Milk by Any Other Name is Still Milk!

I had the breast pump out.  I was going to be out of the house for a while the following day and my kids were going to stay home with my husband.  I figured just in case my baby daughter woke up and needed milk, I’d try to have some available to her, although she isn’t really used to taking a bottle.  I don’t pump often because I don’t have the time, I’m almost always home with the kids so I don’t need to, and I have that excess lipase issue which just adds an extra step to the whole storing thing.

During my daughter’s nap the other day, my son began examining the pump.  “Mama, how does this work?”  So, I began explaining as best I could.  He wanted to see it in action.  I found the pieces I needed which were clean but not sterilized.  I was able to pump about an ounce.  I was thrilled.  He was fascinated.

As I have been desperately trying to wean my son, I suddenly had a brilliant idea.  “Hey,” I said, “Why don’t I put this in a cup for you?”  I got out a special cup and a crazy straw and poured the milk from the bottle.  I handed it to him and watched.  Then, my son (who is addicted to nursing) examined it closely, turned his nose up at it, and handed the cup back to me with a “No, thanks!”  He actually seemed grossed out by the whole thing, which is weird because he begged to start nursing again immediately afterwards!

I would have loved to save this pumped milk for baby girl, but it had sat out too long without scalding so it was already beginning to spoil.  I ended up pouring the milk down the drain which, as anyone who pumps knows, breaks your heart a little as each drop disappears.

As for my son, I have tried cow’s milk, coconut milk, almond milk (plain and vanilla), soy milk, chocolate milk, Pediasure, Kefir, etc.  Nothing has worked as a substitute – not even my own milk in a cup!  I know it’s also about the closeness and bonding which I take very seriously, but come on, kid!  You can sit on my lap and snuggle with me while drinking my milk from a cup, can’t you?  Apparently not.  Sigh.

Comments

7 responses to “Milk by Any Other Name is Still Milk!”

  1. Terri Avatar
    Terri

    Hi, Amy! I just wanted to say that I am in awe of your breast-feeding stamina! I did it for one month (with both of my pregnancies). With my first, he just wasn’t getting the hang of it, and neither was I, and we ended up having to pump to try and get him enough. Then I was spending more time with the pump than the child, so I gave up. With the triplets, I only pumped while they were in the NICU and I had time. Once they were home I went to formula. I think we did a fine job bonding without the nursing, but I think it’s great to breast-feed if you can and if you love it. I don’t think I know anyone who has stuck with it as long as you! God bless you!

    1. Amy Avatar
      Amy

      Thank you, Terri! You gave it a valiant effort and you should be applauded for that – even if they had breastmilk for one day, it’s better than none, so good job, Mama! Nursing two (at different ages) simultaneously is really difficult – I couldn’t imagine triplets! I can’t even fathom caring for triplets and a toddler on a daily basis. God bless you (and your kids) too!

  2. Debs Avatar

    Terri obviously hasn’t met me! 😀

    I’m still semi trying to wean my 2 1/2 year old from the breast. She does drink cows milk and that’s her main supply of milk, she likes the breast for comfort, or if i’m desperately trying to get her to nap and she just won’t. Or like this morning when she wakes up at 4am and can’t get back to sleep – she comes into bed with me and has some milk to try to get her back to sleep (didn’t work) or at least keep her quiet so the baby can sleep!

    1. Amy Avatar
      Amy

      I’m with you! I can’t get my son to drink any other kind of milk – cow, coconut, almond. Sleep is the worst. He still wants to nurse to sleep and feels he can’t sleep without it. We have mostly night-weaned but since all 4 of us are in the same room, when he wakes up screaming for milkies at 5 am, I often cave because I’m not ready to be up yet nor is my husband, and I certainly don’t want him to wake the baby (because then I’ll have to nurse her back to sleep). I feel for you, Mama!

  3. Angie Avatar
    Angie

    Or me 🙂 (Tommy coming up for 3 in June and still going strong…)

    We’re lucky though that he will accept cow’s milk from a cup with straw, or “pink” milk (Nesquick Strawberry – with all that sugar!!!) from pretty much anything. Your comment about your heart breaking when you saw each drop of precious milk going down the drain, struck a cord – I had to dump my whole frozen milk bank when we moved country when he was a year old, and it was terrible! I haven’t pumped since. Lucky me!

    1. Amy Avatar
      Amy

      I’ve tried Pediasure, Ovaltine, good old fashioned chocolate syrup, and even putting whipped cream on top of some of these “milkshakes” but he’s just not interested.

      And ouch, Angie! Dumping all that milk must’ve been awful. I have the lipase issue where my milk spoils rapidly and, before I knew this, I often had to dump what I pumped. I cried!

  4. Terri Avatar
    Terri

    Wow! I guess there are a lot of ladies out there who have stuck with it for a while. I hope you all have luck with the weaning process. That was one thing I didn’t have to worry about as much. It was pretty easy to wean them from a bottle of formula to a sippy cup of milk. And lucky for me all four of my kids are fantastic at sleeping and napping. I don’t think I would have survived triplets if they weren’t!

    I do remember in the days when I was pumping and what it felt like to spill or waste any. I wasn’t producing enough already and then to see any go unused was awful. I definitely cried!

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