Milk

Golly gosh! It's almost a month and I haven't posted here. And that's cos not much has been happening in a design sense. I've had what all breastfeeding mothers fear: mastitis. This has to be one of the most awful experiences I've gone through (worse than divorce) and I don't wish it on anyone.

Went down to W hospital as I felt so sick. Sore engorged boob and the chills but they didn't particularly take me seriously. I didn't have a temperature but surely they would help? One nurse asked me, 'What do they normally do for this kinda thing? Panadol?' Ummm, well, that's why I'm here. I want YOU to tell ME what I should be doing. Anyway, I finally saw a young doctor who admitted he had no experience with this, gave me antibiotics (telling me to do something different to what the medication suggested) and sent me home.

Two days later and it had become a hell of a lot worse... red hot inflamed boob, nausea, unable to get out of bed and unable to pump said boob. My baby also had decided she didn't want to feed from it or even my other boob and I was getting desperate. I finally rang Health Direct (I can only ever praise this service) and was told to go to hospital immediately and pretty much check-in. Which I did - although I chose a different hospital this time. I checked in for 2 days of a 'holiday' I like to put it...

Yes, I was in a lot of pain (nothing a few Panadeine Fortes couldn't fix) and had to express every 4 hours but to lay in bed all that time without little people demanding from mw, being able to nap and read my book and then have someone show up with food every so often (albeit hospital food) was lovely. I rested and slowly got better.

From this the decision was made to wean Xanthe. She is a strapping large baby anyway and I feel that 21 weeks breastfeeding is bloody good going. She is definitely happy enough and although I had those maternal tugs that I am not feeding her myself, it's all going too damn smoothly to worry about. Someone else can feed her too - I can do more things!