Breastfeeding Part 7: Cabbage Leaves

It seams that for every minor step forward on the breastfeeding front, I'm bound to have a major setback.  Well, folks, lets just say I have a cabbage leaf in my bra.

My major concern with doing the 3 am feeding by breast has always had to do with the amount of milk I pump at that hour.  Seriously, I've regularly pumped 16 + ounces at that feeding, a whole pint!  That is at least two whole feedings for the girls! So this weekend when I decided to give it a whirl, I was pleasantly surprised that I neither woke up in a puddle each morning nor felt particularly engorged.  Sweet!

Monday morning I had the hardest time falling asleep after the girls at the middle of the night feed. I was freezing and my heater husband was somehow either evading me or not nearly warm enough. I noticed a tender spot on the left breast and assumed I had another plugged duct.  I worked it out while Aeralind ate her next meal. When I got up, all my joints were achy like I had the flu.  I was so scared that I'd already given a nasty bug to the girls.  But then I noticed a red splotch all across my poor breast: Mastitis.

So here I am on a regiment of ibuprofen, heating pad before nursing, pumping after nursing to make sure they got it all, and a cabbage leaf in my bra (feels so good!). I've pumped the night feeding again the last few nights and while my body has adjusted to their demands rather well... it still has to make a little less.

Forgive me for all the breastfeeding posts. But honestly I spend 20+ minutes every 3 hours on this task (not including burping or dealing with reflux issues), and it seems to be my life at the moment.  I'm still hoping that my posts will give new mom's of multiples an idea of what to expect.  Please let me know if these posts are helpful.