Mama Thursday: The wonder coming out of my chest

This probably doesn't come as a surprise to some of you but I'm breastfeeding Lily. All health benefits aside, have you seen the price of formula? I'm lucky that I'm definitely not lacking in the milk production department as so many other mothers I've talked to lately. Since I'm forced to work full time I have to pump several times a day. Thankfully my office has a dedicated room for this and I don't have to slink around in some manky bathroom stall like some of my fellow lactating sisters.

Pumping at work was definitely something I had to get used to. The awkwardness of being in a state of undress at the office made things difficult at first -- at least mentally (is the door locked? Is it really locked?). Physically I've never had a problem with letdown or production. I'm like one of those fountains in Italy, only instead of liquid coming out from below the waist it's all up top.

*Yet Another Thing They Don't Tell You About Pregnancy And Motherhood: You can spray milk. Like a squirt gun. Or a lawn sprinkler. Involuntarily.

I was hauling my heavy-ass Pump In Style pump to and from work until I figured out that my office has a pump that lives in the pumping room that works very well. And it just so happened I had the piston and connector that fits on it. I'm not sure why but the lady that I bought my pump from on Craigslist included it with everything else. Score!

I've learned a lot about breastfeeding.

* You don't need the expensive Medela Pump & Save bags that are $20 for 50. After going through a box every week and a half I switched to the much more reasonable $10/50 Lansinoh bags.

* When you find a nursing bra that actually fits and doesn't ride up or sag or twist around on you (good luck), buy several of them.

* You only need lanolin for about the first month or so. One tube should be MORE than enough.

* Reusable breast pads are awesome, but at night it's a better idea to use disposables (or stack up 2 or 3 reusables per side) so you don't wake up in a puddle.

* It's really hard to breastfeed without a Boppy. I just ordered an inflatable nursing pillow.

* This breastmilk diet is clearly working because Lily is 14 weeks old and about to start crawling and already teething. Also, she's in the 95th percentile in size.

Right now I have a sty roughly the size of the state of Alabama on my lower eyelid. I can't open my eye all the way and it looks and feels like I've been punched in the face. They say that breastmilk can cure pinkeye and ear infections so I did what any reasonable sleep-deprived and stressed-out mother would do. I put breastmilk on my sty. We'll see what happens. Right now I'd rub poison ivy on my nether regions if it would make this thing go away.