Where do I begin...
Here's a few interesting things you should know before we begin... I was pregnant, at 22 endurance events, as a race announcer last year.
The last few months of the year I call the Fall Fury. 12 events 11 weeks in a row. My due date was our final event of the season (how appropriate), and I was smart enough to say I wouldn't be attending that event. The 2nd to last event however... was right at the 37 week mark... and is our biggest event of the year. We close down the Las Vegas strip on Sunday night and over 40,000 runners take to the streets running a marathon or half marathon. Snoop Dogg was our headliner concert just before the race kicked off, and there I was... 37 weeks pregnant with my backstage pass...
Exactly 48 hours after landing at home I gave birth. We kept saying "we just have to get through Las Vegas"... she was very punctual. She was happy and healthy and everything went so well.
Like many new moms, I knew "pumping" was in my future. That being said, I had never actually seen anyone pump. My best friend put a "pump" on my baby registry and I just went with it. I never received said pump and instead another friend sent me a brand new she never used. Perfect. Didn't have to spend my registry money on the most expensive item on the list! Since I never really researched anything about pumps I didn't know any different.
About a month in, I knew I had to get to "pumping". At 6 weeks we did the introductory bottle to get my daughter a chance to get used to this whole setup. And the freezer stash began to slowly build. And I learned a lot about "let down", multiple spray holes, the very distinct sound a pump makes and most importantly, how much you have to work to get just a few ounces saved up. Oh and what happens if you DON'T pump. Clogged ducts suck. A lot.
Rock 'n' Roll Arizona was the first race of the year always held in January. My daughter was due early December (actually came mid November) and so I knew that one was probably not going to happen for me.
Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans is next, first weekend in February. I assumed, since I was planning to only have a two mont old at home, I would also not attend this race. I assumed wrong. Since she had come slightly earlier than expected and they needed me, I decided I could probably make it. She was 2.5 months old. I felt pretty confident I could sneak away for the weekend and she would survive, probably not even notice I had left.
A race weekend entails a flight to the city, several fun promotional video shoots that involve great views of the city, the course, some cool sightseeing destinations, interviews with amazing athletes, a few meetings, a few nights in a hotel, announcing a 5k or a kids race and then the big race (either a half or a full marathon) that begins in the wee hours of the morning until every last finisher comes across the finish line. And a flight home. It's a perfect fit for someone who loves talking to strangers, has a slight case of ADHD and isn't very good at math. That's me.
Fast Forward to my first trip back on the road, as a new mother with a breastfeeding 2 month old at home...
Welcome to a new "job" duty... and the places I pump.
The last few months of the year I call the Fall Fury. 12 events 11 weeks in a row. My due date was our final event of the season (how appropriate), and I was smart enough to say I wouldn't be attending that event. The 2nd to last event however... was right at the 37 week mark... and is our biggest event of the year. We close down the Las Vegas strip on Sunday night and over 40,000 runners take to the streets running a marathon or half marathon. Snoop Dogg was our headliner concert just before the race kicked off, and there I was... 37 weeks pregnant with my backstage pass...
These are some of runner who dressed up as Me...
Slightly deflated Beach Balls... Exactly how I felt.
Exactly 48 hours after landing at home I gave birth. We kept saying "we just have to get through Las Vegas"... she was very punctual. She was happy and healthy and everything went so well.
Like many new moms, I knew "pumping" was in my future. That being said, I had never actually seen anyone pump. My best friend put a "pump" on my baby registry and I just went with it. I never received said pump and instead another friend sent me a brand new she never used. Perfect. Didn't have to spend my registry money on the most expensive item on the list! Since I never really researched anything about pumps I didn't know any different.
About a month in, I knew I had to get to "pumping". At 6 weeks we did the introductory bottle to get my daughter a chance to get used to this whole setup. And the freezer stash began to slowly build. And I learned a lot about "let down", multiple spray holes, the very distinct sound a pump makes and most importantly, how much you have to work to get just a few ounces saved up. Oh and what happens if you DON'T pump. Clogged ducts suck. A lot.
Rock 'n' Roll Arizona was the first race of the year always held in January. My daughter was due early December (actually came mid November) and so I knew that one was probably not going to happen for me.
Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans is next, first weekend in February. I assumed, since I was planning to only have a two mont old at home, I would also not attend this race. I assumed wrong. Since she had come slightly earlier than expected and they needed me, I decided I could probably make it. She was 2.5 months old. I felt pretty confident I could sneak away for the weekend and she would survive, probably not even notice I had left.
A race weekend entails a flight to the city, several fun promotional video shoots that involve great views of the city, the course, some cool sightseeing destinations, interviews with amazing athletes, a few meetings, a few nights in a hotel, announcing a 5k or a kids race and then the big race (either a half or a full marathon) that begins in the wee hours of the morning until every last finisher comes across the finish line. And a flight home. It's a perfect fit for someone who loves talking to strangers, has a slight case of ADHD and isn't very good at math. That's me.
Fast Forward to my first trip back on the road, as a new mother with a breastfeeding 2 month old at home...
Welcome to a new "job" duty... and the places I pump.
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