As if the daily preemie drama alone isn't enough grist to set my jaw in a perpetual worry smirk, other unexpected aspects of the daily routine, such as it is, eventually build to a crescendo--complete with clanging cymbals--that leave me completely perplexed as to how I should proceed.
Yes, I'm referring, of course, to breast milk.
Breast milk is basically staging a house takeover, and it's doing so so efficiently yet gradually that I was completely surprised to realize it had even become a problem.
What happened is this: my wife is crazy. Okay, that's not a complete explanation. Let me elaborate.
When the twins first arrived, we were obviously blindsided by all the preemie realities that showered down on us practically by the hour. As such, we weren't concerning ourselves with such mundane daily practices as showering or feeding ourselves.
Also, my wife didn't get a jump start on breastfeeding right away, so when she realized she could lose her milk supply if she didn't start pumping, she basically kicked it into overdrive and has been a pumping super athlete--if such an athlete subset exists--ever since.
Routine pumping alone is exhausting for my wife, since she has to pump every two to four hours, which means waking up in the middle of the night to tap the boob juice, and she usually can't fall back asleep for at least an hour afterwards. So, there's that obvious aspect.
The less obvious aspect is the impact of STORING all the milk. My wife pumps the milk into these cylindrical receptacles which, when full, get labeled and placed in the freezer. My wife pumps both at home and at the hospital, and she's already filled her allocated hospital freezer shelf to the point she's starting a second row. On the home front, when I open the freezer door, it's all I can do to keep an avalanche of frozen milk cylinders from cascading down upon me like a wave of calcium-rich Tribbles.
The deep freeze in the basement, likewise, is completely jam-packed with frozen milk tubes. We're literally running out of room to store all these freakin' breast milk containers.
When I suggest maybe, just maybe, my wife should consider just pumping and dumping out the milk, she points out "BUT WHAT IF I STOP PRODUCING MILK!? HOW WILL I FEED ZOEY THEN!?"
It's a maddening Catch-22 that I simply can't see a way around. She has to pump to keep her milk coming in, and she has to save the milk in case her milk stops coming in. We need to give Zoey breast milk whether my wife is producing milk or not.
So, we save. And we save. And we save. And we've saved so damned much milk, I find myself watching television shows about hoarders every once in a while and thinking "You think THAT'S BAD?! Come and take a look at our freezers, pal. I'll show you a hoarding problem."
By the way, I have no idea what a "jaw set in a perpetual worry smirk" actually looks like, but damn if that's not a most excellent turn of phrase.
Posted by Ryan at March 3, 2011 03:50 PM | TrackBackThey also make storage bags for breast milk, not sure if they'd take up less room in the freezers.
Posted by: Beth at March 3, 2011 04:17 PMBeth, we did use bags when we had our first child. But, the hospital doesn't want us using bags because they're a pain to work with when thawing them for injected feedings. So, we're stuck using the cylinders for now.
Posted by: Ryan at March 3, 2011 07:50 PMUgh, I had to do the same thing. I wasn't lucky with that kind of over supply but the pumping all through the night...It's tough. Mel deserves a cookie.
Posted by: Shasta at March 4, 2011 07:28 AMHey Ryan, we have a freezer in our garge with extra space if you are needing it! Just let me know.
Posted by: Katie at March 4, 2011 08:20 AMWe used the cylinders a few years back and ran into the same problem. Start using the bags--it helped greatly. You can freeze the bags flat then store stacked. Square tupperware-type containers help manage the stacking (upright once frozen). They label well, too, so it's easier to sort and store.
Posted by: pjMom at March 4, 2011 09:06 AMDo NOT mess with a lactating Mama. She will. Kill. You. And Zoey, based on the Poop Patrol Reports, is gonna need every drop. Soon enough it'll be replaced by steaks and frozen tacos. Or is that just my fridge? BTW, you're all doing great. Chin up, totally unknown friend. ;)
Posted by: rsmith at March 4, 2011 12:20 PMTwenty years ago when pumping breast milk was a necessity in my daily routine, my husband had a recurring nightmare that I had been sucked into the breast pump in my entirety. Oh my! This is a stressful time, and hoarding is the least of it!
Prayers continue.
Posted by: Frances at March 4, 2011 01:25 PM
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