Fitting it All Together

Today I ventured back into the office.  I needed to get some planning done for a summer school class I'm teaching and also work on some job applications.  I was only there for 4 hours, but I left feeling physically and mentally exhausted.   I don't know how I'm going to fit all of this in once I go back to work full time - being a good mom, eating healthy, and exercising.  Hell, I'm not even exercising yet!  I came home and was lucky enough to crash for about an hour while hubby did the grocery shopping and both kids napped. 

After my nap I was motivated to get rid of my old stress: the dissertation.  You know, to make room for all the new stresses.   I boxed everything up and had my husband take it down to the garage.  Good riddance!!

Buh Bye Dissertation!!

I was pretty bummed about how little I lost last week and I got online to read a bit about weight loss while pumping/breastfeeding.  I had been eating only 1500-1600 calories a day and everything I read suggested that I really need to increase it to around 1800.  But, I'm in this weird in between situation.  I don't produce much milk - I didn't with my first and I didn't with this one either.  AND my baby had some serious latching problems.  I went to the lactation consultant and she hooked me up with syringes to feed the baby formula while she was nursing at the breast using a nipple shield.  It was really hard, messy, and everyone was miserable...  It lasted about 2 days.  So, I've been pumping and giving baby all the breast milk I produce and supplementing with formula.  With the small amount I produce, it's actually more like I'm supplementing her formula with breastmilk.  

So, I worry when I read things that say breastfeeding women should be consuming 2000 calories a day or more because I really am not breastfeeding.  Those women can pump out 6 to 8 ounces at a feeding.  The most I ever get is 2 ounces.  So, I really don't know what to do.  But, this week I'll increase my calories to 1800 and see what shows up on the scale on Sunday.

Here's my end of the evening picture - hanging out with Baby E in the baby bjorn.