The Pump Life : Real, Raw and Worth it

By: Pallavi Sasidharan: A story of a Super-mom, who will inspire you with her pumping journey and story of her courage and resilience.

I was so proud when my life was all settled. We were doing financially well, my son was 7, happy and healthy and thats when we decided to have a second child. The pregnancy was a cake walk and I thought to myself that nothing can bring sorrow in my life now. We welcomed our little one and my whole world came down. He was underweight and his latch was always shallow leading to poor weight gain and I was in constant pain physically and emotionally. I was hoping the latch would improve. The idea of not nursing the baby was heartbreaking as I nursed my elder child for 2 years.I tried many things(positions, paladai, skin to skin) for a month and went into depression when nothing worked out. I considered formula as a poison.

I started pumping with a manual pump, but had no idea on schedules, flange sizes etc and inconsistent pumping caused more pain due to engorgements and nipple trauma. I hand expressed for almost a month.The manual pumps lasted for only a week and I started spenting money trying to buy different pumps online. The only thing that kept me going was the fact that I was making enough for the baby.

I was from a place where we had no Lactation consultants, the term itself was alien to my family.A random google search led me to Maina Sheth and I gave her a call, I broke down immediately after she picked up the call. She understood what was going on and she gave me my saviour's contact.I was skeptical whether to call her as I was almost done witg my breastfeeding journey. I connected with Rashmi and was the best thing I did for me and my child. She heard me, never forced me with her expectations and she always ask to continue what works for me. 

I did a lot of self study about pumping and started a proper pumping journey with Rashmi's help.The lack of knowledge about LCs and pumping wasted 3 months. Once I found a suitable pump, flanges/ inserts, I found a rhythm in my life.The pumped milk was always enough for my child.. I was an oversupplier and made 40oz with 7ppd, 34oz with 6ppd, 30oz with 5ppd,30oz with 4ppd.

There were times when I felt that I could not continue it further when I faced and I immediately message Rashmi. She always supported my decisions and I always come back stronger with my pumping journey.

 Its been 8 months of pumping and I am so proud that I did the best I could for my child. I am down to 3 pumps now and still make enough for the baby.I am planning to cut down to 2 pumps as I need to give more time to both my children, to my husband, to my parents and to myself. They have sacrificed enough till now. Yes, I might have to top feed with Formula, but I am perfectly okay with it..My child never latched properly and I am not sad, I did the maximum I could and I am proud of myself!!!

Few things I learned

- Be it breastmilk or formula, you will be the most favourite person of your baby

-Formula is not poison, feed your child proudly with no shame

-Spread the word about Lactation Consultants and what they do to help moms.

-Spent some good money on best breast pumps available if you are planning to pump and be consistent with your schedules.

-You decide when to wean and never give ears to what society considers normal.

-Exclusive pumping is super hard. Eat well, drink well and take rest and believe in yourself

My EBF (Easy, Baby Friendly) journey.

(I am Prutha, this is about my Breastfeeding journey with my second baby boy Aadi. My elder one is Om, who was also EBF for six months and breastfed till 21 months.)

Aadi was born, as requested, the head nurse held him close to me for feeding in the golden hour (1st hour after birth) and he latched perfectly👩🏻‍🍼. Being a second time mom (STM), things were pretty easy for me. 
Neither my gyenac, nor the nurses had any advice for me (perks of being a STM 😁).

We came home, Om was the happiest on seeing his younger brother of whom he had only heard since many months🤩. The 1st 2 weeks at home were tough because Om got viral fever and he was not supposed to come near me or Aadi😟. These were the worst 2 weeks of our life..My baby, who had never slept without me for 3.5 years was suddenly not allowed to even enter my room or touch me nor could he touch his brother for whom he had eagerly waited for 3 whole days😔. It was heart breaking to see all this. But one day, I decided to break all norms, wore a mask and hugged my little boy tight..both of us weeped and somehow Om's health improved that day😊. Meanwhile, waking up every 2 hours and feeding Aadi was happening on autopilot without any stress😇. 

All through paternity leave, my husband, Sandeep was completely taking care of Om. I don't think he ever slept during those days because he was busy playing the role of both mom and dad for Om. We had never thought that in the first 2 weeks, we will be dividing the responsibility of one kid each, it was supposed to be a joint venture. Anyways, the horrible 2 weeks passed. My companion for the night was my mom, who would stay awake with me if Aadi was up. She constantly reminded me that I should rest well in the first 40 days for which I'm very grateful to her🥰

Meanwhile, Aadi also got major infection in both the eyes which was so bad that one morning, his eyes were glued together because of the discharge. We rushed him to the doctor, he gave antibacterial eye drops for 10 days and warned me to not miss even a single dose as these infections in babies are supposed to be very stubborn. Thankfully he was cured by the 10th day. (The thing is, when you are a STM, nothing scares you and your brain is programmed to tackle various situations with ease. I wonder, why isn't this quality embedded in every woman since her first childbirth??🤔)

After the paternity leave ended, Sandeep went back and joined his office. For 2 months I stayed at my mom's place where my brother took complete care of Om's online school and all his other things like his own kid so that I could peacefully concentrate only on Aadi🤗. My bhabhi took responsibility of my diet which helped in Lactation. She made sure that I ate a protein rich diet which would not cause colic for Aadi. Bf was going on so smoothly that I never bothered to count the duration or number of feeds till date. Because of zero stress about feeding, Aadi's weight gain was on track(touchwood) and milestones were also achieved on or before time. Initially, Om had a lot of doubts about breastfeeding 🤔 so instead of making a taboo out of it, I explained it to him taking animals as example so that his 3 year old brain could understand. Once he understood, he always followed the rule that nobody enters the room when baby feeds😊.


Post 2 months, I moved back to my home. Sandeep was eagerly waiting to enjoy his life with both the kids. My mom stayed with us for those 2 months and she not only helped in household chores but also made sure that I ate healthy meals and got enough rest. She even did massage and bathing for Aadi which was a respite for me. Mom gave me really good tips on how to raise 2 kids without making the elder one feel left out, at the same time she even explained to Om on several occasions, how his Maa would have to attend to Aadi sometimes as he is a chhotu baby and then she would be able to come to Om. Little Om showed quite a matured behaviour for his tender age. Now again, Sandeep had resumed Om's complete responsibility including his bathing, pooping, meals and online school while managing wfh and many other household duties. At night, all of us would be like dead logs while looking after these 2. We had started a sleep routine and we were pleasantly surprised when Aadi started sleeping for 7 hours straight at night. But that happiness was short lived😐. Soon he started waking multiple times for feeds at night. But then again, this didn't cause any stress as I was mentally prepared to have sleepless nights for 2 years. So it made feeding easy😊.

Post 4th month mom went back and soon my in laws came to stay with us. It came as a huge help as I could hand over one kid to them while managing the other or would run and do some chores. Om was also very happy as he could 'get things done' his way with grand parents😁. My FIL is very good with kids and can handle them well and my MIL used to help in the kitchen whenever the cook decided to ditch us. Both of them showered their complete attention on Om so he felt like good old days were back where he was the only 'aankhon ka tara' in the house😂. Sandeep would not only manage Om but even helped in putting Aadi to sleep whenever needed. This way the next 2 months also passed smoothly.

In the blink of an eye, our EBF journey had come to an end. My amazing family made sure that there was no stress in my life because everyone pitched in so well to help in every way possible. 

My dad, who was away for work would send lots of dry fruits to make sure that I stayed healthy. My sister in law also got a baby just 3 weeks before Aadi and became my close friend in this journey as we would exchange every information we came across, be it fun facts, mom memes and other baby related stuff including firstcry coupon codes🤪

BTW, if you plan to have a second baby, don't have second thoughts about it even for a second. Just take the plunge, it may be chaotic and full of mayhem initially but once the kids start bonding, the journey becomes magical ✨😍

To tell you the truth, everyone assumes that being a STM you know it all 😎so nobody gives any advice and that actually reduces the anxiety🤪. You are less irritated which makes breastfeeding even more easy. Second time, you are less fussy and more trusting which puts your family at ease and it becomes a win win situation. This was an EBF journey which I could have only dreamt of at Om's time. There was no hurry, no worry, no pressure, no clocking the feeds, no chasing milestones because I knew, that eventually, everything will fall in place🤗.

I would like to thank my biggest pillar of support, Sandeep who made this phase enjoyable by shouldering most of the responsibilities. Whenever he would see me doing midnight feeding sessions, he would get me something to eat or gave at least a glass of water. Even now, every Saturday he makes dry fruits gond ke laddoo for me😍.

To all the parents who are readin this, I just want to say, that try and enjoy everyday of this phase because your baby is not going to be this small tomorrow. Its also very important to keep your sanity by doing things that you like. For me the real stress busters were cooking, baking, making desserts and creating  monthly photoshoots for Aadi even if it came at the cost of sacrificing my sleep. 😄 I wish all of you, a lovely breastfeeding and parenting journey ahead.

Recollecting my Breastfeeding journey

Hello, I am Harsha and I have written a small poem about my breastfeeding journey on the ocassion of World Breastfeeding Week 2021

I'm a mother of 11 month old 

Now i'm confident & having everything under my hold 

But still i remember those early days 

Motherhood is difficult,my grandma always says

I'm glad that i'm blessed with magic potion called breat milk

Dr. Rashmi helps alot to make the journey smooth as silk

I love the way you look at me when you are feeding 

You are my little munchkin love the way you are grinning 

I know our journey will end soon 

But i have enjoyed all that sleepless night look at the moon

--Harsha Joshi

A mom just needs to believe in her own abilities

By Harsha Joshi: about her struggles with latching and oversupply.

I delivered my baby on 12th aug 2020. I remember that when I took my baby to breastfeed in the initial days, I was literally screaming in pain. I was doing it totally wrong! My nipple were bleeding and it was very very painful. The hospital nurses were trying to teach me, but it all ended with lots of pain, bleeding and frustration.

But I didn't stop, I was determined and kept learning the skill till my discharge from the hospital. Then we came home but, I started facing another issue. My baby used to feed for 3-3 hours and i was literally sitting like a statue to feed him. My back was hurting and I was getting completely exhausted. 

Everyone arround me was telling me that I am not having enough milk supply for my baby. I started feeling very much depressed. I was not getting enough rest either. It started taking a toll not just on my body but, also my mind. 

One fine day, I decided to visit a lactation consultant. I googled for the best one and then i found Dr Rashmi. I discussed all my problems with her. She asked me to send a video (because it was online counseling session) of latching my baby. She observed that my latch was still quite superficial and my baby was using my breast as a pacifier that is why he was feeding for 3-3 hours.

She built back that confidence that I had lost somewhere. I was mastering the latching now but soon after that a new issue arised. My baby started becoming very fussy during each feed. So I again contacted Rashmi ma'am and then we found out that it was all because of oversupply, that my baby was behaving like that. So then I had to learn different ways to manage my flow so that baby could be more comfortable while breastfeeding.

As of now I am successfully breastfeeding my little one. He has completed 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding and we are planning to continue it atleast till his 2nd birthday.

To all the moms reading this, I would only say that every mother goes through her own unique challenges in this journey. What matters is that, you seek help at the earliest, take guidance of an expert, just trust your own abilities and keep going without any guilt and judgements. When you start believing in yourself, you will start seeing solutions to all your problems. 

It is only in your darkest times, that you discover the light within, that shines.

This story is posted anonymously by a mom of a 3.5 month old about her struggles with postpartum depression and much more.

I am a mother of 3 and a half month old baby girl and the acceptance of being into motherhood has not been that easy.
These 3 months have taught me to be resilient, patient and loving. I have been through postpartum blues where horrible dreams, sleepless nights have haunted me saying I am not a good mother as I was unable to handle and hold my child well.

I went through an emergency C- section as my girl passed stool in the womb. Being very determined for a normal delivery, even after waiting for 3 days to get into labor, I ended up with an emergency C-section.

It was the time when I felt bad on my part as the last option was made fun of. I couldn't bear the labor pains was given as an answer by my MIL. I was demotivated then and there as delivering post my due date was also laughed at.

Inspite of all this, love and support that I received from my mother and husband lifted me to embrace my situation. The next hurdle came when I was unable to hold my baby into my arms as she was 4.3 kgs at birth and I was too weak to hold her. This challenge made me feel helpless and lead to my postpartum blues.

It made me furious at every step as I was not able to take care and my mom being there as support motivated me everytime.
However, the situation became worse day by day as these blues were dominant and I was falling prey to them. I had sleepless days giving me a feeling of ungratefulness. I had to take medicines to sleep.

This was still not the end of my difficulties. Colicky baby and inadequate feeding were the next challenges I had to face ahead. This phase has been the worst time where I was finding someone to talk to and I met my LC Rashmi mam. She guided me with methods that could help my oversupply issue. It got corrected somehow but my fear and demotivated mind remained the same.

Today after 3 and a half months I have got used to sleepless nights. Feeding has become a bit better and I am still into the process of learning. As far as the postpartum blues are concerned I have started involving myself in drawing cartoons which I color as per my mood and mind.

I have understood that nobody can help you unless you go ahead and talk, seek help and share your feelings. Especially with someone who has beem through similar situation. I would love to talk to any mother who is going through any difficult phase and try my best to provide all the support that you require. 

Best use of my superpower!

By Manali Menon: how she made breast milk soap from her excess breast milk.

I was blessed with my second baby (a baby girl) 9 months back. It has been such a pleasant and fulfilling breastfeeding journey for me. I was able to exclusively breastfeed both my son (now 3 years old) and my daughter (now 9 months old) for the first six months. I continued to breastfeed my son for 15 months and plan to continue as long as possible for my daughter as well. 

I have now resumed my work and have made sure that my little one gets only my own expressed milk along with nutritious solid foods while I am away from her. My children have infact supported me so well and I think I have breastfeeding to thank, for establishing such a lovely bond with them. I wont say it was all very easy, it never is! But, I was determined to give them the best start of life. It was made possible only with the continuous support of my husband and my family members.

My Lactation consultant Rashmi is also my very good friend and she was extremely delighted when I shared with her, a pic of a breast milk soap that I had made from the excess milk that I had. She said it was such a wonderful use of my precious milk and I must share it with other parents too. 

So here comes how I made it! 

I took normal glycerin soap base and melted it, then added expressed breast milk to it. The quantity of breast milk should be less than the soap base, say ratio should be 5:3

As I was making it for my newborn and toddler I did not add artificial colour and fragrance. I added few strands of saffron and a very fine powder of nutmeg for fragrance and my soap was ready. It’s absolutely moisturising and my toddler loved it!!"

Every drop of breastmilk is so precious and if you are blessed with excess then, please dont let that go waste. There is so much that you can do with it. You can make soaps, use it in preparing solid foods, donate it to the milk banks for other babies who really need it. Let us make the most of this super power which only moms are blessed with! 😊💖

A mom's determination knows no bounds

Story of Kadambari Oturkar: mom of a 3 month old

I am a mom of 3 month old baby boy. From the beginning, I had plans to exclusively breastfeed my baby for the first six months had contine as long as I can. But, somehow my journey did not go as I had planned.

Earlier I was having an issue of low milk supply and my baby had started refusing my breast. I seeked help of a Lactation consultant and she motivated me to work on reducing my baby's breast refusal and gave me tips for enhancing my milk supply. She said that she suspected my baby had a posterior tongue tie, which can also be the cause of pain while breastfeeding.

I kept trying really hard, but baby wasnt ready to open his mouth wide and continued to have a very shallow latch. Breastfeeding was getting very painful for me. I was feeling exhaused and both baby and I were getting frustrated.

Inspite of all the problems I was determined to give him my milk only and so I started pumping. Earlier I was able to pump and express around 600 ml per day and I was getting worried, if I would be able to suffice my baby's hunger as he grows.

Thanks to my Lactation Consultant, Rashmi ma'am for continuously encouraging me for breastfeeding but I guess it wasn't for me, so I had to opt for pumping. She respected my decision and encouraged me for giving my milk to the baby. She said "it doesn't matter how he is getting your milk, what matters is he is getting your milk and that you tried your best." She told me that "Many moms face similar problems and breastfeeding success is all about making the most of your situation and trying your best!"

At present, my baby is 3 months old and he is completely on my milk. I am now producing around 875ml of milk in 24 hours. I started using an electeic pump and have been pumping 8 times a day with one power pumping session. My baby sleeps throughout the night but still I wake up every 3 hours and pump so that my milk supply is maintained.

I could not breastfeed directly but the satisfaction I get in knowing that I managed to provide my baby with only my milk, cannot be expressed in words. I plan to exclusively pump and feed him only breastmilk for entire 6 months. I would like to tell other moms too that you know what's best for your baby and you should trust yourself and your ability to do that. With patience and determination everything is possible.