…
To give him the best nutrition I possibly could…
Not a judgement on others who choose differently
But an option for me and a choice I wanted for us…

My breast pump became my best friend those days!
Or maybe I should call it my ‘breastfriend’ Ha!
We’d meet few times a day, and even at night…
Sometimes in quiet and peace, and sometimes in chaos…

For almost a year and half, you were my companion…
Keeping me committed to my breastfeeding goals.
Spurring me on, and sometimes upsetting me…
Inspiring me, and helping me inspire other moms too…

Sometimes lots of liquid gold, sometimes barely an ounce…
From being ecstatic to feeling defeated…
It has been a rollercoaster of emotions…
To provide sustenance for my little one for another day..

I wish I could say it was easy, it was not!
Pumping, sitting attached to a machine for hours…
But secretly it was also satisfying and relaxing…
And it became my “me time” in an otherwise busy day…

Forever indebted to this little piece of technology…
For allowing me to chase my professional dreams…
Without giving up on my parenting and feeding goals…
Helping me breastfeed my child without compromise…

And finally now the time has come, and I have to let you go.
As absurd as it sounds, I feel like I am saying bye to a friend!
So, thank you for all that you’ve been to my bubba and me!
Let this be an ode to our bittersweet journey!

For the record, although I am pro-breastfeeding, I am not anti-formula. I just agree with science that breastmilk is best for baby, and mom should try to give that as much as she can – if that is what she would like to do, and should be given the correct information and support to achieve her own feeding goals.

For me, pumping was what I wanted to do. And I did it well past the 1year cut off mark. It has definitely been a growth curve – from knowing zilch to being able to help others now. It has been tough! What with having to pump up to eight times on some days! But I am extremely proud of how far I have come! And super thrilled it is done!

Is it worth it?

To all you moms who are wondering if its worth it? It absolutely 100% is. It is not easy, and some days will be depressing. But it is possible! Do drop a line if you need any tips or help!

Here are my other posts on Pumping:

The Saga of a Pumping Mom: http://mommydil.com/2016/11/03/the-saga-of-a-pumping-mom/

Pumping 101: http://mommydil.com/2016/06/12/breastfeeding-pumping-101/

And here is my interview on the Threads and Shuttles blog highlighting my breastfeeding journey: https://threadsshuttles.wordpress.com/2017/08/07/it-may-not-be-easy-but-every-drop-counts/

And all my posts on breastfeeding:

http://mommydil.com/category/mommy/breastfeeding/