Defective parts

Nursing has been such an ordeal this time around. I've dealt with pain that my ob and 3 lactation consultants could not pin-point, my supply has been decreasing on one side and, the most recent problem, bleeding, presumably from trauma due to Sawyer's rough nursing style.

Thursday I woke to find my right breast bruised looking with red streaks. Within a few hours I had a fever and chills. The dreaded mastitis. I called my Ob's nurse who consulted with the doctor and called in a prescription for antibiotics and the suggestion to pump for a few days to give my breast some time to heal.

I do not like pumping. I did just enough of it to have a little bit of a freezer supply of milk for an emergency. I never would have guessed that I have an over abundance of the lipase enzyme in my milk that causes the milk to have a nasty metallic flavor when thawed. I had to throw out my entire frozen supply. *sniff, sniff* From now on, I know to scald the milk before freezing to deactivate the enzyme.

I tried to give Sawyer some formula with no luck. He would not take it. I did manage to sneak an ounce or two in when I didn't pump enough milk. I'm proud to say that I managed to pump for three whole days. I think it's helped to build up the supply in my slacker boob and the bruising and streaking are gone. Now I have to remember to take my antibiotic four times a day until it runs out. And I will no longer take for granted whipping out a boob when it's time for Sawyer to eat. There is a lot of convenience in that.