Galactagogue

It's a funny word, Galactagogue. Probably a word most people have never heard of. Only dairy farmers and breastfeeding mothers most likely know what it is.

galactagogue

noun

agent that induces milk secretion

Producing food for another person with your own body is no small task. And I've never given it much thought. But being in this situation I've made some interesting observations:

1. I'm very tired by the end of the day. This could be partially due to waking up in the night to feed Trent, but Brian spends about the same amount of time awake as me and doesn't seem to be plagued with passing out on the couch.
   
2. Taking Fenugreek (my galactagogue of choice) makes me and Trent smell like a Indian food and maple syrup. There are worse things to smell like.
   
3. There is a definite increase in production after 24 hours of taking Fenugreek, 2 caplets 3 times a day.
   
4. Supply wanes so easily if you are not religious about pumping on schedule when you're away from your baby. Even with the Fenugreek.
   

We're almost to the 4 month point. Our pediatrician would like to start Trent on solid food at 4 months because of his acid reflux. I have mixed feelings about this because I've read several articles that state that food allergies are associated with early introduction of solid foods, and very good evidence and explanation to support it. On the other hand, I want to do what's best for Trent's comfort, and of course, it would be nice to not have him throwing up every day. Of course, breast feeding wouldn't stop completely. The solid food would just be a supplement to that, but it would ease my burden of producing so much. So as appealing as it is to start him early, I need to make sure that it's the right thing for him and not the most convenient thing for me. Is it really that big a deal for me to go 2 more months chained to my pump??

I guess I'll talk to our pediatrician about these concerns before making a decision.

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