I wonder if cows have to imagine flowing rivers and waterfalls when they are being milked. What do they think about or eat to increase their milk supply? Do they care that they are being tapped for such a coveted resource? Do they get angry when a clumsy person spills their milk?

Don’t let anyone tell you that exclusively pumping breastmilk is not work. It is basically a second (or third if you are a WOHM) job. I pump 8 times a day normally for 45 minutes (20 minutes is just not enough). I wash breastpump accessories practically 5 times a day and that is with extras that I ordered so I wouldn’t have to wash them 8 times a day. My daily routine: I take 12 Fenugreek pills, drink Mother Milk Tea, eat Old Fashioned Oatmeal twice, apply warm compresses and massage my breast ten times, and practice relaxation techniques where I watch a slide show of Mya first days while envisioning waterfalls and flowing water. I do all of this to provide my daughter with “Liquid Gold” and most days, well, most days I hate it. It is exhausting. It is frustrating. And, I am constantly worrying about my supply. But I do it because I understand the benefits of BM and I like being able to provide her with something that no one else can give her. Mya drinks 3 oz of breastmilk every 3 hours (sometimes she needs an ounce after two hours). In order to keep up with her demands and have a little extra I have to pump at least 30 oz a day. That means I have to get at least 3.75 oz at each pumping session.  I get about 6 oz from my left breast and 4.5 from my left. I should be happy.

But, I’m nervous. There is this place deep down in the pit of my stomach that is petrified about losing my milk supply and being caught without any stored milk. I have had a couple of days when pumping was not very productive and I thought I would have to supplement with formula and that scared me. But, and I am trying to remain calm as I type this, what REALLY pisses me off is when I spend 45 minutes pumping milk only to have someone spill it because they were not looking or pour it out because the fat separated and it looked funny. THAT, my friends, makes me want to scream.

I want to strap my husband and his paretns up to the breastpump and put it on MAX just so that they can start to understand just how hard it is.

Maybe I can get some advice from a cow. They seem to be pretty laidback.