I hope it is ok to post an update to my post about my weaning due to my dx  
of cancer. I thought some might wonder what has happened since that post 
this  summer. 
 
Here is my blog post about what is currently going on:
 
About every couple of hours of EVERY day since I had to wean I think about  
breastfeeding me baby. The thought doesn't go away and it hasn't gotten 
easier  to deal with not nursing him. If anything, it makes me miss it more. 
Every day  and moment that I wish I could nurse him makes me realize, even 
more than when I  was nursing any of my children, that nursing is GREAT and 
makes like so much  easier. Nursing (for me) is totally different from what I 
am doing now. This  cancer has driven a space between me and my baby. With me 
leaving him for the  many dr appts, to not being able to care for him when 
I am so sick, and not  having the nursing "glue" to hold us together has 
made this happen. Oh, how I  wish I could have nursed him through this cancer 
treatment! 

I am now  free of the meds and could nurse him. Yet, he will not latch on. 
I have even  tried a SNS (supplemental nursing system) since I have no milk. 
I will keep  offering it to him but I am switching gears. I am now pumping 
with a hospital  grade pump so I can get back my milk supply and then be 
able to give him my milk  in a bottle (if he doesn't latch on). I have pumped 
for a total of 5 times and I  have drops coming out! It is really amazing to 
think that after not nursing for  6 mths and going through chemo and 
radiation (and most likely those things also  have put me into premature menopause) 
my body still will start to produce milk!  I have just bought some More 
Milk Special Blend to help increase production. I  don't have any milk to 
collect, maybe in a week or two I will have something to  start saving. But just 
seeing these drops give me hope. 

If I do the  surgery (it would be around Feb 21), presumably I would have a 
supply by then,  it makes things challenging. I would be in the hospital 
for at least 2 wks. And  I would not be well during most of that time. How 
will I do it? I have not  mentioned to any dr that I have started to try and 
build a supply. They would  not understand at all. Perhaps even some of my 
friends or other people in the  breastfeeding community might not either. But I 
have to do it no matter if he  never latches on again or even if I do not 
get any milk to give to him. At least  I know I went for it, I will not have 
a sense of I wish I had tried it. He is 15  mths and my new goal will be to 
reach 2 yrs of giving him breastmilk. (Just like  the WHO recommends.) My 
last goal was reached, it was to have milk for him till  he turned 1 yr old. 

I still have milk from my milk mamas! He still loves  it and drinks every 
drop of it! I am so grateful that I have been given this  incredible gift! 
Please know milk mamas I thank you and say a blessing to you  all every time I 
hold my baby and give him your precious milk. It makes me feel  like we 
give a hard punch to the cancer every time I feed him your milk. Ha, ha  cancer 
you can't take everything away from me or my baby! 

On a  breastfeeding email list I am on it was discussed about informal milk 
sharing  and how the FDA was looking into milk banks and milk sharing. I am 
for sure glad  that I am able to informal milk share. I would not have been 
able to get milk  from a milk bank. What if there had been a list of 
requirements and hoops I had  to go through to milk share with my friends? I am 
informed of the risks and took  precautions I thought was necessary for us. If 
anything, my experience has made  me wish that this was an option for more 
moms and it was more widely known and  accepted. I will sing the praises of 
this option and let other moms know about  it. I would think, at the very 
least, breastmilk should be THE supplement in the  hospital for newborns. It 
should be very easy to order some breastmilk for a  baby needing a supplement 
if for some reason the mom can't provide it. I am  extremely grateful that 
my milk mama donors have not required me to pay them for  there milk. (I 
couldn't afford it now with everything going on.) I am in favor  of moms being 
able to profit from THEIR MILK. It is upsetting to me about  companies 
profiting from moms who donate their milk to them. Currently a  nonprofit milk 
bank is the way to go for moms who want to donate their milk to  help babies. 

This got long! As my friends know I could talk about  breastfeeding (and 
birth) issues forever! 
 
 
 
Kim Ann Lorber
LLL Leader Quad Cities IA/IL
[log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask]) 
_http://cancercaughtme.blogspot.com/_ (http://cancercaughtme.blogspot.com/) 

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