Pumping and Donating ( a rant )

I need a hug

Not a shrug

I need strength and fortitude amongst the many struggles of this solitude journey of pumping milk

The eternal energy it takes is extremely exhausting, everywhere

I turn, it seems so lonely im stuck inside most days chained to a pump

Endless days.

Endless nights

Dealing with ignorant

and Entitled women who flake out then become passive-aggressive when I choose

to donate to someone else .

Im through

I’ll just pump and dump then its my choice to choose dont make me feel ashamed

I put in all the efforts , dealt with mastitis , thrush antibiotics!

If i choose to donate to your baby show me respect and occasionally surprise me with chocolates or tea hell even gatorade .

Lactation Brownies

As Salam Alikum Readers

Here is a quick way to make lactation brownies.

1 box brownie mix your choice

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/4 cup flax seeds ground up

1/4 chai seeds ground up

Replace the oil with coconut oil same amount

Replace the water with coconut milk

Add 3 whole eggs mix and bake as directed

Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bread

6 bananas very ripe

2/3 cups peanut butter

3 eggs

2/3 to 1 cup sugar ( I used 2/3 in my recipe )

1 cup old fashioned rolled oatmeal ran through a blender until it’s flour

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 cup flax seeds run through a blender until turns to meal

1 1/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix wet ingredients in kitchen aid mixer until smooth about 5 minutes with the paddle mixer.

Combine dry ingredients then slowly add to wet ingredients mix well

Preheat oven to 350

Grease 4 mini bunt pans and a small loaf pan , add 1 cup dough to each bunt pan then the rest of dough goes into small loaf pan .

Bake for one hour then pull out and let cool 5 minutes then remove from pans.

Quick Seafood Chowder

1 pound small Shrimp

1 can of clams

1 6 ounce pack of imitation crab meat

1 16 ounce can of sweet corn

1 large russet potato

3 stalks celery

1 large onion

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock ( use whatever is in your kitchen)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Salt to taste I leave the salt out and let others adjust it to their taste

3 cups heavy whipping cream ( reserve 1 cup to mix corn starch with )

3 tablespoons corn starch

Finely chop onion, celery cube potato into one inch cubes.

In skillet* heat oil then add chopped vegetables sauté 5 minutes then add stock and simmer until potato is soft about 10 minutes.

In big sauce pot add shrimp , clams ( wash the clams first) and imitation crab meat break meat into smaller pieces add corn with the liquid .

Combine the potatoes mixture with the seafood mixture and heat until boiling then add the whipping cream heat to boil add the 1 cup mixture of whipping cream and corn starch cook for 5 minutes then turn off and serve hot with crackers.

* I use a cast iron skillet.

Pumping advice in pictures

As Salam Alikum Readers here’s some pumping advice in pictures

Not Feeling Well,

As Salam Alikum Readers

I haven’t been posting as much as I would like to I have articles outlined and almost ready to post but I haven’t been feeling so well lately my headache doesn’t seem to ever go away and Tylenol doesn’t help it no does applying heat or cold the head ache starts as a stabbing throbbing pain in the base of my neck between my shoulders then runs up my neck and wraps around my head in a throbbing stabbing squeezing pain my stomach feels nauseous and I get dizzy I also seem to sweat a lot more I’ve increased my water intake and have been eating super nutritionist foods not really sure what is causing the head aches .

Breast Pumps My Personal Review

As Salam Alikum Readers

Today I’m going to write a review of all the breast pumps I’ve tried, I’ll list the names and types of pumps I’ve tried and how I felt that they’ve worked for me personally .

Spectra love the setting of this pump , bottles are a bit oddly shaped not a fan of the one piece flanges as it’s harder to get into the pumping bras , note there are medela hacks to use medala parts with the spectra pump I’ll try them and give a review. Still playing around with the settings to figure out what personally works for me.

Medela is a good pump there are several different models I have personally tried the harmony hand pump the Lactina pump, symphony, in style pump they all work and are easy to use . There are so many different types of medala pumps and different size flanges it’s super easy to use just be very careful with the suction it’s super easy to accidentally hurt your nipples but using to much suction. Will show you the hacks I’ve used in another post in sha Allah.

Avent Manuel pump easy to use and store works great like the design.Love this design and the cushions flange pump. Not really a fan of the bottles because they are oddly shaped and a huge size even this smallest size ones.

Haakaa is a suction based cup thing that’s great for catching the second boob drips while baby nurses . Only issue I have is my baby seems to like to kick it off the other breast while she’s feeding. The suction and take a minute or so to get right .

Evenflo double electric pump it works like the extra cushion of the breast pump inserts small easy to pack design, don’t care for the one piece style flanges. I do like the extra flange cushions and I found a hack I use with medala flanges and evenflo cushions.

Amadela purely yours personal and hospital grade all I can say is don’t both they didn’t have any suction or speed even at the highest setting huge waste of time. Not a fan of the one piece flanges they are personal a pain to deal with and award to wash and get into pumping bras.like the duckbill valves and they will fit up in the medala parts I’ll show you the hack later.