There have been quite a few changes to our nursing relationship recently.

1. The first, and most excellent to me, is that I tapered down and finally quit pumping at work. If I had a different job I think I’d have kept going, but with my new schedule it just wasn’t feasible. I’m surprised at what relief I feel, like a big burden has been lifted. No more pumping 4 times a day, no more stressing about low supply, no more washing bottles or lugging a pump around. It’s delightful really.

2. The downside of course is more infrequent nursing even when I’m at home. It’s all supply and demand, you can’t quit pumping without a drop in supply. It’s a little sad, but I’m also OK. We’re down to nursing about twice a day, Henry would like to nurse more, so if I’m home I let him nurse and if he gets frustrated that the tap is dry I distract him with something else or give him some cow’s milk.

3. Henry is drinking cow’s milk! He has no issues and took to it immediately.

4. Henry can drink through a straw! We tried everything we could think of to get him to suck, but how do you teach someone to use a straw? Finally a friend recommended the Playtex Little Gripper First Sipper, you can squeeze the cup so some liquid comes up through the straw, one squeeze and it all snapped into place for Hen. Now he is a straw fiend.

5. Sometimes at night now when Hen wakes up, Josh just takes care of it and lets me sleep. Blissful.

6. Henry figured out that I hide the boobs inside my shirt. Now if he wants some boob, he just reaches in and helps himself. So my boobs are making a whole lot more public appearances.