Glamour: On Boobs, Breast Feeding and Hair Loss
Posted 9th January 2009 by Kristen, tagged health, breast feeding
It's amazing how unattached I feel to my boobs now that they are serving their utilitarian function. I'm attached to a pump or a baby's mouth so often that I have no problem whipping them out at a moment's notice, wherever we may be. I'm hoping that post-breast feeding, I will regain some sense of normalcy about them. I'm wondering if my current attitude is the reason behind it taking me FOREVER to throw out the old undies and camisoles...which leads to part two of that equation: how long will it take me to replace the ones I threw out? Because my drawer is pretty pretty pretty empty nowadays.
Speaking of breast feeding, I'm fairly certain my supply is diminishing. I've still got enough to meet Bennett's needs in the morning and at night, but even after pumping 3-4 times a day at work, I'm only going home with about 9 ounces. We've been supplementing with organic formula and she recently added rice cereal to her diet, so that's helping. Honestly? I think the formula AND the rice cereal are what's helping her sleep so well, too -- because I have had two GLORIOUS nights of actual sleep (well, in 4 hour increments). Here's hoping this is the start of a new habit.
Also? I'm losing my hair. A lot of hair. In the drain when I shower, handfuls when I brush. I'm afraid to use the straightening iron for fear it will singe off some more. Luckily, I have a lot of hair, so I'm not on the verge of baldness...but it's true when "they" say you will start losing all the beautiful hair you kept while pregnant -- it happened almost immediately after one fellow new mommy asked me if it had started.
Next weekend we are heading out of town for two nights and Bennett will be staying with her grandparents. I'm a mix of emotions: happy to be going somewhere with my husband, happy to be able to sleep, sad to be away from my baby, guilty to leave her for so long so soon. I'm hoping that it turns into a fun little getaway. Aside from trying to get expressed breast milk through security sans baby, that is.
2 comments so far...
Flag as inappropriate Posted by KC on 10th January 2009
Also, in my opinion (not that you asked for it :)), you are wise to hold off on filling your lingerie drawer back up. You do need some things you can wear and feel good in right now, but your body will change again after you wean, and you really have no way of knowing right now what that change will look like.
Best of luck to you. Have a wonderful trip, and remember that surrounding your baby with people who love her (like her grandparents) is the BEST thing you can do. So no guilt! :)
Flag as inappropriate Posted by Steel Magnolia on 9th January 2009