Milk and Donuts

Hello Dear Readers,

Well, Sukie and I went to the office on Monday! I was excited. After Robert was born, I felt guilty for feeling excited to get back to my breadwinning gig. But this time not so much. Perhaps it's because I see now that Robert is doing just great being raised by his excellent (although lactation challenged) father. But I also see quite clearly that I need the balance of the rent gig and the parent gig, and I haven't even felt the need to hide behind the economic necessity nearly as much this time around. I hope other mamas who need to make the donuts as well as make the milk are able to find this peace. Too many of us feel guilty or conflicted about going back to work. Staying home grumpy does not make us better mothers.

I had been mentally cautioning myself not to expect to get too much done, given that I would need to get my bearings again and slog though tons of email. Just to drive the point home, my computer wouldn't speak to my monitor all day, so I got almost nothing done. I enjoyed the cheerful welcome back wishes from my colleagues, though, and participated in our investment committee meeting. And Sukie and I did just fine. Matt brought the kiddos over at lunchtime, since I figured I wasn't getting anything done anyway I might as well nurse Jackie. Wednesday, though, I did yoga on my lunch break. It's absurdly difficult to find 40 minutes and a quiet spot to accomplish this at home in our tiny, crowded (but cozy and joyful!) apartment. So while there is barely enough room in my office for a sun salute, it still works better to do it there.

Copying the genius of my friend and colleague Mama C.C., I have ordered enough spare pump parts to get through a work day without washing any. They aren't all here yet but I am very much looking forward to the convenience of that practice. I'll get some dishwasher baskets too, so I can just toss them all in there at the end of the day and be done with it.

I hope you are all well and calmer than I am in this joyful season. Those who may be concerned that I might forget that "Jesus is the reason for the season" need not worry, as I frequently and fervently pray to get everything done without losing my mind. Also, a happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate, and let me know if you want to arrange a latke-for-gingerbread exchange. And happy Kwanza, happy Yule, happy Solstice (yay longer daylight!) and if I forgot someone please accept my general wishes for a pleasant and peaceful season.

Much love,

Suzi

Frequent Nurser Miles

Hello Dear Boobjuicers and Friends!

We just got back yesterday from a trip to see the in-laws in Indiana. I think my breasts should get their own frequent flyer miles. I mean, they are doing an important service for everyone on the plane by keeping the baby happy. Not sure Delta is going to see it that way. But they get points for the super attentive flight attendant who rushed out onto the jetway to see how he could help, as I wrestled with my behemoth stroller and my 8,000 bags. Recall I had brought Sukie the Breastpump on this trip, in case I wanted to keep up with pumping or needed relief while Jackie was sleeping. Of course Sukie only made it out of her tote bag when the TSA agent in Indianapolis thought she was part of a terrorist plot. Some women might feel similarly about their pumps, frankly. But anyway better to have her along and not need her than the other way 'round. And now that I think about it, it's in everyone's best interest to get the mama with too much stuff and a sleeping baby onto the plane as quickly and efficiently as possible, so maybe the other three flight crews on our trip should take a note from this guy...

In addition to Boobjuice Heroes, I want to share stories of Boobjuice Angels - folks who helped us while we were nursing, rather than other nursing mamas who served as examples. This week's Boobjuice Angel is the nice waitress who saw me poking ineffectively at the chicken strips in my salad with my fork while holding Jackie at the boob, and offered to cut it up for me. "Yes, that would be very helpful, thank you," I said, while I thought, "and thank you for saving me from asking you to cut my food for me, which seemed a little too... something." She quickly and effectively cut it into more manageable pieces while telling me about some nitwit who got all offended with her for nursing her son in a doctor's office waiting room. I tipped well. Got a Boobjuice Angel to tell me about? Leave me a comment!

I had a lovely conversation about breastfeeding this evening with a six year old. She is a colleague's daughter (and amazingly articulate and smart and so cute I want to put her in my pocket, but I don't think she'll fit) and I was nursing Jackie at the end of our Ladies' Christmas Ornament Exchange party. (My ornament, indulgently fetched by my dear husband, was not a hit, but I swapped with this young lady and took it back home - Robert likes it, and now the young lady likes hers better, so that made me happy.) Anyway, Young Lady had questions about how breastfeeding works, did it hurt, how come it was okay to do it in public. She wasn't comfortable using the word breast, but seemed to become more comfortable as we talked more. I hope I was able to be reassuring and make breastfeeding seem more normal for her. We need to figure out how to have young'uns understand how normal and natural breastfeeding is even if they don't have younger siblings/cousins/neighbors nursing around them all the time. I think nursing at an office Christmas party is a good start.

Ugh. I'm tired. I reread this post and it's not a sparkling example of witty prose, but I think it's what I've got in me tonight. Hope you are all well!

Much love,

Suzi