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Compartment 14B

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Back to work(out), and too much of a good thing.

2006-03-27 - 9:54 a.m.

This weekend I headed back to the gym while Grommet and her daddy went to the Auto Show. It�s probably the longest I�ve been apart from her since her birth (over an hour and a half). However, since the gym and the show were in the same complex and I had my cell on and with me at all times (except in the shower of course) in case of any emergencies� especially those that would require the presence of my boobs.

I have to say that both the Grom and I weathered the experience pretty well. In my case, it�s partly because I didn�t push it and limited myself to only 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer and the upper body, ab, and cooldown tracks of the class that I normally teach when not on mat leave. I was a teeny bit stiff yesterday and so far today, but it�s a good kind of stiff and I�m betting it�ll pass fairly soon.

Today is a gorgeous day, with the sun shining and a predicted high of 9 degrees above zero. I may even venture forth with Grommet for a stroll before J gets home, unless he asks me to wait for him. Right now she�s sleeping and I don�t even want to disturb her to wipe the dried milk off the side of her head.

That�s right: I said �the side of her head�.

I have what is occasionally, shall we say, an over-abundance of the white stuff. I�d heard of women with not enough but I hadn�t been aware that anyone could have too much until it happened to me. I think the surfeit of foremilk, in fact, is one of the possible causes of Grommet�s gas pains as I read that it�s high in milk sugar and can have that effect.

As I�ve mentioned before, when I feel the let-down or, perhaps more appropriately milk ejection reflex, I have to be ready with an extra washcloth or something to staunch the flow on the side that�s not in use (and why did no one tell me that this happened?). Lately I�ve been cleverly catching it in a cup and adding it to my frozen supply � on a day when my boobs are full to bursting I can leak almost a full ounce in a 10-minute feeding. This has also allowed me to see that I don�t just drip sometimes, it�s like the boob nozzle has been set on spray and I�ll get several needle-thin jets of milk when the let-down first comes on. This is even more true of the side that is in use � when Grommet gets more than she can handle she�ll pull back and I�ll cover her face in a fine spray that makes it look like she�s been hit with a milk-filled plant mister.

During the day I can keep an eye on this, but when I�m feeding her at night in the semi-dark I don�t always see what�s happening, thus there are mornings like today when I look at her once the sun�s come up and she�s got dried milk crusted to her face and even in her hair.

Oh well, milk is supposed to be good for the complexion, non? If that�s the case, this baby�s going to have the best skin in her playgroup.

Before - After


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