Boobies & Briefcases

Anyone who knows me and knows what I do for work is aware of the fact that I work with all men. During my time in my position traveling, I worked with very few women within the company, but now that I am back in my office, I am once again the only female here. I'm not complaining, I have an awesome group of guys who are like family to me. I've trusted some of them with the most personal information of my life, and I would probably trust some of them to care for my kid if I ever needed it, but it does make things interesting at work to be the only woman.

I'm pretty open with these guys. They know me pretty damn well. If mother nature pays a visit, they all get a warning that my bitch card may be in full force. If it's time to pump at work they are all fully aware to stay the hell away from the conference room for at least 20 minutes. They know not to touch my food, or to approach me when I'm hangry. These guys are legit the best group of people to work with, and I have had the pleasure of working closely with them for over five years now.

With that being said, being a breastfeeding mom and working full time has serious challenges, and Emma is eating more than what an elephant on steroids could consume. She has a full feeding RIGHT before we leave for daycare, and is sent to daycare with 24 ounces of breast milk along with three ounces of homemade organic sweet potato baby food. We started the baby food a bit early because I am struggling to keep up my supply and the few times I have supplemented with formula she was miserable and obviously unhappy. I rather have her eating baby food a little early than take anymore formula. At the end of the day when I pick up that little she devil of mine, she has about one ounce of milk left...everything else has been consumed in an 8-9 hour day. HOLY COW. Literally, I feel like a cow. 

Pumping at work is hard. I had already struggled in the beginning to build a supply. I started taking fenugreek supplements and drinking mothers milk tea to boost it, and its helped tremendously. I still take both every single day, but throughout the day I have less time to focus on pumping, staying hydrated, and just plain being comfortable while pumping. At the end of the day I know its worth the struggle because its the best thing for my daughter, and quite honestly I know some moms don't have the opportunity to breastfeed so I am thankful that I can and do.